Few directors are as polarizing and stylistic as Quentin Tarantino. The first word nearly everyone uses to describe his films is "violent." The next is probably "profane." There's also controversy about his use of the word "nigger." Yet his eight films are clearly his films, which is a credit to his style. No one writes dialogue like him or captures his unique blend of melodrama and aggression.
The Hateful Eight is his eighth film and it's expectedly violent, outrageous, and witty. Eight people in the post-civil war period are stuck in a cabin during a blizzard. Tensions rise as they question each other's motives and stories until the explosive finale. It's an unusual western, more similar to Reservoir Dogs or The Thing than A Fistful of Dollars. The mounting tension is excellent, but tension gives way to boredom over the three hours.
The length is the film's biggest detriment. It's too long. The opening shot of a cross in the snow lasts nearly three minutes without anything happening. Then we spend nearly an hour getting to the film's claustrophobic cabin. The story plods along through arguments, introductions, and a repeating gag about the door. Shots like the opening feel indulgent, and we could probably cut down six or seven distrustful glares.
I understand why the film is three hours long, it furthers the tension. The audience also feels the burden of being trapped in this cabin and questions which character might be in league with the devious Domergue. The pace works when it's developing the characters and building atmosphere, but not if the audience is bored.
The four main characters are well developed and the rest of the characters remain enigmatic. Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh), John "The Hangman" Ruth (Kurt Russell), Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson), and Sheriff Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins) are quintessential Tarantino characters: brash, loud, aggressive, and opinionated. The rest of the cast is good: Bruce Dern as a bitter old general, Tim Roth as the erudite foreigner (Christoph Waltz was busy), and Michael Madsen as the squinty cowboy.
Eight's biggest strengths are its tension, mystery, and main characters. Jackson plays his usual role and Russell does a gruff John Wayne, but Goggins and Leigh are excellent surprises. Sheriff Mannix is annoying and chipper, but Goggins endears the character with heart and southern pride. Daisy Domergue is crass, mean, and terrifyingly vicious. As her face becomes more distorted, Leigh amps up the character's cunning.
I enjoyed the movie's discussion of justice and how people of color attain respect. As usual, violence is the resolution to the central problem, but Tarantino opts for capital punishment over simply gunning down criminals. When The Hangman catches you, you hang. The film explores why that's necessary in a world filled with shooters, political division, and racial tension.
If you like Tarantino, you'll like The Hateful Eight. This film is less violent than Tarantino's latest films, but it's as excessively gruesome as Basterds and Django. It's his signature style at work through talented actors in a story that ratchets up the tension to a gripping climax. Whether you think there's enough to stay entertained for the three hours will determine if you like it or love it.
Bonus thoughts: I didn't see it in 70 mm, but there are some weird DOF moments. The shots outside are beautiful and the blizzard is terrifying. He slows down some pieces of dialogue, which really doesn't work. Though Ennio Morricone's score is fantastic, Tarantino sneaks in a White Stripes song. I really hope a band takes the name "Big Black Dingus."
