The Hateful Eight

Recently I went to see “The Hateful Eight,” the 8^th film by Quentin Tarantino. This ‘western’ (not really) is both written and directed by Tarantino and has all his trademarks: dark humor, comedic violence, and lots of profanity. Unlike some of his other movies with an intricate plot line, “The Hateful Eight” is relatively straightforward. Basically, 8 people are stuck in cabin due to a blizzard and nobody trust one another. The movie is called “The Hateful Eight” for a reason; none of the 8 characters are really ‘good’ guys (a few have qualities that could cause viewers to favor them over others, but that’s as far as it goes). I personally, really enjoyed watching it (even though it was over 3 hours). While the characters aren’t ‘good’ they each have their moments that add to the darker humor in the film, and based on that reason (and the good dialogue they all share) I liked all of them; some more than others though. Back to the dark humor and comedic violence; this film is filled with it. I like that aspect of Tarantino’s films- it adds a quality that I find very entertaining- but if you are not into constant profanity and lots of gore/ blood splattering everywhere; this one (and his films) isn’t for you.

Also, this movie was shot in Ultra Panavision 70 process, and I think it added to the feel of the movie, and made it that more amazing. The movie itself was shot beautifully, especially the sweeping shots of the mountains and landscape,  (also, it was shot as if it were a play, with Act 1, Act 2, etc.- which is cool). The acting was great, as well as the interaction between characters. Finally, one of my favorite aspects: the musical score composed by Ennio Morricone. I definitely feel like music adds a great deal at a movie, and this one did not disappoint. It was amazing. You’ll have to watch to see.

Overall, this movie was well written, had great cinematography, an incredible score, great acting and I highly recommend it.