Name of film – The Hateful Eight (2015)
Lizard film – 004
Chosen by – Jones
Date – September 2017
Director – Quentin Tarantino
Starring – Samuel L Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Channing Tatum, Walton Goggins, Demian Bichir, James Parks
Duration – 167 mins
Genre – Western, Thriller, Action
Summary –
The eighth film by Quentin Tarentino
“No one comes up here without a damn good reason”
Six or eight or twelve years after the Civil War, a stagecoach hurtles through the wintry Wyoming landscape. The passengers, bounty hunter John Ruth (Kurt Russell) and his fugitive Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh), race towards the town of Red Rock where Ruth, known in these parts as “The Hangman,” will bring Domergue to justice. Along the road, they encounter two strangers: Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson), a black former union soldier turned infamous bounty hunter, and Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), a southern renegade who claims to be the town’s new Sheriff. Losing their lead on the blizzard, Ruth, Domergue, Warren and Mannix seek refuge at Minnie’s Haberdashery, a stagecoach stopover on a mountain pass. When they arrive at Minnie’s, they are greeted not by the proprietor but by four unfamiliar faces. Bob (Demian Bichir), who’s taking care of Minnie’s while she’s visiting her mother, is holed up with Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth), the hangman of Red Rock, cow-puncher Joe Gage (Michael Madsen), and Confederate General Sanford Smithers (Bruce Dern). As the storm overtakes the mountainside stopover, our eight travelers come to learn they may not make it to Red Rock after all…
THE HATEFUL EIGHT also stars Channing Tatum, James Parks, Dana Gourrier, Zoë Bell, Gene Jones, Keith Jefferson, Lee Horsley, Craig Stark, and Belinda Owino.
MASHITER’S SCORE & REVIEW
ACTING – 7
DIRECTING – 7
SCORE/AUDIO – 6
CINEMATOGRAPHY – 9
ENTERTAINMENT – 4
TOTAL – 33/50 = 66% **
‘Well cut my legs off and call me shorty!’
If you’re expecting Kill Bill, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, 1000 mile an hour dialogue and plot you’ll be disappointed. If however you are a coniseur of fine acting, fine script and a slow burner then this might just be for you-however it just didn’t do it for me. Rather than melt myself into the plot I found too much of it grated on me, that bloody door being constantly nailed on on one hand and the usual wise cracks that have turned Sammy L into a one trick pony ever since reptiles aviated at 30,000 feet.
I think the main problem was that Tarantino has set himself such a high bar with every film he has turned his hand to, you just expect to love it-and I desperately wanted to love this. If it was the film of a director making his debut my opinion could have been different…it just didn’t have the Tarantino factor that every other Tarantino film has.
There were some excellent moments though. Mainly the shooting scenes which were as inventive, unexpected and compelling as any of Quentin’s films. Some of the dialogue was funny but a bit…samey? Nothing new from his last film really.
The soundtrack was what you’d expect from Morricone. Nobody provides the score to historical American films like he does-in his comfort zone, he didn’t disappoint; even if his choices across a film are a little eclectic for my liking.
The acting was, as you’d expect from any of Tarantino’s films, excellent. I don’t think some of the script played to their strengths though and maybe their characters weren’t developed well enough. I’ve been a huge fan of Michael Madsen since his work in Free Willy. He made Reservoir Dogs for me – exuding menace and oozing cool and psychotic character. He didn’t bring anything to this film though – you could easily have given his role to the guy from ‘Brushstrokes’. The same could have been said for Tim Roth. A fine, fine actor but what was the point of his role?
Of course the cinematography is stunning. How can it not be in the wild American outback with its raging rivers and snow capped mountain peaks? The lighting is magnificent; the flickering fire in the hearth and the bright white wilderness combining as a stunning backdrop to the story unfolding in front of it.
In summary, the film wasn’t bad at all. Not at all. It just didn’t live up to expectations. My favourite director with, for me, an off day. It all comes down to personal tastes which makes the lizard club such an intriguing forum of debate! Now…onto the next. And if Samuel L.Jackson plays Ice Cube in ‘Straight Outta Compton’ I won’t be responsible for my actions.
DREYER’S SCORE & REVIEW
ACTING – 6
DIRECTING – 7
SCORE/AUDIO – 7
CINEMATOGRAPHY – 9
ENTERTAINMENT – 5
TOTAL – 34/50 = 68% **
The Hateful Eight…Mr. Tarantino’s western tale of vengeance settles outlaws and bounty hunters around the fire to chat — until it’s time to start killing one another…
The directing in this film is vintage Tarantino. To quote the man himself:
“Violence is one of the most fun things to watch…”
True to form, this film does not disappoint in this respect being, in parts, blood soaked and feeding off our darkest desires of destruction and mayhem.
The majority of the film was set in one location – Minnie’s Haberdashery – and another of Tarantino’s signature techniques was ubiquitous throughout: there were always two plays going on in any one shot. There were the foreground actors dealing with what they’re dealing with and then there was the play in the background. This technique definitely helped the overall feel of the film, giving it a nice rhythm and keeping the viewer tuned in.
Flashbacks were also used… though I’m still not sure how Samuel L Jackson having his stiff one eye polished in the middle of a snow storm enhanced the narrative. WTF!!! Staying on this thread, I felt the key flashback regarding the gang in the cellar was expected and didn’t have the same effect as the time shifts in Pulp Fiction. And don’t get me started on that fucking door!
I must say I felt the entire plotline was slow to unravel and predictable, leaving only one weapon to rescue the film in this category: Dialogue. Only the dialogue was not vintage by any stretch of the imagination. It did not captivate or entertain. For me, personally, no truly memorable quotes or interaction between characters at all.
And that’s another thing, I found many of the characters half-baked and undercooked. Michael Madsen’s character could just as easily been played by a bat in a wig!!
However, I must say that the character of Daisy Domergue was as real gem – Nikki Garnet in her prime!!!! Watching her – along with Samuel L Jackson – was a real highlight of the film. I would have to say the rest of the acting in the film – maybe due to the directing – just did not hit the bullseye. Also, all the way through the film, I couldn’t stop thinking that Tim Roth’s character (Oswaldo) could have been really upgraded if played by Christopher Waltz. Or even Francis Prenderville!!
Moving onto cinematography, there is only one thing to say: Top dollar! Robert Richardson discovery of a set of classic Ultra Panavision 70 lenses that allowed him to shoot in super wide 2:76:1 ratio was a real slice of luck. This really helped with Tarantino’s desire to have all characters on view at any point in time; having them all there, especially as tensions rise, at times really builds up the suspense and almost compensates for the movie’s uninspired, dialogue – heavy sequences!
Unlike his other films, the soundtrack was entirely composed, orchestrated and conducted by Ennio Morricone. He did not disappoint; though not sensational, the soundtrack to the film was good enough. Enough said.
In a nutshell, I found Hateful Eight a real mixed bag. Entertaining to an extent, but not truly captivating. Great soundtrack and cinematography, but poor dialogue and, at times, acting. Vintage Tarantino directing, but- like Oasis’s third and fourth albums – many of these techniques are lacking the punch and originality of yesteryear. In my opinion, the Hateful eight was a failure, but a successful failure!
ACTING 65%
DIRECTING 70%
SCORE/AUDIO 65%
CINEMATOGRAPHY 90%
ENTERTAINMENT 45%
TOTAL SCORE 67%
(MM – 66% RD – 68%)
** LIZARDMAN RATING OF 2 STARS **
Lizardman Film Club 