Quentin Tarantino has the very rare accolade of having many, many works that could be considered true masterpieces. Of course, his 2009 revisionist war film Inglourious Basterds is the only one that literally closes with the line “this might just be my masterpiece”. With a cast that includes the likes of Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz (in what really might be the greatest acting performance of all time) and Mike Myers, Tarantino really hasn’t allowed a single element of the film to slip in quality.
Without over-reliance on other Tarantino films (though we can’t discount him completely), we’ve put together a list of ten suggestions for Inglourious Basterds fans.
Django Unchained
If Inglourious Basterds is Tarantino’s modern masterpiece, then Django Unchained is a close second. It might not share a lot of thematic connection to the war film, but there is an overlap in acting (Christoph Waltz is almost as phenomenal in Django as he was in Inglourious Basterds) and directing style. The tongue in cheek revisionist history approach is equally brilliant here. Watch if you like: Tarantino, Waltz and revisionist history.
The Inglorious Bastards
The film Tarantino took his title from spells each word correctly, unlike he does. It is well-known that Tarantino is a fan of 70s Italian cinema, and this is up there with the films he soaked up the most influence from.
The two films aren’t overtly connected, but you can certainly pick out some links between the two upon watching, including a cameo from Bo Svenson. Watch if you like: war films and the words ‘inglorious’ and ‘bastards’.
1917
One of the most recent hard-hitting war films is Sam Mendes’ 2019 1917. It depicts the First World War in mesmerizing detail and has the very rare distinction of being filmed as though shot in just two takes. Of course, the parodical nature of Tarantino isn’t present here, but it’s a grueling, realistic depiction of war. Watch if you like: the war elements of Inglourious Basterds.
Dunkirk
Another gritty, realistic and recent war film, this time from Christopher Nolan. Dunkirk depicts the evacuation of Dunkirk in World War II, avoiding dialogue (not entirely, but it’s not frequent) and using music and impressive sweeping shots to express its intent. Much like 1917, it doesn’t have the comedic undertones of Tarantino’s style, but there is a lot to be said for its depiction of war. Watch if you: like 1917 and WW2.
Pulp Fiction
Much like Django, there isn’t a whole lot of overlap between Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds in terms of plot or setting. However, it’s the general tongue in cheek style of his writing and directing that basically allow all of his films to feel like incredibly loosely-connected sequels. Pulp Fiction is considered to be his finest work, and its engrossing non-linear storyline confirms that. Watch if you like: Tarantino.
JoJo Rabbit
2020 might not have been the most positive year for the film industry, but 2019 managed to pump out some impressive stuff. JoJo Rabbit managed to mix comedy and a humorous, parodical depiction of Nazis in a way that wasn’t too far from… Tarantino.
Of course, the film relies more on comedy than Tarantino and it pales in comparison to much of his output, but there is still a huge overlap many would enjoy. Watch if you like: war parody.
No Country For Old Men
The Cohen Brothers’ masterpiece, No Country For Old Men, was released just two years before Inglourious Basterds and was able to impressively modernize the Western genre that Tarantino is so fond of. The cat and mouse chase, graphic violence and storyline twists and turns are perfect for any fan of Inglourious Basterds.
Reservoir Dogs
Returning to Tarantino for the final time finds us at the feet of his first film. Reservoir Dogs didn’t have access to the substantial budget Tarantino has at his disposal these days, but it did have access to a genius directorial and writing brain. Again, the stories don’t overlap, but his ability to craft palpable intensity and comedy alongside each other is a true gift. Watch if you like: Tarantino’s early work.
The Good The Bad And The Ugly
One of Tarantino’s biggest inspirations on all of his work (even the non-Westerns) is the Western genre. Sergio Leone’s 1966 epic, The Good, The Bad And The Ugly is a prime example. From the over-dramatic violence to his occasionally intentional errors in continuity, you can find influence the influence of this genre throughout Tarantino’s entire body of work. This one makes the list for being the high-point of 60s Westerns. Watch if you like: the influence of Westerns on Tarantino.
Fury
There are a lot of links between Fury and Inglourious Basterds. The most prominent is probably Brad Pitt’s starring role in both. Of course, in Tarantino’s film there is a certain element of comedy to his role while Fury edges towards the serious side of war, but it still overlaps a lot thanks to both sharing a setting that was close to the end of WWII. Watch if you like: Brad Pitt and war.
