Quentin Tarantino may have recurring themes and trademarks in his films — blood spatter on snow, lengthy sessions of dialogue, powerful female characters — but on the whole, the eccentric director is one thing: unpredictable.
Going into the spaghetti Western The Hateful Eight (coincidentally Tarantino’s eighth film), it’s difficult to know what you’re in for. Even with the plot laid bare, knowing that eight strangers get trapped in a remote haberdashery during a severe blizzard, one cannot simply assume the viewer’s going to be treated to a bloodbath. OK, you are eventually, but it takes a while to get there.
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It turns out, in Hateful Eight, Tarantino has gone all theatre on us. Each scene is like a segment of a play, enough to the point that it felt like the theatre lights would dim after a poignant line, or a lone audience member would start clapping. The movie even has an overture at the beginning (at three minutes, it was excessive) and a 10-minute intermission after the first two hours.
The film, with a running time of just over three hours, has a lot to commend, but unfortunately also a lot to lament. This is the first Tarantino film that lacks a solid story, and it sometimes flounders as listlessly as the white swirling snow surrounding the haberdashery. We, the viewers, are trapped inside the small building right along with the characters as endless conversations, life stories and tales abound.
So, what’s the bottom line, then?
If you’re a Tarantino die-hard, you’ll salivate over the lengthy dialogue between Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) and John Ruth (Kurt Russell), and later with Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth) and Joe Gage (Michael Madsen). For what they’re worth, the life stories told are filled with delicious Tarantino details, seemingly random but always relevant in the end. The sheer volume of the stories is the problem: by the time we’ve heard our seventh or eighth tale, it starts to get old.
Of course, this is a Western, so there’s the mandatory gunplay, upped and sensationalized for a 2015 audience. Think blown-up heads, blood vomit, and one particularly nasty gunshot to the (male) genitals. However (and this is a big however), we don’t really get to any of the action until the second part of the movie. Hateful Eight plods along like a horse in knee-deep snow for the first part, and once the lights lower for the second half, it’s like someone lit a fire under Tarantino. Suddenly things start to move at a fair clip, and it makes you wonder why things were so molasses-like to start.
Tarantino fans will love the movie because all of his trademarks are present, but others might have trouble fully embracing the film. (During the three-minute overture, which is just a stationary picture of an 8-horse wagon against a red background, the person in the theatre next to me exclaimed with a loud sigh, “OOOOOK, Quentin!”) Hateful Eight is a test of patience, thankfully sprinkled with enough Samuel L. Jackson greatness to keep us engaged.
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Speaking of Sam, how is he in this movie?
Whether you like Sam Jackson or not, you can’t argue he is an absolute joy to watch in this movie. He is the lifeblood of the film, and every line out of his mouth is a treat. (A caveat: there’s one story told by Major Warren just before intermission that is so out-of-place it had me squirming. It not only runs astray from Warren’s character, but also from the film itself. It’s a ridiculous tale that, frankly, could be removed from the movie without any repercussions.)
What about everybody else?
As with every other Tarantino movie, the characters are rich, dense and interesting. He is an absolute master of dialogue, and while some actors chew the scenery more than others (ahem, Kurt Russell and his hypnotizing moustache), it’s never not fun to meet a new zany character. My personal favourite is Jennifer Jason Leigh as Daisy Domergue — it’s easy to understand why she got that Golden Globe nomination — who, surprisingly, has few lines aside from carefully timed outbursts and remarks, which usually result in a literal punch in the face.
An honourable mention is Demian Bichir as Bob, the Mexican. Absolute scene-stealer.
Is Daisy a strong female character, like The Bride or O-Ren in Kill Bill?
Yes, but she doesn’t really have the opportunity to kick ass like they do. You’ll see why. I started to become very uncomfortable with the number of times Daisy is punched in the face hard by her male co-stars. I’m aware of the time period this movie is supposed to take place in, but it was still unsettling. Seeing Daisy take it and sometimes dish back (rare) still didn’t make it right. Even more disturbing were the male laughs from the audience whenever it happened. Tarantino could have toned this down. (As he could with the N-word mentions, but that discussion is a long one, and can be saved for another time.)
There’s talk that Channing Tatum is in this. Is that true?
He sure is, but you won’t meet his character, Jody, until the second part. And damn if Tatum isn’t charming in the role. Weirdly, I still can’t figure out why he’s in it, aside from a nod to Magic Mike fans.
WATCH: The Hateful Eight cast talk film characters
What fun things should the audience be on the lookout for?
If you follow Tarantino filmography, there are a few standouts. Offhand, here are some: like the travelling dentist stagecoach driven by Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained, there’s yet another stagecoach in Hateful Eight. We spend a lot of time in there. Also, as mentioned before, Michael Madsen is back for his third collaboration with Tarantino, as is Tim Roth, back for his fourth. This is Sam Jackson’s fifth Tarantino film.
Once the characters arrive at the haberdashery, take note that there are always multiple things going on at the same time. While two characters talk in the foreground, keep your eye on the background. Something might be happening there, too. And vice versa. Remember, it’s like a play. And lastly, at one point there’s some narration; listen closely — it’s none other than Tarantino himself.
‘The Hateful Eight’ is opening in theatres on Christmas Day.
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