Sweet revenge

I wouldn’t call myself a big Quentin Tarantino fan—in case you haven’t noticed, I lean towards sugar and spice and all things nice—but I’ve always enjoyed watching his films for the crazy world his characters inhabit. If I feel like I need a healthy dose of catharsis in the form of senseless, sugar-free violence, I pop one of his films in the DVD player, sit back, and enjoy the ride.

Sometimes, in my mind, I blast away everyone I’d probably blast away if I lived in any one of Tarantino’s worlds, but most of the time, I really just enjoy escaping into the fictional world of being able to destroy what you want with zero accountability. Nobody does that better than him.

As it turned out, I was up for some Scorpio-level catharsis when I caught Inglorious Basterds, a film that Tarantino has many times called a “spaghetti western, but with WWII iconography.”   

Inglorious Basterds presents an alternative WWII world, where Hitler and other top leaders attend a film festival in German-occupied France, becoming easy prey to three groups of people who want to exact revenge. There’s murder and mayhem and a gloriously beautiful, unforgettable fire, as only Tarantino can dish out.

The recurring theme in the film is revenge: a teenage girl survives a Nazi massacre and seeks to avenge her family; a group of American Jews plus one “defecting” German, the Inglorious Basterds, led by 1st Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) kill as many German servicemen as violently as possible (scalping, anyone?), wreaking havoc in the Third Reich and sending a strong message to Hitler; and the British execute their own plan to attack the Nazi leadership with the help of the Basterds. Everything becomes a ticking time bomb, building up to an explosive ending that’ll surely leave its mark.

Speaking of marks, Pitt is fun to watch as Aldo the Apache, but Mike Myers, who hasn’t had a big hit since Austin Powers, leaves a bigger imprint with his portrayal of British General Ed Fenech. That being said, I am totally blown away by Christoph Waltz as Standartenführer Hans Landa, otherwise known as The Jew Hunter. I will be surprised if he doesn’t get an Oscar for his performance.

Another ticking time bomb

Still on the topic of revenge, or, at least, waiting for it to happen in the (sweeter) form of justice, like many Filipino citizens, I’ve been riding the rollercoaster of political drama that has been unfolding. Mar Roxas has stepped down in support of Noynoy Aquino, saying, on Facebook, “My personal ambition ends where my loyalty and love for my country begins. God bless Noy. God bless the Philippines.” I’ll applaud this noble move—when I’m done exhaling.

On the same day, a video clip of Cong. Mikey Arroyo being grilled by Winnie Monsod on Unang Hirit about his Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Watch it on YouTube. I have no other words.

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