When I learned that Quentin Tarantino's new western was
going to be shown in all its 70mm film projection glory at only a few select
theaters around the country I readied myself for disappointment. I was sure
that since this meant that the theaters screening it would still have to have
old style film projectors and
our local art house cinema was closing up shop
for six months of renovations on the very day THE HATEFUL EIGHT was set to
debut that Nashville was NOT going to get the film in this format. Luckily I
was wrong! Two theaters in
Tennessee got the
film - one in
Knoxville and one right here in
Nashville! Saddle up,
boys! It's time for blood!
After some research I learned all the details of this
version of the film and it increased my excitement. This was to be an old style
movie screening in more than just the insistence on film projection. The
version being shown turned out to be the longest edit of the film at a little
over three hours, which would include an overture at the beginning and an eleven
minute intermission in the middle. Tarantino has built the movie like one of
the old
Roadshow films from decades past! This means that the film that goes
out to regular digital theaters in 2016 won't quite be the same as this cut and
certainly won't have the overture and intermission. Also, in another nice touch
reaching back to the old Hollywood Roadshow tradition, each person attending
these screenings gets a souvenir booklet! How very cool!
So, how was the film? I loved every snow covered, bloody
minute!
As far as I'm concerned, Tarantino can keep making westerns
for the rest of his life. Much like DJANGO UNCHAINED this one is steeped in a
vast love of the genre that shines through in every detail. Once again he takes
elements from old films and recasts them, reshapes them into a fresh new tale.
Besides the visual nods from a dozen movies (Carpenter's THE THING, Fuller's THE
BIG RED ONE, etc.) he steals ideas from some great but under seen spaghetti
westerns such as Corbucci's THE GREAT SILENCE and Fulci's FOUR OF THE
APOCALYPSE combining them with a classic locked room mystery plot. The great
Kurt Russell plays a bounty hunter known for bring in his charges alive so they
can be tried and hung - emphasis on the 'hung'. His latest bounty is played by the very talented Jennifer Jason Leigh who's character Daisy is worth $10,000 for
some unspecified murders. On the snowbound trail their stagecoach encounters
Samuel Jackson as another bounty hunter trying to get his latest kills to Red
Rock, Wyoming
and, after some negotiations, he accompanies them on their way. A blizzard
forces the trio and their coach driver to hole up in a lonely business known as
Minnie's Haberdashery where they end up in the company of several men, one of
whom may have plans to free Daisy from the noose.
This enclosed space is where the rest of the story plays out
and it was fascinating to watch! Isolated location, desperate characters,
hidden motivations and dark secrets come together in highly entertaining
fashion with all involved really sinking their teeth into the proceedings. The
entire cast is fantastic with great work from the always welcome Bruce Dern and
a very nice role for Channing Tatum, who has turned out to be much more skilled
an actor than I first thought. Not just another pretty face, eh, mon ami? Oui.
I could go on praising the super-widescreen photography,
juicy wild west dialog, mean spirited moments and just the general glory of a
film that revels in the joy and power of cinema. But instead I'll just name it
one of the best I saw in 2015 and let go at that. These are the kind of films I
live to see on the big screen!
