The Hateful Eight - Review

 
Written By:  Aaron Meyer

Quentin Tarantino is back again with his eighth film.  A western that takes place nearly a decade after the Civil War.  Tarantino gives us another of his dialogue heavy narratives that is one of his best, when it comes to building tension and depth of character.  Set deep in the heart of Wyoming, in the middle of Winter a bounty hunter is forced to stay over night at a lodge with his prisoner and five other heinous characters.


I'll admit at first I had mixed feelings about this film.  I personally am not the biggest fan of Tarantino's work.  His earlier work is very hit or miss for me however with his last few films (Inglorious Bastards and Django Unchained) I have more recently become a fan.  I had high hopes for this film when first seeing the trailers.  It's a movie that you will want to make sure you have the time and patience for as a slow beginning that truly pays off in the end.  I walked away entertained and enjoyed the film for what it was.  Tarantino has another hit on his hands.

The Hateful Eight stars Kurt Russell as John Ruth.  A bounty hunter better known as "The Hangman" because unlike his cohorts in the bounty hunting business, he brings in his captures alive so that they may stand trial and see them brought to justice by hanging.  Ruth with his latest prisoner, Daisy Domergue (played by Jennifer Jason Leigh) run into a fellow bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L Jackson) on their way to Red Rock.  After convincing Ruth to allow him to ride along to help him turn in a few bounties of his own the team is forced to spend the evening at a local cabin lodge to seek shelter from a fast moving blizzard.  There they are greeted by five others trying to escape the poor weather as well, whose intentions may be anything other than pure.

As the story continues and we start to learn about each of the characters, this is when we start to really see the genius in the writing.  Samuel Jackson steals most of the dialogue heavy scenes.  Two of the most memorable scenes from this movie are when he is the main focus of the conversation.  Samuel shows us why he is a great actor and really sells the stories he tells.  With the rest of the cast they all seem to fall under his shadow.  We get to understand how each of the eight ended up in the cabin however I didn't feel as though they each got to have their own signature moments such as Inglorious Bastards was able to with its narrative.

The movie is shot beautifully however as usual Quentin Tarantino likes to use his extended use of scenery and long cuts give the audience some uneasiness I'm not sure is always intentional.  The pure white of the mountains and snow against the darkness of the inside of the lodge make you feel as though you've now stepped into another darker dimension of the same world.

A few odd editing choices in this movie make the movie feel more like your reading a novel of sorts.  As there are "Chapters" that appear during the film to break up the scenes a bit more and give a sense of time passing even though it's not really needed.  The other oddity is Quentin Tarantino narrating the film in a few areas of the film.  Mostly the beginning and the end.  It took me completely out of the film when I recognized the voice and secondly it's not really needed.  For a director who is so used to showing and not just telling audiences, it was kind of jarring.

If you have the option to see this movie on one of the 70mm projections I would recommend seeing it, as it is obviously they way it is truly meant to be seen.  The musical score once again displays Quentin's odd musical choices that are neither period specific but are only there to enhance the uneasiness you feel.

Running at a near 3 hour total run time this movie is one that demands your patience.  It is not your typical western but rather an excellent demonstration on how to build tension in a movie.  A rich dialogue that keeps you on the edge of your seat and some of Samuel L Jackson's best to date.  If you don't see this in the theaters, then make sure to set a side some time when it eventually releases on video because it is a must see.

Final Score 4 / 5