The Hateful Eight

 

Quentin Tarantino films are always events.  They occur every three or four years and are represented by a talky film that has memorably named characters, spouting fun dialogue as they go through an often larger than life scenario.  They are usually kind of violent though his better films mostly use it sparingly. Despite the rhythmic nature of the title, I found the name The Hateful Eight uninspiring.  For the most part I love Tarantino films and I thought Inglorious Basterds was one of his best films, but he followed it with Django Unchained.  As I mentioned in the review, I was disappointed by the amount of blood spatter and lack of imagination especially in the last act of that film, after an intriguing set up.  When I learned that Tarantino was going to make another western, with an advance poster showing a wagon creating a trail of blood I lost enthusiasm.  At one point a copy of the script leaked (Tarantino writes all his scripts on a word processor so there were only hard copies available) and Tarantino angrily, and somewhat petulantly, threatened to not make the film, which was fine with me.  I had no desire to see more of a film like Django.  In the end though Tarantino wrote a new draft in which more than anything else he changed the ending.

Spoilers below:

Tarantino continues his tradition of breaking his films into chapters and has memorable character names like John Ruth, Daisy Domergue and cast his film using a lot of his regulars like Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth, Kurt Russell, Michael Madsen, Zoe Bell, Walter Goggins, and added Demian Bichir, the terrific Jennifer Jason Leigh, Channing Tatum, and Bruce Dern.  The story takes place in Wyoming in 1877.  John Ruth is transporting Daisy Demor via stagecoach through a snowy mountain to a town called Red Rock where she is to hang.  They pick up a couple of characters along the way and end up at a place called Minnie’s Haberdashery (which Samuel L. Jackson really seems to like to say, though he always chews on Tarantino’s lines) to wait out a blizzard.  Some of the people inside the Haberdashery may be plotting to free Daisy but it’s not clear who is up to what.

Like a lot of Tarantino’s films, The Hateful Eight is pretty long.  I’ve seen the original cut once and the Netflix “episodes” and both tested my abilities to stay awake.  I don’t mind a long film if it keeps me engaged throughout but The Hateful Eight does not have enough plot to fill such a long runtime, especially once it arrives at the Haberdashery.  Ultimately it ends up being a long film about big men, especially Russell’s John Ruth, repeatedly beating up a woman who despite being no shrinking violet, is also powerless against them so it is distasteful.  Like Django Unchained, there is a lot of use of the “N” word against Jackson’s character.  The violence in the final act is as unimaginative as it is in Django Unchained. 

On the positive front there are a lot of fun details, including:

·         Major Warren knows the people around Minnie’s Haberdashery

·         Major Warren (a former Union solider turned bounty hunter) carries around a (fake) letter from Abraham Lincoln that captures the soul of the man.  The letter is introduced when John Ruth in one of his very few humble moments, asks to see it.  The Lincoln letter represents about the only heart the film has.

·         There are some post-Civil War tensions

·         Zoe Bell has some spark as she introduces her customers to the Haberdashery. 

·         For at least for this film Tarantino did not include one of his foot scenes. 

The cast is strong as always.  Russell looks terrific in his heavy coat and beard, and despite his gruff attitude, is ultimately hapless against the plotting.  Leigh seems like a cornered rat, always trying to fight her way out.  Bruce Dern adds atmosphere as the old time racists Confederate soldier, Jackson is particularly good in the scene within a scene in which he forces Dern’s son to walk naked in the snow, but a moment in which Warren executes someone for taking too long to surrender is bloodthirsty instead of the badass thrill Jackson and Tarantino think it is.  Madsen seems harmless and soulful when first introduced writing his own life story but the flashback reveals his much darker nature, reminiscent of his Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs.  About the only performer I did not care much for was Goggins, who has a neat look but just does not seem to have the depth of the other performers, though he does a nice job with his some of line deliveries.

Ultimately, I feel The Hateful Eight is worth a watch if you like Tarantino films.  It is less offensive than Django but nowhere near as involving as some of his other films.  *** (barely)