Written by James M. Tate / 12/30/2015 / No comments / bruce dern , ensemble , jennifer jason leigh , michael madsen , mystery , quentin tarantino , samuel l. jackson , tim roth , walt goggins , western
QUENTIN TARANTINO'S WESTERN ENSEMBLE 'THE HATEFUL EIGHT'
year: 2015 cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Walt Goggins, Jennifer Jason Leight director: Quentin Tarantino |
Kurt & Jennifer |
Although Tarantino has publicly denounced John Ford as any kind of Western Genre influence, leaning more on Sam Peckinpah and of course, Sergio Leone, some of the best and most effective character-developing dialogue takes place inside the vehicle itself, and is reminiscent of what's arguably Ford's best film, STAGECOACH, that catapulted John Wayne's career. And if anyone on board takes the Alpha Male Wayne role it's Russell's no-nonsense John Ruth who, during this three-hour plus cinematic stage play, maintains the best verbal momentum throughout. His anti-chemistry/reluctant-partnership is strongest with Jackson while there should have been more palpable angst towards Leigh's Daisy Domergue – whom he's literally, annoyingly chained to. Yet both seem as if they're in completely different movies, and Russell's is much better... if only he captured anyone else but Leigh, an actress that, despite being otherwise talented, is downright embarrassingly campy here.
Neat Poster Artwork |
And why it would be nearly impossible to sit through this a second time – EIGHT is a bonafide whodunit, especially during the third and final act where the tables twist and turn so much, you'll wonder if all the previous dialogue and dialogue-driven, camera-wielding suspense was effectively good, bad or ugly since, like any Mystery-based vehicle, the end result makes everything else matter... and ultimately, in this case, by the end, nothing and no one matters much at all.
One Non Blonde |
SPOILERS AND TRIVIA: In the second paragraph, the Alfred Hitchcock derived term McGuffin is parenthetically used to describe the town of Red Rock, which can refer to any plot-device that means everything to the characters and nothing to the audience. Meanwhile, writer/director Quentin Tarantino probably felt Morgan Freeman was overused, so he himself provides the narration, and a pretty dull one at that...
The film is divided by white words against black backdrop chapters, and some are extremely short while others, especially the third, is so long you'll forget the significance of using these visual breaks at all. As in DJANGO UNCHAINED, Lee Horsley, the star of the 80's MAGNUM-mustache TV doppelganger MATT HOUSTON and the theatrical fantasy exploitation THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER, makes another blink-or-miss cameo. Bruce Dern has a supposedly important role but grows moss throughout; this will hardly keep his NEBRASKA nomination rolling into further comeback glory. And for the ladies waiting and waiting for Channing Tatum to appear, when he does it's very reminiscent of how Brad Pitt's INGLORIOUS BASTERD showed his face after hiding out, basically forgotten in his own film during a dragging barroom scene. But as far as Tatum's entrance, his ultra-important rise to the occasion is what Truman Capote bitched about in the mystery spoof MURDER BY DEATH... a last-minute, brand new, suddenly-introduced character who means the world at the 11th hour. And while being much different than DJANGO, this, in a more subtle manner, sustains the revenge-driven theme on slavery in a much too obvious, forced and familiar fashion. We know, Quentin, you care... but move on!
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