comment #1

Howlingman says ...

DZ: "So Quentin will finally learn how to direct a film from someone who knows how?"

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

comment #2

mitchtaylor says ...

I thought Quentin Tarantino should be the one to play Hitler when I read this.

comment #3

Richardson says ...

I feel like Werner Herzog wouldn't be a Tarantino fan, but I might (gladly) be completely wrong on that.

comment #4

VoiceOfReason says ...

Variety says QT is meeting with Leonardo DiCaprio to play the Jew Hunter...

comment #5

YND says ...

Personally, I think that the rumored-to-be-sought duo of Pitt for Raines and DiCaprio for Landa sounds perfect. Of course, I did also think (after reading and loving the script) that I wanted just one or two more scenes with Raines and the Bastards doing their thing in the first half of the film to balance out the Shosanna thread and develop more character stuff that would help the final act play even more strongly.

But yeah, Roth for either Hickox or Landa would be glorious.

comment #6

corey3rd says ...

Herzog should play the black guy who runs the projector. Why not push the Robert Downey Jr. performance.

comment #7

YND says ...

And let's be clear: that's TIM Roth, not Eli.

NOT Eli.

comment #8

Mr. Gittes says ...

Per Variety - QT wants Leo DiCaprio playing Hans Landa.

If DiCaprio says yes, there's no doubt he'll turn in a "good" performance, but I just don't see him in the role. He's a damn good actor, hasn't been in a bad film in quite some time, but Leo as Landa? The Jew-Hunter?

comment #9

YND says ...

And the role of Francesca the translator seemed pretty specifically written (to me, anyway) for the French-born, multilingual Julie Dreyfus (hey, there's that name!) who played O-Ren's assistant Sophie Fatale in KILL BILL VOL. 1.

comment #10

nemo says ...

That gigantically oppressive heroic painting of Hitler you had up initially was great. Too bad it's gone. It gave you the feeling of being in Europe in the 30s and early 40s, constantly under that guy's shadow.

That new photo you put up of the relatively young Hitler looks like Robert Downey.

Indeed, how hard could it be to learn 40 or 50 lines of German? The Sum of All Fears was by far the worst Jack Ryan movie, but Ciaran Hinds did a terrific job learning enough Russian phonetically in a good enough accent to play the Russian president. Liev Schreiber played an entire scene in a single unbroken shot throwing back and forth at least 15 or 20 lines in Russian, and his accent was plenty convincing.

(Ben Affleck's Russian was laughably terrible. He was supposed to be an American CIA analyst, so you expect an American accent. But he was completely incomprehensible. He may as well have been trying to speak Urdu. The only actor I've ever heard speak worse Russian was George Clooney in The Peacemaker.)

An even more extended phonetic Russian stunt was pulled off by Vincent Cassel, Mathieu Kassovitz, and Nicole Kidman in Birthday Girl. They each spoke probably more than 100 lines in Russian, and did it well.

Vincent Cassel and Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises -- lots of Russian, excellent job. Cate Blanchett in Crystal Skull -- only a few dozen lines, but excellent job. (Though most of the time she only had to say "Davai!" which means "Let's get our asses in gear!")

So it can be done. Lots of actors have done it. But can Brad Pitt do it? Does he want to try?

One thing I don't understand. If this movie is going to be such a cartoon, why is QT bothering with dialog in French and German at all?

comment #11

bluelouboyle says ...

Other rumours say Dicaprio will play Zoller

comment #12

Ortega says ...

Peter Stormare should play Major Hellstrom.

comment #13

YND says ...

DiCaprio as Zoller would be fun. Then Roth could play Landa and all would be right with the world.

comment #14

Circumvrent says ...

If I was casting, I'd have Tim Roth play Hitler AND Hicox. I couldn't get him out of my head reading either of those roles.

Leo HAS to be Zoller, and Pitt HAS to be Lansa. Sandler for Donnie. And Albert Finney for Churchill.

comment #15

Ortega says ...

Cast Roth as Landa, and pull in Ewan MacGregor to play Hicox. Guy is desperately in need of a good role, as Jeff has pointed out before.

comment #16

DavidF says ...

Of all the spelling errors in IB (and they are legion) I'm surprised no one has commented on the fact that "Shosanna" is not a real name. He must mean "Shoshana" (which I guess could also be spelled "Shoshanna") but that missing H gives me a headache when I see it. Am I the only Jew here?

I sort of pictured Natalie Portman for her, except that she needs to start looking her age a bit more, perhaps.

Anyway, Sam Jackson struck me as a bit old for Marcel. After Black Snake Moan, is the public craving another movie where (SPOILER!) he's seducing a young, white chick? Is this the role in which Tarantino wanted to slot Eddie Murphy?

Having seen Viggo's name above, I think he'd make a good Aldo Raine (he looks at least as Jewish as Brad Pitt) and I like the idea, floated years ago, of Adam Sandler being one of the Basterds. Other than that, I have to ponder 30ish Jewishy actors who'd work...maybe QT can bring on Apataow as producer and use Rogen (as Donowitz), Jason Segel and Jay Baruchel?

comment #17

Howlingman says ...

"maybe QT can bring on Apatow as producer and use Rogen (as Donowitz), Jason Segel and Jay Baruchel?"

"INGLORIOUS GALUMPHS!"

comment #18

Majorian99 says ...

Hey, I go with Michael Madsen for Lt. Aldo Rayne...

As for pushing 50 and still doing service during WWII -- there's a lot real life examples of this. Just take a look at amazing Dashiell Hammett at exactly that age going G.I. at that moment in time...

comment #19

DavidF says ...

howlingman, as per QT, the title would be "Inglourious Galuhmfs."

comment #20

YND says ...

DavidF, yeah "Shosanna" bothered me too... but he's so consistent with it!

(I'm not Jewish, but I have seen some in movies and whatnot.)

comment #21

berg says ...

Shosanna is 15 years old in the opening scene and 19 through the rest of the movie ... It will be an actress you have never heard of and whom you will never forget

comment #22

DavidF says ...

Natalie Portman could probably play 15 and 19 better than her own age, and she's Jewish and she speaks French (and German, says IMDB). I'm just sayin'....
doesn't mean there isn't some great unknown actress out there waiting for this perfect part.

comment #23

Chapman Carruthers says ...

If they weren't so old, I'd suggest Elias Koteas or Cole Hauser for some of the Basterd parts.

Jewish, and they can play crazy pretty well.

comment #24

Count Thread says ...

I'm the first person to stick up for QT, because I love his films, but there are two big problems with this thread.

First, Leo DiCaprio? Brad PItt? In a *QT* film? I don't see it. It's *beneath* them, and their agents, and their PR people. Pitt, MIGHT be willing to sign up to this, but in the end, we're going to get second-tier people across the board. (and the movie may be just fine for it).

Second, I don't see many of QT's regulars in this, simply because they're all too old/not right for the part. Wells is right (God, how I fucking hate saying that, ever)-- the cast needs to be younger. Not "Teen Beat" young, but believeable young. This isn't "Old Jews in the Retirement Home Leave Florida to Fight Hitler."

Although, now that I think about it-- that might be an *awesome* movie. . .

comment #25

Edward says ...

It's fun to cast films. I do it all the time when I read a novel, which I think should be a film, but ultimately it's an empty exercise because we're not the ones doing the casting and it's not a "film" yet.

Just saying, please don't crucify me, respect your elders, I can order off the senior menu in some restaurants. Turning 61 in 14 days...having trouble dealing...

comment #26

BurmaShave says ...

Cole Hauser is in just the right range I think, certainly lookswise. I know he's been around since DAZED but he seems about 30. Also not having read it Aldo sounds like a role Johnny Depp could do in his sleep.

comment #27

T. S. Idiot says ...

Hitler died at 56. Herzog will soon be 68.

comment #28

madskrilla says ...

Let's cast against type, I vote for Myley Cyrus as Shoshanna (the French dialogue has got to from her "chapter" anyway, there's too much dialogue for an imperfect speaker of the language. It's either a French actress or he'll have to shoot it in English.

comment #29

AndrewOwens says ...

IMDB says that DiCaprio can speak a little German and is of 3/4 German descent, for what it's worth.

comment #30

nemo says ...

"... I'm surprised no one has commented on the fact that "Shosanna" is not a real name. He must mean "Shoshana" (which I guess could also be spelled "Shoshanna") but that missing H gives me a headache when I see it. ..."

I'm amazed he didn't spell her name Rosh Hashanah.

"This isn't "Old Jews in the Retirement Home Leave Florida to Fight Hitler.""

That would be an even better movie! Let's see, Jerry Stiller. "I got a prostate the size of a melon!" Too bad George Burns and Walter Matthau are dead.

"Hitler died at 56. Herzog will soon be 68."

Well, you know, hunkering down in a bunker getting bombed by the Brits and the Yanks while waiting for the Russkies to roll into Berlin has a way of putting the years on a guy.

comment #31

yopla says ...

hahaha....H-E wants samuel l jackson to play marcel ? a french man ?

Come on ! the part has to be in french so Shosana, Marcel and all need to be french.
You can put an american as a french without him having a big accent.

dicaprio is 3/4 german from his mother (dicaprio has the looks of a german and an italian name) so he could maybe pull it off.....and apparently he will need to learn french a little for the part (and have a german accent while he's talking in french or in english).

comment #32

yopla says ...

argggg.....
I meant "you can't put an american as a french without him having a big accent"

comment #33

saramie says ...

he talked with his fans on " TALLMEET .COM "sometimes.I saw his there few moments ago..he's write some diary there..it's interesting.U could konw how his daily life is.just search his username u can find out

comment #34

austin111 says ...

Yes, DiCaprio can speak some German and has an excellent enunciation for the language when he does. Hell, he hangs out with his mom and grandma all the time and both are decidedly German. He did a better than passable South African accent in Blood Diamond and seems to have a nice gift for mimicry. I've also heard him same something in French and get it down nicely. The accents shouldn't be a problem. He's better with them than Pitt.