Quentin Tarantino's Greatest Final Line Still Defines His Career
The career of Quentin Tarantino is filled with a seemingly unlimited array of memorable lines and quotable moments. Whether it’s the Ezekiel 25:17 speech from Pulp Fiction, Stuntman Mike’s chilling explanation of his Death Proof car, or The Bride vowing her revenge in Kill Bill, everyone has a favorite. However, there’s one line in the director’s 2009 movie, Inglourious Basterds, that stands out from the rest. The triumphant final line of his semi-fantastical World War II action film, uttered by Brad Pitt, becomes a testament to an artist who has never relented in his pursuit of cinematic perfection, ignoring trends and corporate interest to create exactly the kind of movie he wishes to make.
The Last Line of ‘Inglourious Basterds’ is Arguably Tarantino’s Most Memorable
Imagining a timeline where the events of World War II went differently than how history recorded them, Inglourious Basterds ends with the titular group’s leader, Lt. Aldo Raine (Pitt) escaping the climactic film premiere/ massacre of Nazi officers with his comrade Smithson "Little Man" Utivich (B.J. Novak). They have achieved their objective thanks to the help of evil Nazi SS officer Hans Lands (Christoph Walz) who discovered their plan prior to its execution, but negotiated an escape to America for himself and his radio operator in exchange for his silence.
Having driven Raine and Utivich to American lines under the guise of being their prisoners, once there, Landa and his radio operator swap roles, surrendering to Raine and Utivich in the belief that they will carry out their end of the bargain. Once freed and in possession of Landa’s firearm, Raine kills the radio operator and has him scalped by Utivich. As Landa protests, Raine explains that the deal his superiors made prioritized Landa, and so he will see it through. However, dissatisfied that Landa may hide his Nazi service once he is in America, Raine gives his prisoner “something he can’t take off”, and carves a swastika on his forehead.
As Landa screams in agony, Raine admires his handiwork and concludes, “You know somethin', Utivich? I think this just might be my masterpiece!” Despite a story in which few of the heroes survive, and its biggest antagonist lives, it’s a satisfying victory cry both for the character and audience. When viewed from the perspective of the director’s career, however, it takes on a different meaning.
Brad Pitt’s Famous Quote Reflects Quentin Tarantino’s Filmmaking Philosophy
As the star of the movie looks directly into the camera, it could almost be Quentin Tarantino talking to the audience. It’s a line that perfectly reflects the mindset of the filmmaker, who has set out to make exactly the kind of movie he wants, exactly the way that he wants it. He could very well have been a director-for-hire on franchise movies, or given in to the superhero revolution, but he still continues to make daring, visionary, and provocative pieces that reflect his tastes as one of cinema’s true individuals.
“I’m really not interested in just doing [a film] that can sit at step with the other films that fit in that genre,” he said in an interview with AXS TV. “I want to do them my way, and in some ways be bigger than the genre, in some way elevate the genre.” In other words, he wants to take the elements of what makes a great war movie and make it the best that it can be. There is no ‘filler’ in Tarantino’s filmography, no “money jobs” where you sense his heart isn’t in the project. Whether you like a particular film or not, you can be assured that every time “A Film By Quentin Tarantino” is shown on the big screen, it’s something that he approached with the intent of making a masterpiece.
‘Inglourious Basterds’ Final Line is More Pertinent Than Ever
The line gains particular significance considering where Quentin Tarantino is in his own career. Inglourious Basterds is the sixth of a planned ten movies for his career (the Kill Bill movies are counted as one in the director’s eyes). He has, for a long time, said that he would stop directing after ten films in order to ensure his output always maintains its quality. 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was his ninth, meaning that his next film will be his last. How does one end such a celebrated career, in which every chapter has been crafted to his exact vision?
It’s a question that has meant the director has passed on two projects in the past few years – The Movie Critic, which he abandoned after the film’s script was leaked online; and The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, a sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood that Tarantino has written, but passed to David Fincher to direct. This last title has to be significant, impactful, and worthy of the legend he has built over the years. As he looks to find that story, his intention will surely be to repeat those lines spoken by Raine, if only to himself in the screening room.
Quentin Tarantino is a storyteller who puts much of himself into his movies, and so it is appropriate that the final line of Inglourious Basterds should reflect his idea of making cinema an unforgettable spectacle. What will truly be considered his “masterpiece” will be open to debate once all ten movies are committed to celluloid, but there is no doubting the intention behind the declaration.
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