Inglorious Basterds

[RC-1162]

Boom! Guess who's back.

I guess most of you have heard of the new movie, Inglorious Basterds coming in August. And before you ask, no, I'm not posting to discuss the utter awesomeness of this movie but instead, its theme.

 

The movie is about

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a group of Americans who go undercover in France to torture and kill as many Nazis as they can from behind enemy lines.

It is not based on a true story.

 

But assuming it was, the point I'd like to raise is: Even though the Nazis are hated worldwide, would their heinous acts in the WW2 be enough justification for random Nazi officials to be pulled off the streets, tortured and then murdered? Would you say they deserved it or that they should be treated as humans regardless of their treatment of people?

[Sabretooth]

(You misspelt the film title)

 

If we're assuming the plot was real, then there's an element of the plot you've probably forgotten and that is that the Basterds indulge in psychological warfare, they torture and kill Nazis to intimidate them and show them that it's not just Nazis that can be heartless sadistic basterds.

[EnderWiggin]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_Trials

 

That's what happened, that's what should have happened.

 

_EW_

[Darth Avlectus]

Nonono--you spell it:

 

B A S T A R D S

 

Now spell it right. Or one of the more jackass-ish folks here are gonna pwn you over it.

[Salzella]

^^ nono, 'bastard' is spelled b-a-s-t-a-r-d, but the film is spelt b-a-s-t-e-r-d. intentional presumably.

[EnderWiggin]

nono bastard is spelled 'sabretooth'

 

_EW_

 

 

Just kidding Sabre

[mimartin]

I believe the proper spelling of the name as been dealt with, so more discussion and less spam please (and by less, I mean no more). Thank you!

 

 

War isn't the honorable portrait most Hollywood movies of that generation made war out to be. Man is capable of great cruelty under normal circumstances and I’m sure fear, guilt and anger can push that cruelty even further under conditions of war. Listening to stories of my Uncle lead me to believe good men are capable of war crimes under those conditions. It is also my understanding that he was under orders and it was considered his duty. However, those orders and that perceived duty did not absolve from the guilt he felt his entire life. Listening to a 70 year-old man wake the entire house screaming at 3:00 am is not a pleasant family outing.

 

 

But assuming it was, the point I'd like to raise is: Even though the Nazis are hated worldwide, would their heinous acts in the WW2 be enough justification for random Nazi officials to be pulled off the streets, tortured and then murdered? [/Quote] No.

 

Would you say they deserved it or that they should be treated as humans regardless of their treatment of people?

Yes, they should have been treated humanly.

 

However, I would not blame someone that lost most of their platoon during the liberation of Europe from feeling differently.

[Totenkopf]

IIRC, an author named Paul Fussel (sp?) wrote a book about his experiences in the European Theatre where he addressed some of the questionable actions performed by fellow soldiers, especially following the Malmedy massacre. As a matter of fact, the Eastern Front and Pacific campaigns both were marred by incredible acts of brutality by combatants on both sides of the war. Nimitz even testified at Nuremberg that the unrestricted warfare practiced by the U-boats also occurred in the Pacific.

[Sabretooth]

I believe the proper spelling of the name as been dealt with, so more discussion and less spam please (and by less, I mean no more). Thank you!

 

Actually it hasn't, the film is titled Inglourious Basterds and RC spelt it as Inglorious Basterds. Great differences can a letter make.

 

Now the proper spelling of the name has been dealt with.

 

 

One of my pet-peeves is people quoting mod notes. ~ mimartin

[ForeverNight]

Hmmm... I guess that I'm going to have to say that, yes, it is justifiable in a situation rather like WW2 was. WW2 was really the last War that the victor has been in doubt, Korea and Vietnam were both going to be US/UN victories had the homefront not popularly become people who, like, believed that the military was, like, bringing 'em down, like. Persian Gulf I and II, both of which US/UN technological superiority almost insured that the US would 'win' handily.

 

I guess that when I look at a War like WW2 I just think 'screw it, let's win and deal with this later.' However, not being there, I cannot pass judgement as to if it truly is justifiable.

 

As to if they were Nazi's. Not every German Officer/soldier was a Nazi. A Nazi is a member of a political party, members of the SS and defunct SA and Gestapo are probably the only groups that one can paint with a brush and say 'Nazi'.

 

Anyway, sounds like an interesting movie... now if it were only a book...

[Darth Avlectus]

All kidding aside(ho-hum): Niiiiice clip...in a relative sense. Enough with the pleasantries and Hollywood Bull****. People need to see for themselves just waht reality can be like.

 

I think nazis got what they had coming to them. True, it does not make doing it to them any more righteous, but I have a real hard time feeling sorry for them either way.

 

This wasn't exactly self defense. It was going in to eliminate. Do I think it should be dragged out? No, not really. However the torture goes in so many directions I could not describe them all if I cared to; one tactic that is especially effective is taking a wounded and leaving him as bait. If their mate(s) goes for him, you can kill him, or at least he gives the opposition's position away. If he doesn't, it'll saw away at his conscience that his crewmate is suffering. So I would not blame the guy who kept cool and endured the cries of his crewmate's agony and having to do nothing about it, from going brutally nutz when you next left him an opening.

 

Just my opinion.