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Encyclopedia
The Inglorious Bastards (literally That damned armored train) is a 1978 Italian "macaroni combat
" comedy-drama
war film
directed by Enzo G. Castellari
, written by Sandro Continenza
, Sergio Grieco
, Franco Marotta, Romano Migliorini, and Laura Toscano, and starring Bo Svenson
, Peter Hooten, Fred Williamson
, Michael Pergolani, and Jackie Basehart. The film score
was written by Francesco De Masi
.
during World War II
, a group of American soldiers
are in the process of being shipped off to military prison for a variety of infractions, ranging from desertion to murder. While they are being transported, a German
air attack hits the convoy, killing most of the prisoners, but allowing the five surviving prisoners to fight off the escorting MPs
and escape.
The group decides to make their escape to neutral Switzerland
, but on the way they end up volunteering for a commando
mission to steal the new prototype gyroscope
for the Nazi V2
with help of the French résistance
(partisan
s). Somehow the team must sneak onto the most heavily guarded train in German territory, steal the Nazis' most precious military hardware, and bring it back to the Allies without getting arrested again by their own side.
. Mikels rejected it on the grounds that a movie pitched as a Dirty Dozen
follow-up was a decade late, and that any insistence on preserving a title containing the word "bastard" would spell box office failure in the 1970s. The film was released in the United States
as The Inglorious Bastards, and also issued as Hell's Heroes and as Deadly Mission on home video
.
The American success of the blaxploitation
genre
led distributors to reedit this film and distribute it as G.I. Bro—in this version, scenes have been cut as to make Fred Williamson the lead character. The tagline on this version was "If you're a kraut, he'll take you out!"
The reissue title for this film was Counterfeit Commandos. Severin Films
released a three-disc set that features a newly remastered transfer of the film, an interview with Quentin Tarantino
(the director of the similarly titled but unrelated film Inglourious Basterds) and director Enzo G. Castellari
, trailers, a tour of shooting locations, a documentary on the making of the film with interviews with Bo Svenson
, Fred Williamson
, Enzo G. Castellari and a CD with the soundtrack. Both spellings appear on the DVDs: one says the full word "Bastards" and the other "Basterds".
Euro War
Macaroni Combat, also known as Macaroni War or Euro War films, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of war film that emerged in the mid-1960s, so named because most were produced and directed by European co-productions notably Italians....
" comedy-drama
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
directed by Enzo G. Castellari
Enzo G. Castellari
Enzo G. Castellari is an Italian film director. He became famous during the 1960s by directing several spaghetti westerns with such titles as Go Kill and Come Back Enzo G. Castellari (born July 29, 1938) is an Italian film director. He became famous during the 1960s by directing several spaghetti...
, written by Sandro Continenza
Sandro Continenza
Sandro Continenza was an Italian screenwriter. He wrote for 142 films between 1949 and 1982. He was born in Rome, Italy.-Selected filmography:* Totò cerca moglie * Appointment for Murder...
, Sergio Grieco
Sergio Grieco
Sergio Grieco was an Italian film director and screenwriter.He directed nearly 40 films between 1950 and 1977...
, Franco Marotta, Romano Migliorini, and Laura Toscano, and starring Bo Svenson
Bo Svenson
Bo Svenson is a Swedish-born American actor, known for his roles in American genre films of the 1970s and 1980s.-Early life:...
, Peter Hooten, Fred Williamson
Fred Williamson
Fred "The Hammer" Williamson is an American actor, architect, and former professional American football defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League during the 1960s.-Football career:...
, Michael Pergolani, and Jackie Basehart. The film score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
was written by Francesco De Masi
Francesco De Masi
Francesco De Masi was an Italian conductor and film score composer. He studied composition at the San Pietro a Maiella in Naples, under the guidance of Achille Longo, who was also his uncle. De Masi got interested in film music when Longo was asked to compose a soundtrack for a film, and he asked...
.
Plot
Set in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, a group of American soldiers
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
are in the process of being shipped off to military prison for a variety of infractions, ranging from desertion to murder. While they are being transported, a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
air attack hits the convoy, killing most of the prisoners, but allowing the five surviving prisoners to fight off the escorting MPs
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
and escape.
The group decides to make their escape to neutral Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, but on the way they end up volunteering for a commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
mission to steal the new prototype gyroscope
Gyroscope
A gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principles of angular momentum. In essence, a mechanical gyroscope is a spinning wheel or disk whose axle is free to take any orientation...
for the Nazi V2
V-2 rocket
The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...
with help of the French résistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
(partisan
Partisan (military)
A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity...
s). Somehow the team must sneak onto the most heavily guarded train in German territory, steal the Nazis' most precious military hardware, and bring it back to the Allies without getting arrested again by their own side.
Cast
- Bo SvensonBo SvensonBo Svenson is a Swedish-born American actor, known for his roles in American genre films of the 1970s and 1980s.-Early life:...
as Lt. Robert Yeager - Fred WilliamsonFred WilliamsonFred "The Hammer" Williamson is an American actor, architect, and former professional American football defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League during the 1960s.-Football career:...
as Private Fred Canfield - Peter Hooten as Tony
- Michael Pergolani as Nick
- Jackie Basehart as Berle
- Ian BannenIan BannenIan Bannen was a Scottish character actor and occasional leading man.-Early life and career:Bannen was born in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, the son of Clare and John James Bannen, a lawyer. Bannen served in the British Army after attending St Aloysius' College, Glasgow and Ratcliffe College,...
as Col. Charles Thomas Buckner - Michel Constantin as Veronique
- Debra BergerDebra BergerDebra Berger is an American actress, artist and designer...
as Nicole
Releases
The original working title was Bastardi senza gloria (literally: "Bastards Without Glory"). The first attempt to make this movie took place in 1976 in the United States and involved an approach by Bo Richards to film maker Ted V. MikelsTed V. Mikels
Ted V. Mikels is an American filmmaker of independent cult films. Mikels was also known for his home life, as he once lived with a harem in a Glendale, California castle that contained secret passageways....
. Mikels rejected it on the grounds that a movie pitched as a Dirty Dozen
The Dirty Dozen
The Dirty Dozen is a 1967 film directed by Robert Aldrich and released by MGM. It was filmed in England and features an ensemble cast, including Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Telly Savalas, and Robert Webber. The film is based on E. M...
follow-up was a decade late, and that any insistence on preserving a title containing the word "bastard" would spell box office failure in the 1970s. The film was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as The Inglorious Bastards, and also issued as Hell's Heroes and as Deadly Mission on home video
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
.
The American success of the blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
led distributors to reedit this film and distribute it as G.I. Bro—in this version, scenes have been cut as to make Fred Williamson the lead character. The tagline on this version was "If you're a kraut, he'll take you out!"
The reissue title for this film was Counterfeit Commandos. Severin Films
Severin Films
-History:The label was created in 2006 in Los Angeles, other offices were founded in New York and London. The released films by Severin Films include: Hardware, Jesús Franco's Bloody Moon and Macumba Sexual, Walerian Borowczyk's Immortal Women, Gwendoline: Unrated Director's Cut, The Hairdresser's...
released a three-disc set that features a newly remastered transfer of the film, an interview with Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
(the director of the similarly titled but unrelated film Inglourious Basterds) and director Enzo G. Castellari
Enzo G. Castellari
Enzo G. Castellari is an Italian film director. He became famous during the 1960s by directing several spaghetti westerns with such titles as Go Kill and Come Back Enzo G. Castellari (born July 29, 1938) is an Italian film director. He became famous during the 1960s by directing several spaghetti...
, trailers, a tour of shooting locations, a documentary on the making of the film with interviews with Bo Svenson
Bo Svenson
Bo Svenson is a Swedish-born American actor, known for his roles in American genre films of the 1970s and 1980s.-Early life:...
, Fred Williamson
Fred Williamson
Fred "The Hammer" Williamson is an American actor, architect, and former professional American football defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League during the 1960s.-Football career:...
, Enzo G. Castellari and a CD with the soundtrack. Both spellings appear on the DVDs: one says the full word "Bastards" and the other "Basterds".