Elements of design in visual communication and practice

Film Clip Analysis of Inglourious Basterds

Quentin Tarantino is best known for his ultraviolent and bloody films. Through his unique writing, directing, and editing style, Tarantino has been able to create a cinematic canon that is distinguishable from his cinematic peers. In Inglourious Basterds (2009), Tarantino uses a mixture of modern music and historical events to give a fictional account of a group of vigilantes who are on a quest to take down the Nazis during World War II; these vigilantes range from Shosanna Dreyfus, who escaped being executed by SS Col. Hans Landa, to the Inglourious Basterds, a rogue band of soldiers hell bent on killing as many Nazis as they can. Tarantino's use of mise-en-scene and composition help to establish the mood and setting without detracting from the narrative.

Inglourious Basterds (2009) is Tarantino's most recent film. He not only directed the film, but also wrote the film and played a very minor part in the film. As a director, Tarantino was responsible for guiding "the actors in performance, determines the staging of the action, supervises all aspects of shooting, and works with the producer, writer, and designer before production and with the film and sound editors after production to ensure consistency and excellence of the movie as well as the best possible use of personnel, materials, and resources provided by the producer" (Mast & Kawin, 2003, p. 681). It can be argued that Tarantino's meticulous attention to detail, in all of his films, has ensures that the audience knows that it is a Tarantino film and gives them an idea of what to expect.

The art director and the production designer of a film also play a major role in making sure that the film is a cohesive work of art. The art director is a person that is charged with designing a film's sets and determining the film's decor (Mast & Kawin, 2003, p. 678). Inglourious Basterds (2009) had four art directors that contributed to the overall design of the film. These art directors are Marco Bittner Rosser, Stephan Gessler, David Scheuneman, and Sebastian T. Krawinkel (Inglourious Basterds Full Cast and Crew, n.d.)

A production designer works in conjunction with the art director(s) in order to create a cohesive look for a film. A production designer is "an art director responsible for designing the complete look of a film, coordinating and integrating its sets, dressings, props, costumes, and color schemes" (Mast & Kawin, 2003, p. 687). Dave Wasco was in charge of designing the complete look of Inglourious Basterds (2009). Wasco has worked with Tarantino as production designer on many occasions and their collaborative projects include Reservoir Dogs (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994), Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004).

While Tarantino incorporates a wide array of trademarks into his films, the most obvious trademark can be seen in the film's narrative and editing. In many, if not all, of his films, Tarantino breaks the narrative into self-contained chapters that help to establish a subplot of the film. In Inglourious Basterds (2009), Tarantino uses chapters to break up the narrative and to introduce the major characters that will play a prominent role during the film's climax and ending. One of the chapters in the film focuses on the eponymous Inglourious Basterds and outlines their mission during the course of the film and World War II. According to Lt. Aldo Raine, played by Brad Pitt, the basterds are an elite, covert group of soldiers that have been tasked with killing and scalping 100 Nazis each. Not only does Lt. Raine make killing Nazis a priority of their mission, but he also makes it into a game or sport.

In the scene named "Business is A-boomin'" (Inglourious Basterds, 2009; Movieclips.com, 2009), Lt. Aldo Raine is interrogating a Nazi prisoner of war and trying to get the Nazi to divulge information about where the Nazi's are hiding in the area. The mise-en-scene of the sequence is established through the lighting, shot design, and costuming. The lighting in this scene is designed to resemble a dreary, rainy, and cloudy day. While it is not raining during the scene, it is evident through the deep, water-saturated look of the surrounding scenery that it has been raining. Furthermore, the color scheme of the sequence is saturated and emphasis is placed on green hues.

The costuming of the film is intended to reflect the time period of World War II, however, the Inglourious Basterds are seldom depicted wearing their government issued uniforms because their aim is to blend in with others in France so as to complete their mission. In this scene, Lt. Aldo Raine is dressed like a civilian and sports a newsboy cap and a dark wool-like coat. It also appears as though his fellow "basterds" are dressed in civilian clothing as to better aide them in their mission. On the other hand, the Nazis are depicted in their uniforms, albeit they are rundown from waging war against the basterds. Through this costuming, Tarantino establishes that the Nazis the enemy against which everyone else, civilians and enlisted men, are fighting against.