With each of his films, Quentin Tarantino gives us so much to obsess over - perhaps more than we deserve. His catalogue has long been defined by its signature blend of comedy, ultra-violence and passionately unapologetic characters, and this latest offering may just be his meanest and cleverest yet. Shot in glorious 70mm Ultra Panavision using unique anamorphic camera lenses, Tarantino has crafted not only a superb film, but also an exhilarating film-going experience that pays homage to the grand film exhibition style popularised in the 1950s and 1960s.
The Hateful Eight opens in breathtakingly stylish fashion. Chunky cartoonish text rolls out over images of vast, desolate landscapes, which Tarantino's lens devours to the tune of Ennio Morricone's brilliantly ominous score. A special mention must be made here also to Robert Richardson, whose cinematography expertly frames the frozen mountains of Southwest Colorado. Tarantino's reputation for extreme violence delivered as deadpan humour means that it's easy to forget that behind all the noise is a film-maker who possesses an innate ability to orchestrate beautiful cinematic sequences.
We spend the first 'chapter' of The Hateful Eight trapped inside a stagecoach with four of Tarantino's hateful title characters. John Ruth a.k.a. 'The Hangman' (Kurt Russell) is travelling to the city of Red Rock with his battered and unrepentant prisoner Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh). His mission: to deliver the accused murderess to be hung for her crimes in exchange for the $10,000 reward on her head. Although calls for her delivery specify no other requirement than 'dead or alive', Ruth chooses to escort her over miles of unsafe terrain to ensure personally that she is hung. After all, somebody has to keep the hangman in business.
Along the way, Ruth allows Marcus Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) and Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins) to board the stagecoach after finding them wandering separately through the wintry elements. Both claim to have lost their horses to the crippling blizzard that surrounds them - a claim that is met with suspicion from Ruth and blasé indifference from a bloodied and fidgeting Domergue. Warren a.k.a. 'The Bounty Hunter' expresses clear disdain towards Mannix, of whom he distrusts when he reveals that his purpose for travelling to Red Rock is to be anointed Sheriff of the town. Ruth shares in Warren's distrust, and the tension between the four is cranked up coolly as hands shuffle nervously towards holsters.
Eventually, the stagecoach reaches Minnie's Habadashery: a wooden tavern nestled amongst the snowy tops of the mountains. Inside, Bob a.k.a 'The Mexican' (Demián Bichir) explains that Minnie has entrusted him with the tavern before embarking on a trip to her mother's house - unusual considering the plaque hanging over the bar that reads 'NO DOGS, NO MEXICANS'. Three other customers, each with equally dubious back-stories emerge one by one to explain how they came to be in Minnie's Habadashery in the middle of a blizzard. Unsatisfied, Ruth confiscates their weapons, and the stage is set for the chaotic following scenes of deception, backstabbing, and of course, violence.
With a running time of 187 minutes, The Hateful Eight is certainly no easy watch - especially considering that the majority of the film's events take place in the confined settings of Minnie's Habadashery. This format means that the film plays out almost like a theatre production. Characters' allegiances and motivations are unclear throughout the film, and their prolonged confinement allows Tarantino to gradually amp up the tension with a combination of heated disagreements, seriously loaded dialogue, and a classic whodunnit that is as unexplainable as it is exciting. The 70mm Ultra Panavision wide picture allows the drama to unfold in every corner of the screen. Each shot invites the audience to search for clues in the background, scanning the faces of suspects and tracking their lurking movements.
With a running time of 187 minutes, The Hateful Eight is certainly no easy watch - especially considering that the majority of the film's events take place in the confined settings of Minnie's Habadashery. This format means that the film plays out almost like a theatre production. Characters' allegiances and motivations are unclear throughout the film, and their prolonged confinement allows Tarantino to gradually amp up the tension with a combination of heated disagreements, seriously loaded dialogue, and a classic whodunnit that is as unexplainable as it is exciting. The 70mm Ultra Panavision wide picture allows the drama to unfold in every corner of the screen. Each shot invites the audience to search for clues in the background, scanning the faces of suspects and tracking their lurking movements.
Jennifer Jason Leigh's portrayal of Daisy Domergue is absolutely fantastic - she flits between sulky, sinister and ferocious with fluidity and flair, and delivers perhaps the greatest performance of the film (although Walton Goggins' Mannix is a close contender). For her role, Leigh has earned herself a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 88th Academy Awards. Although she faces stiff competition from Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs) and Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl), her utterly convincing turn in Tarantino's Hateful Eight marks her as a serious contender. Nonetheless, her role has attracted criticism. For much of the film, Tarantino limits her dialogue and treats her as a sort-of punching bag for the increasingly agitated John Ruth. Cries of misogyny have tainted the recent premier of the film, and calls for a boycott have infiltrated newspaper headlines. I would argue that this call is largely unwarranted and sensationalist.
In Tarantino's films, men, women, children and animals are equally susceptible to acts of violence, either as recipients, or as witnesses. It is the indiscriminate nature of this violence that allows Tarantino to run wild in his film-making, carefully constructing chaotic stories that are as madly entertaining as they are gruesome. The argument that Tarantino inflicts disproportionately harsh treatment on Domergue is moot when considering the fate of Bob 'The Mexican' - whose head is literally obliterated by simultaneous bullets to either side of the nose. I would also argue that Samuel L. Jackson's 'Bounty Hunter' losing his testicles more than meets the depravity of Domergue's injuries sustained throughout the film.
One criticism that I am more inclined to agree with, however, is Tarantino's 'flippant' use of the n-word. While omitting this word from The Hateful Eight completely would be nonsensical, there are multiple scenes where the use of the word appears to be for purely humorous effect - eclipsing its function as an indicator of era-specific dialect. Nonetheless, Tarantino's Hateful Eight towers above its failings thanks to its magnificent storytelling, its stunning imagery, and its hilarious and whip-smart dialogue.
If you live in the UK, and are hoping to see this film in theatres, I urge you to visit the ODEON in Leicester Square. This is the only venue in the UK that is showing Tarantino's 'Roadshow' version of The Hateful Eight - complete with overture, intermission and even a program. The extended cut makes for a truly unique cinematic experience that more than justifies the hype.
If you live in the UK, and are hoping to see this film in theatres, I urge you to visit the ODEON in Leicester Square. This is the only venue in the UK that is showing Tarantino's 'Roadshow' version of The Hateful Eight - complete with overture, intermission and even a program. The extended cut makes for a truly unique cinematic experience that more than justifies the hype.
- 4/5 STARS -
(Sam)
(Sam)
