Inglourious Basterds

Artist: Other
Format: UK Quad (30"x 40")
Condition: Excellent
Year: 2009

Description

Quentin Tarantino’s films are known for their stylised action, which has often met with controversy. This particular trait of the director is usually mirrored in the film posters for his productions, something which is most certainly reflected in the two teaser UK Quad posters for "Inglourious Basterds". Both posters are spartan and minimalistic but the message is clear. The blood stained Nazi helmet swinging on the end of a club and the image of a swastika flag pierced by a knife, can suggest only one thing: viewers are in for some uncompromising Tarantino blood-letting.

 

After Tarantino’s previous effort, "Death Proof" (2007), had met with a lukewarm response from critics and enjoyed lacklustre box office returns, "Inglourious Basterds" marked a return to form. A fictionalised and alternate historical account of WWII, the film was a success, becoming Tarantino’s highest grossing film up to that point and, despite gaining some criticism for its vengeful violence and its portrayal of Jewish-American soldiers, earned multiple Oscar nominations.

 

Tarantino is the most collectable of contemporary directors. Why this is the case becomes perfectly obvious when analysing the two teaser Quad’s whose simple effectiveness and eye-grabbing designs have already made them a valuable commodity for collectors. They also share a distinctive touch with other Tarantino posters, through their experimentation with colour, layout and their bold and idiosyncratic imagery.

 

Two General Release Quads are also shown for comparison. Normally for a general release one or two designs will be used. In the case of "Inglourious Basterds", however, a total of five were commissioned. One (image shown) depicts all the main characters whilst the others show the four key lead characters (played by Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Melanie Laurent & Christoph Waltz). Although undeniably still stylish, the General Release posters lose the noticeable intrigue of the Teasers but we have the full set of all seven Quads in the collection.