December Movie Pick: 'The Hateful Eight'

We are at a point where political incorrectness feels like a breath of fresh air. 

This movie comes right after Kill Bill on Tarantino’s most enjoyed rewatchable films scale. And of course, I consider Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 as one big story, so ‘The Hateful Eight’ takes the silver and the bronze, I think, belongs to Django.

The intro of 'The Hateful Eight,' helped by the incredible score of Ennio Morricone, is a masterful prelude that explains in pictures why the whole movie is shot in one location – the warm hut. You can feel the cold and this ‘god damn blizzard’ that is coming just by looking at a series of carefully presented motion pictures for the desired effect. Even the place where the horses are kept during most of the movie feels warm instead of the cold Wyoming winter that is brewing outside.

I will spoil a lot of stuff, but I can’t imagine someone reading this piece and not having seen by now one of the greatest movies there is. I mean, the movie is 3 hours long, and you don’t feel it. You are captivated by performances that are at the top of their game. Everybody here is magnetic, especially Kurt Russell and Samuel Jackson. Jennifer Jason Leigh is another level of mischief and evil. These three are so good that in the modern era of TV and cinema, I can only say that I need a spin-off, although I completely trust Tarantino's choice to keep it as it is. 

Obviously, spoilers everywhere here.

Every single line delivers one strike after the other. John 'The Hangman' Ruth's statement, 'Keeping you at a disadvantage is an advantage I intend to keep,' just shows the skill set of Tarantino and how playful the dialogue is. Kurt Russell’s ‘shut up’ and ‘horse shit’ lines are the sweetest curses that I have ever heard and his death was devastating because it robbed me of his character. When he wanted to see the letter of Major Marquis Warren written by the one and only President Lincoln, he unwittingly set the ground for one of the film's greatest jokes - an anticipation that persisted until the moment when the story unraveled in the Major's confession before everyone a bit later. The way his feelings were hurt when he realized that the letter was fake, and he was made a fool, and the way he portrayed it so realistically and vulnerably, throwing his food at Daisy’s face because of her laughter at him, makes this watch pure cinema.

I wonder what Scorsese has to say about Tarantino's skills and his films because even though the greatest gag in the movie is ruined after the first watch, the 3-hour-long chopped-into-pieces story holds like no other because of amazing dialogues and stare-offs between such powerhouses. John 'The Hangman' Ruth is smart; he quickly got that the other visitors of the hut are in cahoots with Daisy, pure experience, and Tarantino took enough time to carve out every character every time they spoke with each other. The way he directly confronted Joe Cage and asked what's his deal and got the funniest answer that he is going home to see his mother for Christmas, which was the craziest out-of-nowhere explanation, only to be labeled as the opposite of a ‘looks like he's coming home for Christmas type.’ I am laughing while I am writing these lines; there are so many gags in this film; it is weird that it has only one Oscar for the score (well deserved).

Samuel Jackson is another favorite part of this movie. He is incredible and super resourceful, protecting the fake letter like it is real, come on. The way he provoked the old general in order to take the pistol so he could shoot him was masterfully done. I am still not fully convinced that he truly met the general's son, but the way Tarantino directed it was pretty convincing. Seeing is believing, and Tarantino showed us everything, so I guess it is true, but either way, well done. The way he called Bob a liar after Kurt Russell's death scene. You remember this? All three gang members on the wall, and Major Warren explaining to Sheriff Chris Mannix how Mimi hates Mexicans, and this sign that she has ‘No dogs or Mexicans allowed,’ and that eventually she took down the sign because she started to let dogs in, all leading to one of my favorite lines, ‘god damn Mexican’ and the killing of Bob.

I love that Tarantino is not afraid to go there, to explore the truth in such seriousness mixed with his dark humor and lots of gore. I watched an interview with him on Howard Stern where he explained that he wanted to include only mysterious, mischief, non-heroic characters without moral centrism. I mean, the guy writes his movies on paper with a pen; no matter how controversial and crazy he is, he is a pure genius. Maybe that’s why he gets away with so much, because he is a master moviemaker. He is the director that elevated Channing Tatum. All the actors here are doing a great job. This is easily one of my favorite movies, and I am glad if you are reading this that I was able to tell you in some way why.

Iliya Badev