The Hateful Eight (2015)

Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demián Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Zoë Bell and Bruce Dern.

“Got room for one more?” The eighth film directed by Quentin Tarantino

If Tarantino were to take his talents to the stage then this would be the perfect play on his words. The minimal set pieces, attention to razor-sharp dialogue and character-driven performances has been seen before in his octet oeuvre. From the botched robbery that brings the dapper-dressed misters to the abandoned warehouse in Reservoir Dogs (1991), to the scenes such as Col. Hans Landa’s interrogation on the farm and the covert rendezvous in the tavern, as featured in Inglorious Basterds (2009). However, limiting 90% of the action to the confines of a stagecoach and wooden lodge-cum-haberdashery, The Hateful Eight would be an impeccable choice to tread the boards, as well as a theatrical version of John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982).

The non-linear story is formatted by chapters as seen in Tarantino’s previous films, beginning with Kill Bill Volume 1 (2004). In “Chapter One: Last Stage to Red Rock”, we are introduced to a band of suspicious and eccentric folk on the road: John ‘The Hangman’ Ruth (Kurt Russell), his prized prisoner Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and Major Marquis ‘The Bounty Hunter’ Warren (Samuel L. Jackson). Sheriff Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins) joins the troupe in “Chapter Two: Son of a Gun”, which tells us more about the parts the Sheriff and Warren played in the Civil War. When the journey continues onto “Chapter Three: Minnie’s Haberdashery”, the travellers take refuge from the blizzard. Here, they meet the shady inhabitants: Bob ‘The Mexican’ (Demián Bichir), Oswaldo ‘The Little Man’ Mobray (Tim Roth), Joe ‘The Cow Puncher’ Gage (Michael Madsen) and General Sandy ‘The Confederate’ Smithers (Bruce Dern). The mystery of each person’s intentions during their stay at Minnie’s becomes clear in “Chapter Four: Domergue’s got a Secret”. We go back in time to discover the events leading up to Ruth’s stagecoach arriving at the haberdashery in “Chapter Five: The Four Passengers”. While, in the “Last Chapter: Black Man, White Hell”, the bloody climax ends with a savagely entertaining shoot-out.

The Hateful Eight has received three Oscar nominations: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for Jennifer Jason Leigh, Best Achievement in Cinematography for Robert Richardson and Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score for Ennio Morricone. Leigh and Morricone are also nominated at this year’s BAFTA Awards, along with Quentin Tarantino for Best Original Screenplay. I agree with all of these but I think Samuel L. Jackson could have been considered for Best Actor. Just for the graphic antagonistic story that he horrifies an aged, racist Bruce Dern with. But, alas, the Academy Awards appear to think more along the similar lines as a confederate this year. #oscarssowhite

Having grown up and being forced against my will to watch almost every John Wayne adventure ever made, I am surprised to be enjoying this revival of the Western genre. Nevertheless, this seems to be a popular re-imagined theme for the landscape of contemporary cinema, as well as attracting homages and remakes: The Revenant (2015) True Grit (2010), The Salvation (2014), The Homesman (2014), The Lone Ranger (2013), A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014), Cowboys & Aliens (2011) to the TV reboot of Westworld (2016) and the upcoming movie The Magnificent Seven (2016).

Tarantino has proved his omnipotence by resuscitating iconic Hollywood star careers, such as John Travolta in Pulp Fiction (1994) and Pam Grier in Jackie Brown (1996). But directing the attention of his ultimate film fan appreciation on the burgeoning Neo-Western front has started a pattern of success with the likes of Django Unchained (2012). The retro revival is exemplified by selected screenings of The Hateful Eight in a 70 mm film format presentation. With this desire to recreate the films we loved and mimic the classic milieu, Tarantino’s wish to make a horror similar to The Exorcist (1973) if he “has the time” would, without a doubt, be a refreshing take many of us want to see. He has collaborated the special effects master Greg Nicotero in his recent four films so surely this amplifies it is meant to be? Don’t say maybe – do it, Quentin! You’ve got this.

As well as the title being a direct, sardonic analogy to The Magnificent Seven (1960), there is another main movie that Tarantino pays a particular homage to. I mentioned The Thing earlier and, to my delight, The Hateful Eight references this phenomenal sci-fi horror in more ways than one. 1. The narrative and setting: a paranoid group isolated by the climate which is emphasised by Kurt Russell’s line “One of them fellas is not what he says he is”. 2. Kurt Russell himself. 3. The final scene with two men left barely alive and the audience left speculating their fate. 4. The soundtrack even goes as far as to feature the same composer Ennio Morricone and the exact score from The Thing;, most noticeable during the gunfight.

The supporting ‘non-Hatefuls’ included a surprise cameo from Channing Tatum as Jody Domergue in the fifth chapter. The fantastically perky stunt performer-turned-actress Zoë Bell pops up as ‘Six-Horse Judy’ and James Parks as O.B Jackson; the latter who featured on-screen with his real-life father Michael Parks in Death Proof (2006). The humour is rife throughout the 167-187 minute running time: the repetitive instructions that are yelled on how to secure the broken door, Oswaldo Mobray in general and the good, the bad and the ugly old-fashioned racism sported by ‘The Confederate’. But the highlight of the entire movie is Jennifer Jason Leigh as the perfectly cast black-eyed Daisy. With her quips, pantomime and animated expressions; I cannot imagine Katee Sackhoff or Hilary Swank, let alone the rumours of Jennifer Lawrence in the role instead.

To sum up the film, I think the back-and-forth between John Ruth and Major Marquis Warren at the beginning epitomises my opinion. Ruth proclaims: “No one said this job was supposed to be easy”, to which Warren retorts: “Nobody said it’s supposed to be that hard, either!” The characters may not typically be easy to like but it’s not hard to like them all the same. The Hateful Eight? More like The Loveful Eight.