187 Minutes, Mystery/Western, R18+

With early advanced screenings currently on, you will have two options in which to view Quentin Tarantino’s eighth film – THE HATEFUL EIGHT, once in full swing.
The option recommended, especially if you’re an aficionado of QT, is to visit one of the named cinemas, at the end of this review, who are showing the film in its original Ultra Panavision 70mm presentation. What exactly is the significance in doing so? This rare style of shoot (so rare, the last time a film was shot on 70mm film was KHARTOUM, in 1966), gives the film a much more detailed and wider image, as opposed to how almost all films are shot these days – on digital camera. To further heighten this unique experience, this original version includes a musical overture, an intermission, a souvenir program and an additional 6 minutes of footage, only seen in this version.
Now, for a snippet of the plot – It is the middle of a freezing winter in Wyoming, post American Civil war. A bounty hunter, John (Kurt Russell) is escorting a prisoner (Jennifer Jason Leigh) across state when they seek refuge from the conditions in a cabin. A cabin that is already occupied by several characters, who do not welcome the unexpected arrival of their guests.

Split into six chapters, THE HATEFUL EIGHT is bound to test the patience of even the most ardent Tarantino fans. In typical QT style (albeit lengthier, even by his own terms), Tarantino’s screenplay concentrates entirely on “setting the scene for the show”, with an emphasis on building characterisation and establishing the set-up of its premise, all throughout a dialogue-heavy first half. Knowing an exchange of (some) dialogue for the stylistic, graphic violence and dark humour, that this unique filmmaker is characterised by is on the horizon, should enable the escalating tension to reach boiling point by the conclusion of the opening half.

The final three chapters see QT masterfully unwrap the layers of tension and mystery, one layer at a time, in a magnificently methodical and meticulous manner. While there is no ambiguity to the execution of a near-faultless screenplay, the same certainty cannot be applied to your overall satisfaction, once three hours have passed. THE HATEFUL EIGHT has placed a few hurdles in its path that not all spectators will be willing to jump. The absence of a truly iconic scene to recall THE HATEFUL EIGHT by, no genuine stand-out performance from anyone in the cast list, a few old tricks in new disguises seen in previous Tarantino works and of course, that extended set-up and running time may single-handedly or collaboratively interfere with the rocking mood it is so capable of setting.

Hopefully, your focus can remain more on the high quality production and the trajectory of THE HATEFUL EIGHT’s storyline and characters, for it is quite an excellent film.

You can watch THE HATEFUL EIGHT, in its original 70mm format at these following locations across Australia:

Event George Street, Sydney, NSW
Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace, Cremorne, NSW
Randwick Ritz Cinema, Randwick, NSW
The Astor Theatre, St Kilda, VIC
Sun Theatre, Yarraville, VIC
Village Rivoli, Hawthorn East, VIC

4 out of 5

Film Trailer – THE HATEFUL EIGHT

Footnote to Parents
This is an R18+ classification, so no person under the age of 18 is permitted to see THE HATEFUL EIGHT. Contains graphic violence and some nudity.

Moviedoc wishes to thanks the Village Roadshow Team, Village Roadshow and Village Cinema, Rivoli for the invitation to the media screening of THE HATEFUL EIGHT.

Review by Moviedoc
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