France, 1944. A group of American soldiers are being shipped to prison for the various crimes they have committed. Among them is an officer, Lieutenant Yeager, who is not a thief or deserter like the others with him: his crime was to refuse an order to kill women and children. Principles are a dangerous thing to have on the battlefield.
Principled or not, Yeager doesn't fancy his fate in prison. When a Luftwaffe fighter strafes the convoy he's in, he leads some of the other prisoners in an impromptu insurrection. Seizing control of some weapons and a still functional truck, the men make for the Swiss border, and freedom from the war.
Of course, the journey to the border isn't going to be a simple or easy one. There are plenty of German troops around who won't take kindly to American troops, even if they are effectively deserters. And ... well, maybe something will happen that'll give Yeager another case of those nasty principles, eh?
So first of all, I should be clear that this is not Inglourious Basterds. Instead, this is the 1974 Italian film from which Tarantino got the name for his movie. It can also be found under the moniker G.I. Bro, which was a re-release to capitalise on the blaxploitation craze. That version was re-cut to make Fred Williamson's character (the only African American in the cast) into the lead role rather than Bo Svenson's Yeager.
The Inglorious Bastards is not technically a very good film, with some ropey acting and effects. Also, and the debt the script owes to The Dirty Dozen is clear. Despite all that, though, it is blessed with an air of enthusiastic bombast that for me did much to excuse its flaws. I found it to have an awkward charm and it kept me well entertained. It might turn out the same for you.
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