The Hateful Eight

Majestic vistas of the post-Civil War American West - rolling hills, vast open skies, and infinite horizons - set the tone for Quentin Tarantino's masterful western epic, The Hateful Eight. But behind the sweeping vistas lies a complex tapestry of secrets, lies, and hidden agendas, expertly woven to create a thrilling narrative of betrayal and deception. The film takes place in 1878, six years after the end of the war that has left the country scarred and broken. A relentless blizzard is brewing, ushering in a grueling winter that threatens to engulf the region in its icy grip. It's against this unforgiving backdrop that a group of disparate individuals - strangers bound together by circumstance - take refuge in a small, dilapidated tavern nestled in the heart of a frozen canyon. The group consists of five men and one woman: Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson), a stoic and enigmatic African-American bounty hunter with a storied past; John "The Hangman" Ruth (Kurt Russell), a ruthless, cunning bounty hunter with a reputation for using extreme means to capture his targets; Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh), Ruth's clever and resourceful captive, a condemned killer due to be hanged come dawn; Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), a nervous, ill-tempered sheriff-turned-bounty hunter aiming to protect his traveling party; Joe Gage (Michael Madsen), a weathered cowpatty-chewing, one-eyed former outlaw providing bittersweet levity; and Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth), a charming, sophisticated British-born hangman-turned-bounty hunter with a sly grin and a penchant for whistling tunes. As the nine-strong cast of characters navigates the cramped, dimly-lit confines of the tavern, tensions run high. Everyone seems to have secrets to hide - personal demons and motivations they're desperate to dissemble, betray, or worse yet, explode. Ruth's protective instincts over Domergue conceal a relationship fraught with psychological baggage; Major Warren, an untouchable veteran with a gleaming, ornate wooden leg, quietly shields a cache of grim knowledge; while the once-bravado-carrying Chris Mannix proves himself incapable of meeting the expectations of either law enforcement or his partners-in-shelter. Relationships like these continue to build deep into the narrative, establishing emotional corestones which in turn buttress the film's unceasing strain toward violence. The narrative's gradual progression and plot twists make up nearly the majority of the movie. To the unwary viewer, it initially appears that they have an easier game anticipating the potential climax of The Hateful Eight. As plot ratchets up in tension, just when matters appear a go - audiences will arrive at places expecting results more based on logic than this highly skewed, highly polished adaptation has, ever-so-coyly inviting that same 'disappointment', when reality turns completely in the opposite direction. But The Hateful Eight, set to Robert Richardson's extraordinary cinematography within this stark harsh winter landscape, explores each individual character in exquisite cinematic fashion. Ruth carries broad levels of responsibility; Daisy Domergue, frequently cold-eyed, gives vivid hints that this unyielding crime would take a woman who, it would become evident, falls between different, as best as they can, categorizations. Tarantino channels oldwestern histories: an audacious "Six Shooters Only" line reminds audiences they belong back in classic John Wayne movies; two moments with Major Warren recalling past exploits of "Major Marquis Warren" solidify - each from various distinct time of origin - well-made examples of true (gaze upon) legendary figure of this time; in at least 1 visual encounter, vividly recalling the powerful imagery of classic westerns, the flick goes deep on setting ambiance to an original score that even takes it as far back in its sound scope as classic moments from the 1950s before going onward with the contemporary orchestral grandness one associates more deeply alongside. Another major feature of this enchanting piece of storytelling are moments of humor - or the ones so close to it, by contrast, not to the contrary, these we can classify as 'quirky', to differentiate funny/they fail'. But I leave it and explore them - very typically Tarantino, that is, - these have effectively always known to create something. An unpredictable atmosphere perfectly encapsulated - that of high tension - it leads the 167 minute runtime for an engrossing experience that for once has more, than most audience familiar with 'these more off-in-depth Tarantino's works are.'