I have recently watched Quentin Tarantino's 'The Hateful Eight'. Call me the Hangman - when that sun comes out, I'm taking this
article to publish online! There anybody here committed to stopping me from doing
that? Just spoofing Kurt Russell’s great line from the film! :-D
The Hateful Eight (TH8) is a controversial film, and it is
even more so because Quentin Tarantino, who I have always been a huge fan of,
has unfortunately stated some rather inconsiderate opinions before the release. This is
really sad because this will definitely mislead and distort the audience's view
on TH8, which I believe is one of the films closest to his own signature style,
and at the same time reflects the brutal reality we are now situated in.
This film is highly
influenced by his 'Reservoir Dogs', John Carpenter's 'The Thing', and to me,
many of Anthony Mann's 'psychological Westerns' of the 1950s (which are all
highly recommendable films in their own right). All these film are pervaded with a
strong sense of paranoia, and a realistic portrayal of human's dark side. TH8,
like 'The Thing' (1982), is about the distrust among individuals, and the
paranoia that someone else has 'second thoughts' regarding the group’s well
being. And the fact that all individuals are locked in a claustrophobic
environment does not help much for survival, too. Because it is not the
blizzard, but the individuals in the cabin room that will lead to body counts.
It is the prejudice and deception that will eventually destroy everyone. I
believe Quentin has not attempted to make any judgments on the characters in
the film - as he has made every key character 'hateful' in a sense - yet this
3-hour epic nicely defines his insightful perspective on human interactions.
'The Hateful Eight' is a tough and intense film, yet I recommend you to release your political
assumptions and go and watch it, because, don't be surprised TH8 may become a
modern classic some day!
The Hateful Eight is a deep film, and it is scattered with
insightful ideas throughout the 3-hour thrill ride. Yet, I plan to do a more
in-depth discussion of this film in later articles, as I plan to do a series on
Quentin Tarantino, and I feel that it will fit better into the big picture when
I discuss TH8 along with ‘Reservoir Dogs’, ‘Pulp Fiction’ and his other iconic
work, probably after the Oscar. Give me that guitar... Music time's over!
by Ed Law
18/2/2016
Film Analysis
