Director: Quentin Tarantino
Distributor: eOne
Duration: 161 minutes
The Hateful Eight (DVD) – Movie Review
Quentin Tarantino’s movies have gained a cult status over the years and this is probably because of the way his films are presented. The stories, often seemingly normal, are pretty much always about constant conflict, with a hefty dose of swearing and gritty scenes sensitive viewers will probably shy away from. Nonetheless, Django Unchained was a success back in 2013 and it seems Tarantino filmed this new movie with nearly the same time period it situates itself in, in mind. Bounty hunters and raw emotions, The Hateful Eight, Quentin Tarantino’s eighth movie looked like it would become another iconic hit right off the bat.
The movie takes us back to the Wild West, where bounty hunting was a fairly rewarding profession, if you had the proper skills. One such bounty hunter is major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson), but the color of his skin isn’t always very much appreciated in this time period. Nonetheless, he does his job, and he does it well, as he is well renown but he finds himself in a pickle at this very moment. He is bringing in three dead criminals, but his horse died and a blizzard is about to break loose. Luck has it that a carriage is approaching his location and thus he wonders if he could hitch a ride. After some precautions taken by the passenger, Warren may approach and tell him his story. The passenger ends up being none other than a fellow bounty hunter John ‘The Hangman’ Ruth (Kurt Russel), together with his latest catch, Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh), who is worth $10,000. After some needless banter and arguing, John decides to let Warren ride along and tells the driver, O.B. (James Parks) to help Warren tie up his own bounties.
After a chat with John about why he leaves his marks alive, they come across another stranded man in the midst of the raging storm. This new encounter claims to be the new sheriff of Red Rock, the place both Warren and Ruth want to go to, but it’s hard to believe the man’s story. Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins) is the son of a confederate soldier, who is known for murdering a lot of people. Nonetheless, John can’t risk shooting the man or leaving him to die, if he actually speaks the truth. Together, the posse rides on but they have to sit out the storm at a local establishment, namely Minnie’s haberdashery. As the name states, this place is managed by Minnie (Dana Gourrier) and Sweet Dave (Gene Jones) but upon their arrival, Warren notices that Minnie and Dave are nowhere to be found, and the current manager is not coming clean about their whereabouts. Also, it’s quite strange the rather strict owners leave the Mexican Bob (Demián Bichir) in charge. That being said, when there are more suspicious figures waiting inside, who are clearly not telling everything they know, a Western game of Clue is bound to happen.
While all of the above is still rather vague, in the end it’s a story about mistrust and a bounty hunter who is trying to deliver his bounty safe and sound, to see her hang. The pace is very slow, just like it is with many of Tarantino’s movies and the beginning might be a threshold to overcome for those who are not used to a flow like this. Nonetheless, after twenty or thirty minutes you’ve properly adapted to how everything progresses and you are aware that you’re in for a treat for the coming two hours after that. At certain times the movie does not feel like a film at all, but more like a theatrical production, where the actors are almost entirely confined to one stage and they have to work with whatever they get. Even though the overall story value might be slim at times, Tarantino has a knack for making a movie that is solely about constant conflict, into something captivating, amusing but also exciting, albeit in a very foul and explicit kind of way.
We’re under the impression that many grand actors are lining up for Tarantino’s flicks and The Hateful Eight only seems to confirm our suspicions. Not only are Kurt Russel and Samuel L. Jackson already very iconic actors, who easily don the rugged bounty hunter suit, the rest of the cast is quite phenomenal as well. Characters that appear later on, when reaching Minnie’s haberdashery, are portrayed by Tim Roth, Bruce Dern and Michael Madsen, who are all great in whatever roll they are presented with. Raw emotions are what drives this movie, as well as certain stereotypical types a few of the actors have to cling on to for their dear, imaginary, lives.
Even though the movie is a slow spectacle, the extra features on this DVD release are a bit of a disappointment. You’ll be treated to a clip that is rather reminiscent of a trailer mixed with a making of, which is fun to watch, but nothing truly stellar. The second, and last, special feature is about how the movie was released, namely in a fashion that was common fifty years ago, which was all about glamour. A few extra additions to the extras portion of the DVD would have been nice, but then again, everything in the movie is rather straightforward without any extra information necessary.
Conclusion
The Hateful Eight might take its time to properly lift off, but when it does it is a great mix of the Western and Detective genres, presented in Tarantino’s signature style. While the story may be slim at the beginning, the extra information, the characters’ sidetracks and heaps of discussions are what makes this movie a great experience. If you like a typical Tarantino movie, this one will please you from start to finish, if not, this one still has a lot of tricks up its sleeves.
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