By Trent Linneman
Quentin Tarantino’s eighth film (of his infamous ten-film promised run) “The Hateful Eight” is a malicious and vengeance-filled story in the snowy terrain of Wyoming. Set in the post-Civil War time, is the story of two bounty hunters, a renegade, and a sheriff who have to make a pit-stop to a small Haberdashery (of hell) and do not realize that the devils of the place have bad intentions. They get to the Haberdashery by stagecoach and suspicions rise as one of the bounty hunters sees certain flaws in the men of the Haberdashery’s story. Two of the men are murdered and it creates an investigation that is worth watching.
Cinematically the film seems well thought out which adds strength to the film’s overall purpose. The whole film being shot in 65mm film makes the whole picture look lovely. Because this movie is very fond of dialogue, the shots have to be precise and surrounded by characters. While bringing this fictional story to real-life with two-shots, medium close-ups, high angles, etc. this film really holds its own standards. Robert Richardson, who is essentially Quentin’s right-hand man, was the cinematographer in this film, but he was also Tarantino’s collaborator in films such as Kill Bill (2003), Inglourious Basterds (2009), and Django Unchained (2012). The plot and dialogue are what really set this film apart from other films. The plot twists and turns and has maybe a few wrenches thrown in, but ultimately moves the story along with precision. A classic Tarantino staple is to highly the music within his films, and to me, is usually quite spot on. The opening scene features an eerie sound that brings the audience intention of impending doom from a contrabassoon. With the combination of sound, sights, and a great story Quentin and his actors couldn’t help but make a special motion picture.