Day 310: The Hateful Eight (January, 13)

There's something distinguishable about some filmmakers who create a language of their own. For some people, what they say makes terribly sense; for others, its just nonsense babbling. Quentin Tarantino, Woody Allen, Terence Malick are big examples of that, among others. The first is the most recognizable of them nowadays, I reckon.

I regard Tarantino's language one of the most amazing things out there on the movie world. It is not an absolute fancy, I must say. Some of his movies I love for life, others not so much (a few exceptions actually.Two, to be more precise). About The Hateful Eight, today's film, I'm sure to say it is already among my favorites.

You can say it is not a masterpiece as Kill Bill (2003/2004), Inglourious Basterds (2009) or even Pulp Fiction (1994). I understand this difference, but in the movie theater on this day I felt it had some brilliant features, the outstanding cinematography one of them. The actor's direction another. The performances, wow. The scenario, too good. The writing? Genius, careful, detailed. 

How I would like to see the Roadshow version...oh green envy.  

As Tarantino states before the opening sequence, it is Tarantino's eighth movie - and it carries a lot of the previous seven in it. For me, the immediate references were Reservoir Dogs (1982) and Basterds (that scene in Shosanna's house). But there's many many others of course.

The way I see, Tarantino surrounds himself of all his references - in this case, shooting in Panavision, Ennio Morricone, the western genre, for example. By doing that he turns his movies into a visceral experience. I've read that this one was a "metaphoric way of breaking down his feelings about The Thing (1982), i.e. the way he felt watching it for the first time in a movie theater". His feelings, those who built the filmmaker that he is. And he carries them as a credential. It is beautiful to see on a movie maker and on a person, and I love him for allowing us to take a look inside his own experiences.

For that matter, I, the usual movie loner, enjoy going to a Tarantino's film with someone that speaks this same language. Rodrigo was the current victim, and there we were, happy meals and all (we're o a special diet until completing the Peanuts toys collection), theater ebullient with expectations around us. For me, the film never disappoints. It is beautiful cinematography, the scenes built to a climatic end, the actor are a joy to the eyes. The writing is so well constructed, very clever, I was amazed by it. The scenario I loved, as I've said above, so many important details. And that broken door... a character by itself.

Rodrigo and I had a great time, despite the impolite people on the roll behind us (I hate people on movie theaters, and on this day I proved my point). We would look at each other in disbelief, laughing our heads off. During the final credits, we remained seated, sharing our views about it, happy to have our expectations met by this movie. With heart a bit lighter, we headed to McDonalds again to continue our diet of happy meals, still talking and marveling about Tarantino's way of telling a story.

The Hateful Eight. Directed and written by Quentin Tarantino. With:
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Samuel L. Jackson (sure), Kurt Russel.  USA, 2015,
167 min., Dolby Digital/Datasat/DTS 70 mm (70 mm print), Color (Cinema).

PS: When we got back home, I discovered that Rodrigo hadn't seen Sherlock,. So the first episode of season 1 it was :)

PPS: Rodrigo stood with me through episodes 4, 5, and 6 of Steins;Gate.