Aptly titled, The Hateful Eight is indeed the eighth film from legendary director Quentin Tarantino. Allegedly after he’s done ten feature-length movies, Tarantino wants to move onto theatre and stage plays. The Hateful Eight is a great dress-rehearsal for such a shift – the dialogue, story and location are perfect for the stage.
Set in the years following the American Civil War, Samuel L. Jackson returns to lead the cast as bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren who, by way of circumstance, ends up alongside John Ruth (played by Kurt Russell under a hat and beard). Ruth is escorting Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) – a ruthless killer and prisoner – to the town of Red Rock, Wyoming.
Naturally, fate gets in the way and a looming blizzard forces our characters to hastily seek shelter in a haberdashery store. What follows from here is a ‘lock-in’ film of sorts, where the remainder of the story is set in this wooden shack with a line-up of humourous and menacing characters. These are characters typical of a Tarantino film: witty, cunning, articulate… and probably hiding something.
Beautifully scored and shot, The Hateful Eight is compelling viewing regardless of its three-hour run time (the original 70mm screenings included an intermission!). The key is the dialogue, which is engaging but also coy, giving the audience ample time to develop their own theories on where the drama is headed. However, if there is one thing Tarantino has consistently promised his audiences, it’s to ‘expect the unexpected’.
The performances are stellar – particularly Kurt Russell – but Sam Jackson can do no wrong. The art direction and costumes were careful and clever and, as you’d expect, there is no shortage of blood and gore. Add a dash of colourful language and controversial plot points, and The Hateful Eight makes for a unique cinema experience.
If we are to believe Quentin that will only make 10 films, then it’s an experience which is finite; a saddening thought for those who make and watch movies.
Interestingly, this is one of my least-favourite Tarantino movies. That’s not to say this is a bad movie (it’s really great), rather it’s a testament to the immense quality of his other projects including Inglorious Bastards, Django Unchained and, of course, Pulp Fiction.
