Quentin Tarantino loves to retell the history of our world according to his own ideas. The result can be a fantastic love letter to the cinema of the 60s, like in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. Or a bloody satirical fantasy about good, evil and everything in between in Nazi-era Europe.
Despite all the satire, one thing cannot be missing in a masterpiece like Inglourious Basterds: a terrifying, charismatic antagonistFortunately, Christoph Waltz stepped onto the international scene as Hans Landa for this occasion – and played his way straight into the nightmares of all fans. You can now experience the genius of this iconic figure live and in color with a streaming subscription on Amazon Prime.
In Inglourious Basterds, Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz become hunters and hunted of the Nazi regime
1941. World War II is raging in Europe. France is suffering from the German occupationOne man in particular from the Nazi regime is to be feared: Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), whose job and devilish private pleasure consists in tracking down and murdering scattered Jews. His victims include Shosanna’s (Mélanie Laurent) family.
While she escapes and, despite her fear of Landa, forges her own plans for revenge, another Resistance groupUS officer Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) and his troop of “Basterds”, all Jewish soldiers, have made it their mission to hunt down Nazis. They want to weaken the enemy with targeted attacks and a good dose of violence.
Universal
Eli Roth and Brad Pitt as “Basterds” in Inglourious Basterds
The paths of all these hunters and hunted lead them across Europe and finally, via fateful detours, to the same destination: Paris. This is where the war will be decideddepending on whose plans work out in the end and who loses.
Inglourious Basterds on Amazon Prime shows in a gruesome way what makes a brilliant villain
If you search on the relevant international film sites for unforgettable movie villainsHans Landa is usually not far away. BBC, Empire or Collider: none of them can leave out the diabolical Nazi colonel in their top lists of the best villains. And for good reason.
Hans Landa is not a force of nature, not a physically superior opponent who could bring you to your knees through sheer strength. Instead, he is, in a bitter way, … civilized. Charming. With a winning smile and a foxy cunning, which together with his profoundly hateful ideals mutate into a disgusting mixture.
Universal
The evil in Inglourious Basterds also enjoys apple strudel
Seldom has evil been so banal and yet so polite and educated. Seldom has an antagonist been so seemingly effortless in staying one step ahead of his opponents at all times. This devil is charismatic and yet unpredictable. You can’t help but be fascinated by him – and immediately feels dirty himself. With Hans Landa, Waltz and Tarantino truly created a character that follows us into our nightmares.
If you don’t know this absolutely unforgettable character yet, you should definitely catch up and can do so starting today with a streaming subscription to Amazon Prime.
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