Inglourious Basterds
In German-occupied France, young Jewish refugee Shosanna Dreyfus witnesses the slaughter of her family by Colonel Hans Landa. Narrowly escaping with her life, she plots her revenge several years later when German war hero Fredrick Zoller takes a rapid interest in her and arranges an illustrious movie premiere at the theater she now runs. With the promise of every major Nazi officer in attendance, the event catches the attention of the "Basterds", a group of Jewish-American guerrilla soldiers led by the ruthless Lt. Aldo Raine. As the relentless executioners advance and the conspiring young girl's plans are set in motion, their paths will cross for a fateful evening that will shake the very annals of history.
Despite a moderate budget of $70.0M, Inglourious Basterds became a commercial success, earning $321.5M worldwide—a 359% return.
1 Oscar. 134 wins & 173 nominations
Roger Ebert
"Tarantino is playing with us, showing us how cinema can create its own reality, more satisfying than the one we live in."Read Full Review
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Inglourious Basterds (2009) reveals meticulously timed dramatic framework, characteristic of Quentin Tarantino's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 33 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 4.3, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Lt. Aldo Raine
Col. Hans Landa
Shosanna Dreyfus
Bridget von Hammersmark
Lt. Archie Hicox
Sgt. Donny Donowitz
Fredrick Zoller
Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz
Main Cast & Characters
Lt. Aldo Raine
Played by Brad Pitt
Leader of the Basterds, a guerrilla unit hunting Nazis in occupied France with brutal efficiency and Southern charm.
Col. Hans Landa
Played by Christoph Waltz
The "Jew Hunter" - a cunning SS officer who uses charm and intellect to track down hidden Jews with chilling precision.
Shosanna Dreyfus
Played by Mélanie Laurent
A Jewish cinema owner seeking revenge against the Nazis who murdered her family, operating under the alias Emmanuelle Mimieux.
Bridget von Hammersmark
Played by Diane Kruger
A German film star secretly working as an Allied spy, instrumental in the plot to assassinate Nazi leadership.
Lt. Archie Hicox
Played by Michael Fassbender
A British Army officer and film critic sent undercover to meet with von Hammersmark, whose knowledge of cinema aids the mission.
Sgt. Donny Donowitz
Played by Eli Roth
The "Bear Jew" - a baseball bat-wielding Basterd feared for brutally executing Nazis with savage effectiveness.
Fredrick Zoller
Played by Daniel Brühl
A German war hero turned actor who becomes infatuated with Shosanna, unknowingly enabling her revenge plot.
Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz
Played by Til Schweiger
A former German soldier who killed Gestapo officers and was recruited by the Basterds for his anti-Nazi violence.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes A French dairy farmer, Perrier LaPadite, tends to his rural homestead in Nazi-occupied France, 1941. His daughters hang laundry while he chops wood—a picture of pastoral normalcy masking the terror beneath.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 16 minutes when Shosanna Dreyfus escapes as her entire family is murdered beneath the farmhouse floorboards. Landa lets her run, shouting "Au revoir, Shosanna!" This traumatic survival sets her on an irreversible path toward vengeance.. At 11% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 34 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 22% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Frederick Zoller, a Nazi war hero, becomes infatuated with Shosanna and arranges for his propaganda film premiere to be held at her cinema. Goebbels approves the venue, unknowingly placing the entire Nazi high command in Shosanna's hands. She recognizes this as her opportunity for revenge., moving from reaction to action.
At 69 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 45% of the runtime—arriving early, accelerating into Act IIb complications. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat The basement tavern rendezvous goes catastrophically wrong. A suspicious Gestapo officer exposes the Basterds' cover when Lt. Hicox orders drinks with a British hand gesture. A Mexican standoff erupts into a bloodbath, killing nearly everyone including Hicox and leaving von Hammersmark wounded. Operation Kino is in shambles., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 103 minutes (67% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Landa strangles Bridget von Hammersmark to death after exposing her as a spy, her shoe fitting perfectly as damning evidence. He then captures Raine and Utivich, seemingly ending all hope of the assassination plot. The "Jew Hunter" has won—every scheme lies in ruins., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 110 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 72% of the runtime. In a stunning reversal, Landa contacts American command and offers to end the war tonight in exchange for immunity, property, and honors. He releases Donowitz and Omar to complete the assassination, choosing self-preservation over Nazi loyalty. The hunter becomes the dealmaker—Operation Kino is back on., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Inglourious Basterds's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Inglourious Basterds against these established plot points, we can identify how Quentin Tarantino utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Inglourious Basterds within the adventure genre.
Quentin Tarantino's Structural Approach
Among the 11 Quentin Tarantino films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 4.6, showcasing experimental approaches to narrative form. Inglourious Basterds takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Quentin Tarantino filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional adventure films include The Black Stallion, The Bad Guys and Puss in Boots. For more Quentin Tarantino analyses, see Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, Reservoir Dogs and Django Unchained.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
A French dairy farmer, Perrier LaPadite, tends to his rural homestead in Nazi-occupied France, 1941. His daughters hang laundry while he chops wood—a picture of pastoral normalcy masking the terror beneath.
Theme
Col. Hans Landa tells LaPadite that his job requires him to think like a Jew, stating "I'm aware what tremendous feats human beings are capable of once they abandon dignity." The theme of identity, performance, and the masks people wear to survive—or to kill—is established.
Worldbuilding
The opening chapter "Once Upon a Time in Nazi-Occupied France" establishes the brutal world through Landa's interrogation of LaPadite. We meet the Dreyfus family hiding beneath the floorboards and witness Landa's terrifying blend of charm and menace as he orchestrates their massacre.
Disruption
Shosanna Dreyfus escapes as her entire family is murdered beneath the farmhouse floorboards. Landa lets her run, shouting "Au revoir, Shosanna!" This traumatic survival sets her on an irreversible path toward vengeance.
Resistance
Chapter Two introduces Lt. Aldo Raine and his Basterds—Jewish-American soldiers who terrorize Nazis with brutal scalping raids. Raine's speech establishes their mission: "We're gonna be doing one thing and one thing only: killing Nazis." Meanwhile, Shosanna assumes a new identity as Emmanuelle Mimieux, a Parisian cinema owner.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Frederick Zoller, a Nazi war hero, becomes infatuated with Shosanna and arranges for his propaganda film premiere to be held at her cinema. Goebbels approves the venue, unknowingly placing the entire Nazi high command in Shosanna's hands. She recognizes this as her opportunity for revenge.
Mirror World
Shosanna confides her true identity and revenge plan to Marcel, her Black French projectionist and lover. Their relationship represents an alliance of the oppressed against fascism—a thematic mirror to the Basterds' mission. Marcel's commitment to help her burn down the cinema with the Nazis inside cements their bond.
Premise
Parallel revenge plots take shape. Shosanna plans to lock the Nazis inside her cinema and burn it down using her collection of nitrate film. Meanwhile, British Intelligence launches "Operation Kino" to bomb the premiere, recruiting the Basterds and German actress-turned-spy Bridget von Hammersmark to infiltrate the event.
Midpoint
The basement tavern rendezvous goes catastrophically wrong. A suspicious Gestapo officer exposes the Basterds' cover when Lt. Hicox orders drinks with a British hand gesture. A Mexican standoff erupts into a bloodbath, killing nearly everyone including Hicox and leaving von Hammersmark wounded. Operation Kino is in shambles.
Opposition
With most operatives dead, the Basterds must improvise. Raine, Donowitz, and Utivich pose as Italian filmmakers escorting von Hammersmark to the premiere. But Landa proves his terrifying intelligence—he discovers von Hammersmark's shoe at the tavern massacre and recognizes her at the premiere, methodically tightening his trap.
Collapse
Landa strangles Bridget von Hammersmark to death after exposing her as a spy, her shoe fitting perfectly as damning evidence. He then captures Raine and Utivich, seemingly ending all hope of the assassination plot. The "Jew Hunter" has won—every scheme lies in ruins.
Crisis
With Raine captured and von Hammersmark dead, only Donowitz and Omar remain free inside the cinema—and they don't know the Basterds' cover is blown. Meanwhile, Shosanna prepares for her own independent operation, unaware her allies have been compromised. Both revenge plots hang by threads.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
In a stunning reversal, Landa contacts American command and offers to end the war tonight in exchange for immunity, property, and honors. He releases Donowitz and Omar to complete the assassination, choosing self-preservation over Nazi loyalty. The hunter becomes the dealmaker—Operation Kino is back on.
Synthesis
Both revenge plots converge in fiery chaos. Shosanna's face appears on screen declaring Jewish vengeance as Marcel ignites the nitrate film pile. Donowitz and Omar machine-gun Hitler and the Nazi leadership. The cinema becomes an inferno. Shosanna is killed by Zoller but her plan succeeds posthumously—the Third Reich's leadership burns.
Transformation
Raine carves a swastika into Landa's forehead, ensuring the Nazi can never remove his uniform or hide his identity. "I think this just might be my masterpiece," Raine declares. Unlike Landa's victims who could be identified and hunted, Landa will wear his sins visibly forever—justice branded into flesh.