(4 / 5)
Quentin Tarantino is a true artist, in every sense of the word.
As with any artist’s work, the hallmarks we really appreciate that make this uniquely his are a joy to behold. All he really needed to do was stick to his winning formula, and he’s done just that with The Hateful Eight. The suspense, the drama, the graphic violence, meticulous scene-by-scene progression – it’s all there.
The story unfolds as bounty hunter (Quentin seems to have somewhat of a fascination with bounty hunters, see Django Unchained) John Ruth (Kurt Russell) is transporting his murderous prisoner Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) through snowswept Wyoming by stagecoach to collect his reward money. Along the way he is joined by another bounty hunter, Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson), as well as a man who claims to be the sheriff of their destination town of Red Rock.
What starts out as a fairly slow paced and dialogue-driven affair gradually gains momentum until you are completely drawn in; unaware of fact until the Overture sign comes up and you snap back to reality. After a short intermission, the drama builds up further, into a sort of Western who-dunnit situation. The tension is fantastic.
Even though there is no denying that the 70mm shots of scenery are beautiful, it’s the dialogue and acting which are the true stars of the show here. I would say if you can’t see it on 70mm it will not dampen your enjoyment by any means. Please note: those with sensitive hearing should bring ear plugs, the musical score seems to have been turned up to maximum levels!
This could certainly have been a 5-star film according to my rating system, I just felt like it didn’t completely deliver with the way it tied up in the end. Then again, I had the same issue with Pulp Fiction. Each scene when viewed individually was virtually perfect, but I felt a certain lack in satisfaction with the ending, when looking at the movie as a whole. Don’t let that phase you though, this film is well worth seeing (and I don’t mind saying I enjoyed it much more than Star Wars: The Force Awakens!).
The Hateful Eight: 70mm premieres in Sweden on January 1, 2016 at Biograf Rigoletto in Stockholm; the digital version follows with release in cinemas throughout the country on January 13.
Categorised in: Crime, Drama, Epic/Historical, Film, Western