WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J.–During one of the most brutal blizzards in the Wyoming winter is when the story of “The Hateful Eight” unfolds. Eight characters, six “chapters,” one lodge, and one goal. It sounds simple, but this Quentin Tarantino trip gets a lot more complicated. The only things left to add are crazy antics, brutal violence, hysterical dialogue, and a whole lot of investigating to get a top-notch film experience that could only be brought by the famous director.
In”The Hateful Eight,” Tarantino’s eighth film, bounty hunter Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) is on his way to deliver three dead fugitives to the town of Red Rock and claim his rewards when he meets another bounty hunter, John Ruth (Kurt Russell). Ruth is bringing his captured criminal, Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to the same place. To take cover from the blizzard during their travels, they stop at a lodge to stay a couple of days before they continue on their journey. The film also stars Walton Goggins, Demián Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, and Channing Tatum as the remainder of the so-called “hateful eight.”
The scenario seems simple enough. However, knowing Tarantino, the audience is in for a lot more than a run-of-the-mill cinematic experience. Not everyone is who they say they are, and the story runs much deeper than the innocent idea that a group of people are spending a couple of nights at a lodge.
In fact, what transpires as a result of these eight landing together with nowhere else to go can only be summed up as outrageous and shocking.
Although not as complex as his previous non-linear storylines, such as “Pulp Fiction,” the structure of “The Hateful Eight” worked well. Split up into “chapters,” the movie presents its audience with a chronological sequence of events until a certain point in the film–when several questions arise as to how the entire situation occurred. It then proceeds to show events occurring in the past to explain how the characters got to where they are now, as well as the underlying story.
It is sometimes easy for an audience to accept information that is thrown out through character dialogue. However, the way Tarantino gives out information, displaying that information visually through a large flashback sequence, keeps the storyline fresh and extremely entertaining. Once the audience is brought back to a certain point of “The Hateful Eight,” the present resumes and the finale of the film plays out.
The visuals and cinematography for this film are–simply put–amazing. With a wide variety of shot types and techniques utilized, little was left out of the film cinematography-wise. It was evident that each scene and the way it was shot was meticulously done up, ultimately enhancing the viewing experience.
In the first half of the film, the audience is presented with striking and scenic long shots of the Wyoming winter landscape. The authentic look and feel of the film succeeds in taking hold of its vision to depict the frontier time period and setting. In addition to this, everything about the design of the lodge, where a hefty portion of the film occurs, felt so rich. It seemed like everything from the furniture and weapons to the dining dishes, fireplace, and even candy jars were designed and placed strategically by Tarantino.
Even though the movie’s running time is just 13 minutes shy of three hours, these aspects and its impeccable pacing never made it feel like it was dragging. Fusing together action, violence, comedy, drama, mystery, great performances, and brilliant storytelling, this is one of those films that every film buff should see before it leaves theaters. To say the least, it is quite the experience and really leaves nothing to the imagination.
