31: Moral Ambiguity and Cinema (INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS)

Hearts of Darkness
Written By Derrick Hatch

How can a film both vanquish evil, while also revealing the darkness within? In this first entry of our 'Hearts of Darkness' series, we tackle Quentin Tarantino's WWII fan fiction: INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS. This film reveals the moral ambiguities that characterize war. And as we'll see, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS places us in its crossfires through its meta-engagement with the power of cinema. We also discuss how this film uses a Nested Loop story structure, how Tarantino brought this film to life, and how its ending ties into the Jewish Shema. Joining us is professional screenwriter Kyle Arrington.

  • Introduction (0:00)

  • Why We Chose INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (3:02)

  • Context & Ethics in INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (4:45)

  • Analyzing Villainy: Hans Landa (16:00)

  • Redrawing the Lines of Morality in War (26:24)

  • Deception and the Art of Cinema (36:55)

  • Vengeance and the Ultimate Compromise (55:15)

  • Is This a Masterpiece? (1:12:16)

  • Conclusion (1:15:15)

See which films we'll cover in upcoming episodes.

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Produced by All Things Narrative LLC

Derrick Hatch
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32: Why Are We Drawn to Villains? (AMERICAN PSYCHO)
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30: When Your Moral Code Fails (NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN)