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| Courtesy of The Weinstein Co. |
Quentin
Tarantino doesn’t seem poised to win over many converts with his latest epic,
which is packed with the usual trademarks that his fans adore and his detractors
loathe. I’m firmly in that first camp; I consider each of his projects a
must-see, simply in terms of sheer audacity. They’re not all masterpieces, but
each has elements worthy of long discussions.
The
Hateful Eight finds Tarantino continuing to explore and subvert many of the
Western tropes he obliterated in 2012’s Django Unchained. This time around,
he focuses on a wider range of characters, all of whom – as the title indicates
– are absolutely reprehensible.
A
few years after the Civil War, bounty hunter John Ruth (Kurt Russell) escorts fugitive
Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) across snowy Wyoming. Along the way, they
meet fellow bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) and former
Confederate soldier Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), who claims to be the new
town sheriff.
When
the uneasy group gets caught in a blizzard, they stop at Minnie’s Haberdashery,
where they are greeted by other travelers (Demian Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen
and Bruce Dern). Ruth begins to suspect someone is there to help Domergue
escape, and things quickly turn bloody.
The
filmmaker’s latest could prove to be even more polarizing than his previous
work. This is a mean, bleak movie that insists you spend nearly three hours
with horrible people. You can take that as a recommendation or a warning,
depending on your taste. But I love divisive movies; the world would be boring
if we all agreed on everything, and The Hateful Eight is destined to spark
intense debate.
In
my case, the fully-realized characters drew me in immediately, as did
Tarantino’s biting dialogue and an intriguing, Agatha Christie-style mystery at
the plot’s center. It’s also great to see Jackson as the unquestionable lead
after decades of playing charismatic supporting roles in the director’s other movies.
He’s backed by some stellar actors, almost all of whom deliver phenomenal work,
but the standouts are Jackson, Russell, Leigh and Goggins – they make an
absolute meal out of Tarantino’s writing. Plus, despite the fact that the vast
majority of the film takes place in two locations, it’s absolutely gorgeous to
look at.
It’s
not all sunshine and lollipops, though. Even as one of Tarantino’s most ardent
supporters, I think The Hateful Eight has some problematic elements. Although
I enjoyed the characters’ rambling, revealing conversations, three hours is
pushing it. Another editing pass might’ve helped with the narrative,
particularly one that trimmed (even slightly) some of the filmmaker’s more
indulgent sensibilities.
Tarantino
also doesn’t acquit himself of the longtime criticism that he uses
racially-charged language for shock value as opposed to historical accuracy. In
fact, that element is more pronounced than ever (which is saying something
after Django.) This time around, he also throws in some complex depictions of
misogyny for good measure.
He is
clearly pointing out that the male characters’ feelings toward Domergue are just
as toxic as other forms of hate. But the amount of violence Leigh’s character
is subjected to should make viewers question whether he’s having his cake and
eating it too. That’s certainly the impression I got from the film’s final
shot.
The Hateful Eight is rated R for strong bloody violence, a scene of violent sexual content, language and some graphic nudity.
Grade:
B+
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