This is the Face of Jewish Vengeance:

The Basterds

The Basterds are first introduced about twenty-one minutes into the film. The only non-Jewish member of the regime is Lieutenant Aldo Raine, played by Brad Pitt. Lieutenant Raine’s role throughout the plot is to bring down Hitler’s Third Reich, using Jewish-American soldiers to do so.

When putting together this group of vengeful assassins, he says, “My name is Lt.Aldo Raine, and I’m puttin’ together a special team. And I need me eight soldiers. Eight Jewish-American soldiers…once we’re in enemy territory, as
 a bushwackin, guerrilla army, we’re gonna be doin’ one thang, and one thang only, Killin Nazi’s” (22:21). Tarantino uses Lt. Raine’s character to implement the idea of murderous revenge against the Nazis for their atrocious acts. Within a few minutes, the audience witnesses the Basterds in action.

Throughout the film, the audience becomes introduced to many Jewish and German characters. The most interesting aspect to take note of is the fact that the majority of the actors and actresses taking on these roles are Jewish or German in real life. The Basterds serve as a great example. The character of Donny Donowitz, also known as ‘The Bear Jew’, is played by director/actor Eli Roth. Born and raised Jewish, Roth was more than happy to take this role stating, “This is my chance to create a classic screen character and help redefine the way Jews are seen in movies” [1]. Roth also feels emotional and proud of his role revealing,

“ It’s almost a deep sexual satisfaction of wanting to beat Nazis to death, an orgasmic feeling. My character gets to beat Nazis to death. That’s something I could watch all day. My parents are very strong about Holocaust education. My grandparents got out of Poland and Russia and Austria, but their relatives did not” [2].

When participating in the film, his character uses a bat to bash in the heads of Nazis. From a deleted scene from the script we find that on this bat are multiple names of Jews he knows and even that of Anne Frank, one of the most famous Jewish people to have been murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust (IMSDb). Roth as an actor is not only getting revenge for himself but his fellow Jewish loved ones and community around the world.

Another actor playing as one of the Basterds, B.J. Novak is also Jewish in real life. His portrayal of “Little Man” Private Utivich, although not as big of a role as Roth’s “Bear Jew”, has much significance in the film and the actor’s life. In an interview he talks about how he dislikes violence but because of the focus of the film he acted as a “good Jewish boy who did my homework and that’s who Utivitch was. I don’t think he wanted to scalp, but if that’s his homework assignment from Aldo, he’s damned if he’s not going to get an A” [3]. By going against his own tastes for the sake of the film, Novak shows how dedicated he is as a modern day Jew in terms of bringing about a sense of justice for the millions of innocent lives lost during the Holocaust.

By using real-life Jewish actors to portray some of the Basterds and even other characters in the film, Tarantino brings in true purpose and emotional connections that truly bring the movie to life. The actors can really become their roles because they can relate to them more than anyone else and that is what Tarantino needed. He knew that the audience could react more positively upon finding that he cast Jewish actors/actresses to kill Nazis and Hitler. There were of course risks with creating such a controversial piece. Critics claimed Tarantino is not “Jewish enough” to create a film about Jews and Nazis [4]. However, the reviews that really matter come from the Jews themselves.

Rabbi Irwin Kula wrote a piece about Inglourious Basterds to the Huffington Post, where he praised Tarantino’s interesting stance and role reversal in World War II. He begins by stating,

“Inglorious Basterds is a powerful, entertaining cinematic experience, but this is not what you want to hear from me, an eighth-generation rabbi whose father escaped the Nazis and immigrated to America from Poland in 1938 with his parents and brother, leaving most of his family behind to be murdered by the Nazis “y’mach shemam” — may their names be erased — the traditional Jewish appellation, added every time one refers to Nazis, to which Mr. Tarantino has given new meaning” [5].

He goes onto expressing his excitement of seeing Nazis murdered and scalped, letting the audience know that these are the things Jews want to do but are too afraid to say. Kula, as a religious priest of Judaism, addresses the possibility of those ‘politically correct’ types who will consider the film as sacrilege, however he attempts to speak for all Jews in stating that “most Jews will love this fantasy”. Rabbi Kula not only boasts about the greatness of the film but brings in a deeper meaning in which he formally thanks Quentin Tarantino for bringing to the surface. Kula believes that no one has truly gained closure from the Holocaust and so many people have pent up animosity and pain within their minds. By creating a film where Jews take revenge, Tarantino undoubtedly helped awaken these feelings of millions of people. Kula emphasizes how Inglourious Basterds has paved the way for Jews in realizing and embracing their dark past. He ends his review stating, “we are never as powerful as our greatest fantasies and never as powerless as our worst nightmares.”

Shosanna

Shosanna Dreyfus, played by Mélanie Laurent, is the female protagonist of the film. Laurent, known for her roles in French films, was chosen by Tarantino specifically to play Shosanna. She was chosen not only because she possesses great acting skills and can speak French fluently, but also because like some of the Basterds, is of Jewish descent.

The first time Shosanna becomes introduced in the film, she is shown hiding with her family members under floorboards as SS Colonel Landa, played by Christoph Waltz, interrogates Monsieur LaPadite, whom safeguarded her family.

Colonel Landa suspects that her family is hiding under the floorboards, comparing them to rats and persuades LaPadite in giving them away. Shosanna’s whole family is then slaughtered with her somehow escaping.

Four years later, the audience sees Shosanna as a strong new woman under a fake name. After having her entire family slaughtered right in front of her eyes, it is quite easy to understand her plot of revenge.

Shosanna’s new life is introduced around forty minutes into the film, where she is approached by a German soldier, Fredrick Zoller. The irony of this scene is shown in that Shosanna is placed above the Nazi. Figuratively, Nazis dehumanized and looked down upon Jews, and in this scene the opposite occurs.

Although Shosanna represents a part of the Jewish population, it becomes evidently ironic that she is blonde with light (blue) eyes, two traits Hitler craved for his ‘perfect race’. His idea of perfection comes back to bite him in the butt through Shosanna, who along with the Basterds, is his ultimate killer. One scene Tarantino strategically placed within the film is Shosanna meeting her family’s killer face to face, Colonel Landa

As she tries to keep her composure, Colonel Landa orders her a glass of milk. The glass of milk hints back to the fact that before he murdered her family, he drank a glass of milk from Monsieur LaPadite’s home as well as knew that Shosanna’s family were dairy farmers. Sadistically coincidental? Maybe, maybe not. This pivotal scene helps ignite Shosanna’s passion for killing the entire Nazi high command and avenging her family’s deaths.

Another noticeable detail of Shosanna is her interest in the novel, Le Saint New York, which is the tale of an anti-hero figure who brings about his own sense of justice to a murderer by hunting him down. She is shown reading this book by Leslie Charteris when she runs into Fredrick Zoller in a small cafe. This story seems very similar to Shosanna’s situation with the Nazis who murdered her family. Tarantino implements many more props within the film that relate to Shosanna’s vengeance, such as one of the movies her cinema is showing called, L’assassin habite au 21. This film within the film, supports the idea of Shosanna as the assassin.

As the plot thickens, Shosanna’s plans come into action. On the night of the premiere she is shown wearing all red, which is odd considering the main color the Nazis used in their propaganda was red. It’s almost as if she’s mocking them and preparing for not only their death but maybe her own as well. Red can be seen as the color of evil or seduction and interestingly it gives her both of these attributes as she prepares for her murders, which also cause blood… and what color is blood? Exactly. Not only is her color choice for the night predictable of near-future events, but the song Tarantino chose to play in the background as she gets ready for revenge sets the stage as well. David Bowie’s, “Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)” lyrics begin to practically scream at you. As Shosanna intently finishes her makeup, David Bowie’s loud voice singing, “And I’ve been putting out the fire with gasoline. See these eyes so red. Red like jungle burning bright” becomes highly prominent. The significance of these lyrics tell the audience that Shosanna means business and the Nazis are about to meet their maker (in a sense).

Unbeknownst to her, the Basterds are setting up camp for their murderous plot as well. While the Basterds anxiously wait to kill Hitler and his high command, Shosanna is able to get her personal video into the film reel before she is interrupted by Fredrick Zoller. His presence causes her to panick and shoot him dead, or so she thought. She makes the mistake of checking his body and BAM, he shoots her dead as well.

Although Shosanna dies before seeing her plans succeed, the audience is still able to see one of the strongest scenes in the movie. That’s right, the true revenge of the young French girl, whom witnessed the murder of her family.

“I have a message for Germany… That you are all going to die. And I want you to look deep into the face of the JEW who is going to do it! Marcel, burn it down. My name is Shosanna Dreyfus and this is the face of Jewish Vengeance.”

Shosanna’s face appears before the Nazis and while she gives her infamous speech, Marcel lights the cinema on fire. While her face burns away, the Basterds come in and massacre Hitler as well as all the panicked bodies below them. The cinema, engulfed in the fire and Shosanna’s evil laugh, then blows up due to the dynamite from the Basterds. Shosanna Dreyfus has ultimately received her justice for not only her family, but every other Jew murdered by the Nazis.

An Eye for an Eye

In the book of Isaiah, chapter sixty, God explains that the Jews should be treated with high respect and honor. Gentiles are expected to serve them at all times and if anyone fails to do so they will perish. Inglourious Basterds demonstrates this exact situation in a modern day replication. It’s almost as if Quentin Tarantino became inspired for this film by this quote from the Old Testament. The entirety of the film is the Jews seeking revenge on the Nazis, specifically Shosanna and the Basterds. This vengeance, although deemed worthy, also has a very dark side for the avengers themselves. Shosanna and the Basterds become so enveloped with the idea of killing Hitler and his high command that it ultimately leads to their own deaths as well. Shosanna was so close to seeing her plans succeed and possibly living to tell about it, but because of Zoller, she lost her focus, resulting in her death. The two Basterds, Donowitz and Private Ulmer also become so obsessed with the thought of murdering every Nazi they see, that they too die in the cinema. Their suicide mission succeeded, of course, but it also teaches a lesson to the audience. An eye for an eye really does make the world go blind, even if it is for a good cause, such as, in the words of Lt. Aldo Raine, “killin’ Natzis”.

Work Cited

Baron, Salo Wittmayer. A social and religious history of the Jews: Laws, Homilies, and the Bible. Vol. 6. Columbia University Press, 1958.

[1] Billington, Alex. “Interview: Inglourious Basterds’ Donny Donowitz — Eli Roth.”FirstShowingnet RSS. First Showing LLC, 9 Aug. 2009. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.

[3] Elfman, Mali. “Interview: B.J. Novak for Inglourious Basterds.” Screen Crave. UCrave, 17 Aug. 2009. Web.

Engen, Van. Jews and Christians: In Twelfth-century Europe. Ed. John H. Van Engen. University of Notre Dame Press, 2000.

Friedlander, Saul. “Nazi Germany and the Jews, Volume 1: The Years of Persecution, 1933–1939.” (1997).

Ginzberg, Louis, Henrietta Szold, and Paul Radin. The Legends of the Jews: From Moses to Esther: Notes for Volumes 3 and 4. Vol. 6. JHU Press, 1998.

[2] Goldberg, Jeffrey. “Hollywood’s Jewish Avenger.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, Sept. 2009. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.

[5] Kula, Rabbi Irwin. “Inglorious Basterds, Vengeance and Redemption.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 26 Sept. 2009. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.

[4] Moylan, Brian. “Is Inglourious Basterds Bad for Jews?” Gawker. Gawker, 21 Aug. 2009. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.

Müller-Hill, Benno. Murderous science: elimination by scientific selection of Jews, Gypsies, and others, Germany 1933–1945. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.

“The Internet Movie Script Database (IMSDb).” Inglourious Basterds Script at IMSDb. IMSDB, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.

“The Saint in New York.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2016.

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