Analysis of the opening scene from Inglourious Basterds

Inglourious Basterds is a revisionist dark comedy war movie by Quentin Tarantino. The name
is taken and modified from an Italian war movie of the same name, though the plot doesn’t
resemble. The movie is an alternate retelling involving a fire planned by Shoshanna Dreyfus
taking place in Nazi occupied France which ended with Hitler getting killed. This alternate
version skillfully combines elements of a war movie with the elements of a spaghetti Western
(or Italian Western) movie. Everything, from the soundtrack to the actors and their placement
in certain scenes frames is reminiscent of a Western confrontation taking place. Tarantino’s
intention stems from the fact that, according to him, Nazi-occupied France was much like the
western films; one could die in a split second. The opening scene, titled “Chapter One: Once
upon a time…in Nazi-occupied France”, sets up the themes and tones for the rest of the movie.
The use of different elements of suspense, alongside the subtle editing patterns and
accompanying soundtrack is the reason that a haunting conversation between SS Colonel Hans
Landa and the French dairy farmer LaPadite could be stretched over 19 pages of screenplay.
The whole 19-minute conversation provides the viewers with a powerful experience and builds
power hierarchies through its shots and camera angles. Tarantino has employed Hitchcock’s
‘bomb under the table’ technique; in that he lets the viewers know about the Jews hiding under
the floorboards halfway through the conversation, and while LaPadite’s calm façade is
increasingly crumbling, the viewer is on the edge of their seat, waiting for the climax. The
suspense makes the mind want to complete the narratives that it is observing. Through this
particular scene, Tarantino brings out the lack of control that the viewer has: the shots dictate
what needs to be in focus. In typical Tarantino style, the opening scene, and the movie by
extension, is also characterized by hyperviolence along with numerous and exaggerated deaths.

The mise-en-scene, or everything arranged in the shot/scene, is usually derived from German
expressionism or French Poetic Realism. It is important for the construction of the plot; the
images that we see on the screen as it unfolds in a chronological order helps the viewer’s mind
in creating the fabula – the viewer’s own interpretation and realization of any metaphors that
might be included. All the components of mise-en-scene are complicit in the making of
recurring motifs, reinforcing the undercurrent theme, as well as in the establishment of the tone
of the film. The mise-en-scene of the opening scene has mainly four components: Setting,
Actors, Lighting, and Composition.
The setting of the opening scene is in Nazi-occupied France in 1941. the film was, however
shot in Germany, at the Babelsberg Studio at Potsdam, Berlin. It was the same studio where
Joseph Goebbels shot his propaganda films for Hitler. It takes place on a French dairy farm,
where we first meet LaPadite’s character. LaPadite is suspected of sheltering a Jewish family,
the Dreyfuss’s. We then meet one of the main antagonistic characters in the film: SS Colonel
Hans Landa, who has been directed by the Fuhrer to question LaPadite.
We see an indication of forced perspective: the arrangement of the farmhouse, the axe on the
tree stump, the clothesline must have been manipulated in a manner that would help the actors
in providing a certain effect. While certain genres are linked with setting, this particular scene,
while being set in Nazi occupied France, and on a farm, gives the feeling of a Spaghetti
Western confrontation being carried out.
This particular setting involves being indoor more than the outdoor. But, the outdoor is an
important gateway to the buildup of a lot of tension. While the outdoor is sunny and bright, the
indoor is set up like an interrogation room: one light overhead acting as the primary source of
light, while everything else is mostly dark. The space is not cramped, but is not very spacious
either, which forces the characters to be near, as they end up sitting at a small table, in a
domestic space.
Actors are an important part of making the narrative, and usually set the direction in which the
movie is going. In the context of mise en scene, we mainly look at how the actors are arranged
in the frame. The movement of the actors during the conversation is minimal, but their actions,
like taking out the file and filling ink in the pen, lighting the pipe, pouring the milk, among
others, contribute to the tense atmosphere. It is safe to assume that both the actors are
impersonators considering Waltz has mentioned a dislike towards method acting in one of his
interviews. Shoshanna’s movement, her trying to escape provides a sense of urgency that
leaves the viewers wondering “will she make it?”.
Also considering that the movie is the retelling of Nazi-occupied France, there is a certain
estrangement that takes place. Normally known as Brechtian estrangement, this involves the
audience’s alienation from the characters. Of course, the audience can feel hatred towards
Landa or pity towards the Jews, but certain elements stop the viewers from intimately relating
to the characters and the storyline itself.
The lighting in the scene provides further understanding of the actions taking place; the outdoor
is brightly lit owing to the sunshine, while the inside of the house is dim and filled with
shadows. There is one source of natural light which seems to be coming from the ceiling. The
quality of the light is hard and highlights the details and imperfections of the actor’s faces.
Hard light has a smaller light source, which can be seen to be coming from above, and is quite
close to the subjects sitting on the table. It also creates shadows. The source is natural hard
light coming from outside.
The positions of the light are mainly frontal and from the side. Their faces are illuminated
during close ups and light seems to be coming from the side during the over-the-shoulder shots
of their conversation. There is no light in the rear position, which is creating deep shadows.
The light on Landa’s left side when they are talking about his nickname, the Jew Hunter, is
such that it makes him look sinister.
Natural-key lighting, in which the key to fill ratio is between 4:1 and 8:1 seems to have been
employed during the conversation.
The composition of the scene includes the arrangement of the objects and actors in the space
within the frame. The scene when Landa enters the house and stands beside LaPadite provides
for a rigid symmetry. The placement of the actors and the shots follow the 180-degree rule
which states that two characters in a scene must remain in the same left/right relationship.
There is an invisible axis that is taken into consideration. For a few parts of the conversation,
LaPadite and Landa seem to be in symmetry, except for the shots taken from lower than eye-
level.
The framing starts loose and includes the house and surrounding objects when LaPadite is
using the axe. Julie using the clothesline and then the approaching motorcade are in vertical
symmetry. The frame becomes tighter when they are inside the house. The whole scene seems
to be working in deep focus; the background and the foreground are both in focus. There is
direct attention on most objects/subjects of significance, which helps the fabula make sense of
the significant parts of the plot. The constant movement concerning objects such as the pipe,
the glass of milk and Landa’s file aid in the creation of suspense.
The colors help in creating certain motifs or colors become associated with certain themes and
characters; Landa’s SS uniform colors as one such example. The black, green and the leather
aid in the menace that accompanies Landa’s arrival.
The opening scene gains its power from the way it is shot. Right from the start, Landa controls
the scene. Long, static takes draw out the tension, and the angles move according to the tonal
shift in the scene. The request for milk instead of wine and the switch in language are some of
the many ways in which Landa established authority.
The pipe used by Landa is an interrogative tool. In an interview, Tarantino provided
background by revealing that Landa doesn’t actually smoke; it’s that he knows that LaPadite
does, so he takes out his bigger, Sherlock Holmes-esque pipe to say, “I know your secret.”
The filming of every action from different angles is complicit in whole tension building. The
situation is highly precarious- it’s at the precipice of something, and the scene is making the
viewers wait for it. Everything Landa is doing in the scene is theatrical- he already knows that
the Jews are hiding under the floorboards; he’s playing out the part just for perhaps the sake of
authenticity to his detective self.
The conversation uses an eye-level shot, as well as over-the-shoulder shots to give them a sense
of particular perspectives of the two parties. there are tight close ups as well; they show the
trepidation on LaPadite and his daughter’s faces, as well as the menace with which Landa
calmly asks LaPadite about the Jews. The close ups also capture Landa slightly smiling as he
prepares to pull a gun on Shoshanna as she’s running away.
The conversation involves low-level shots as well. These pan from down to up in an effort to
make Landa seem powerful and bigger. The camera also doesn’t follow LaPadite as he goes to
take his pipe; in places where the camera stay on Landa, it can be seen as a way of establishing
the subject that holds power and significance.
The camera starts to revolve when LaPadite is telling him about the Dreyfus children. It goes
around them and then the movement is pedestal down where the “bomb under the table” is
revealed.
The camera pushes in on their faces as LaPadite realises that he’s going to have to confess: his
calm demeanour crumbles, and the shot pushes in as he starts to cry. Similarly, the camera
pushes in to emphasise the menacing manner in which Landa is questioning him.
There is a flurry of dramatic shots as the climax approaches- Landa’s boots as he open the door
to let his men in a low angle that also features the floorboards, a high angle that involves his
cap, emphasising the threat. A wide shot from behind LaPadite and the shot from above as the
SS soldiers fire at the floorboards, filling the room with dust and splinters.
Another shot from above after that which shows Shoshanna escaping.
And finally, a bird’s eye view style shot when Shoshanna is running away, signifying the
insignificance in the vast French land.

The soundtrack of the scene is heavy with spaghetti western influences. Coming under the non-
diegetic component of sound, music like “The Verdict” (La Condanna) by Ennio Morricone
and L'incontro Con La Figlia, also by Ennio Morricone is used. Morricone is used to cement
the spaghetti western landscape where it is innocuous, brutal no-man’s land sort of a situation.
The wide open space there with the soundtrack lends to the happening of something horrible
in the coming moments. Tarantino wanted to bring a sort of American-ness with the twang of
the guitar to give it a very country feel. It also has a sinister undertone. While The Verdict is
used for setting up the confrontation, the second Morricone track is used during the climax.
Shooting at the floorboards occurs at the same time that the music crests, and it continues till
the time we see Shoshanna running away. It cuts off abruptly as soon as Landa decides to not
shoot. The track during the opening credits, Green Leaves of Summer by Paul Francis Webster,
is reminiscent of an idyllic youth which corresponds to the idyllic French farm that the scene
opens with. Diegetic sounds play just as important a role: the birds chirping are in sharp contrast
to what is happening inside the house, the natural sounds of chairs scraping, pipes lighting,
among others, contribute to the suspense as well.

Components of mise-en-scene, the soundtrack, and the editing makes this opening scene the
best representation of creating suspense and tension, and simultaneously sets the mood for the
rest of the movie. This is a spaghetti Western done with World War II iconography and gets
elements of dark comedy in its fold as well.

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References

Anonymous. 2010. Quentin Tarantino Explains the Pipe Scene in Inglorious Basterds. March
16th. November 25th, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_g7O7W-IUg.

Film, Forming. 2016. Creating a Terrifying Villain: Inglourious Basterds. March 1st. Accessed
November 27th, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NJW9vsF0aE.
Koelsch, Moritz Lehne and Stefan. 2015. "Toward a general psychological model of tension
and suspense." Frontiers in Psychology- National Center for Biotechnology Information.
February 11th. Accessed November 28th, 2019.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4324075/.

Lessons from the Screenplay. 2017. Inglorious Basterds- The Elements of Suspense. March
14th. Accessed November 25th, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvtOY0YrF-
g&t=639s.

Look, The Closer. 2018. How Tarantino Writes A Scene. June 10th. Accessed November 26th,
2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XATONsyKml0.