Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has been a master of creating tension, but for the Pulp Fiction helmer himself, there’s one scene that seems to stand out as the most tense of them all. Of course, there’s no shortage of scenes to choose from. From Reservoir Dogs to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, it’s easy to think of a variety of examples, and many fans will have their own favorites for the most memorable.
For Tarantino, that would be in his World War II drama Inglourious Basterds. Released in 2009, the film follows a group of Jewish soldiers seeking retribution against the Third Reich. The movie begins with a scene of Nazis looking for a hidden Jewish family at a farm, and it’s that moment in particular that Tarantino cites as his favorite. As he explained to El País in a new interview when asked about his “favorite tense moment” from his films:
“In my movies? The one from the farm at the beginning of Inglourious Basterds. With the Nazi officer Hans Landa talking to the owner of the farm, who is hiding Jews in his cellar.”
When asked how he achieves the “climate of tension” with these kinds of scenes in his films, Tarantino gave a lot of credit to the actors when he also said:
“I don’t know how to explain it. I have a talent for it. It’s easy for me to create those situations where the characters start talking and things fall into place and there’s a climax. You throw a ball to the actors and they catch it.”
Related: Quentin Tarantino on Death Proof Bombing: ‘A Shock to My Confidence’
Quentin Tarantino Alters History With Inglourious Basterds
Universal Pictures
Tarantino rewrites history with Inglourious Basterds by revealing an alternate fate for Adolf Hitler. The director was also asked about his approach to this scene, and he says he was actually stuck on that part trying to figure out how to handle the Hitler situation. At some point, he realized that what he was making was a fictional movie, and that gave him the creative freedom to kill Hitler if he wanted to, and it was decided after that.
“I was writing the script and I got stuck. I was thinking: “Okay, it looks like the bastards and the resistance [fighters] are going to achieve their goal… now what?” I didn’t know how to go on and no idea came to me. So, I thought, “What if I just screw Hitler and I kill him?” I asked myself: “Can I do it?” And I answered: “Sure, it’s my movie, I can do whatever I want.” Then I wrote the idea down on a piece of paper and, seeing it the next morning, I decided.”
Tarantino will have another chance to make us all feel tense again with his upcoming tenth and final feature film. Dubbed The Movie Critic, the movie is inspired by the real-life story of Pauline Kael and will be set in 1970s Los Angeles. It’s not yet clear when production will start or when the film will be released.
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