Inglourious Basterds: Limited Edition (4K UHD Review)

Reviewed by: Tim Salmons
Review Date: Jan 24, 2025
Format: 4K Ultra HD

Director

Quentin Tarantino

Release Date(s)

2009 (January 14, 2025)

Studio(s)

A Band Apart/The Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures (Arrow Video)

Film/Program Grade: A
Video Grade: B+
Audio Grade: A
Extras Grade: A

Review

[Editor's Note: There are reports that the bonus disc in this set seems to have functionality issues in Panasonic UHD players. Check out the extras section below for more details. When we hear more about this issue from Arrow, we will update this review with the information.]

Prior to Quentin Tarantino writing a fairy tale version of history in Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood, his first stab at the idea was 2009’s Inglourious Basterds, which was derived from 1978’s The Inglorious Bastards (in name only). Setting his sights on a group of soldiers hunting Nazis during World War II, it was anything but orthodox. As usual with Tarantino, it’s stylized and brutal with great dialogue and performances. The film also brought Christoph Waltz, who had mostly worked for many years in German film and TV, to the attention of US audiences. As with other Tarantino projects, Basterds was also criticized for its violent content. Of course, that didn’t stop it from taking a nice chunk of the box office upon its release, grossing over $300 million against a $70 million dollar budget. Today it’s touted by many to be one of their favorite Tarantino films. It also further established his status as a filmmaker, dipping into unknown wells of genre knowledge, and morphing facets of it and references to it into something entirely his own.

In the early 1940s, a group of US commandos, led by Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), are marching into Nazi territory to not only kill them, but scalp them. Among them is Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz (Til Schweiger) and Donny Donowitz aka The Bear Jew (Eli Roth), two of the most vicious men in the group. Combing the countryside for Jews in hiding is SS Officer Hans Landa aka The Jew Hunter (Christoph Waltz), a seemingly genial but malevolent man. After killing her family, Hans allows a young woman, Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent), to flee. She later makes it to Paris and winds up running a cinema which will soon be showing a Nazi propaganda film starring Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Brühl), and she intends to get her revenge. The Basterds, now allied with British servicemen and their superiors, including Lieutenant Archie Hicox (Michael Fassbender), General Ed Fenech (Mike Myers), and Winston Churchill (Rod Taylor), as well as German film star Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger), infiltrate the premiere to take out the Nazi leaders present, including Adolph Hitler (Martin Wuttke).

Inglourious Basterds was shot by cinematographer Robert Richardson on 35mm photochemical film (Kodak Vision2 200T 5217 and Vision3 500T 5219) using Arriflex 435 and Panavision Panaflex Millenium cameras and Panavision Primo, G-Series, ATZ, AWZ2, and Cooke anamorphic and spherical lenses; finished as a 2K Digital Intermediate; and framed at the aspect ratio of 2.39:1. Arrow Video has brought the film to Ultra HD for a second time with the same 4K master used for Universal’s UHD release, which has been graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and Dolby Vision (the Universal disc was HDR10+ only), and presented on a triple-layered BD-100 disc.

There are a few things to get out of the way efore I pass judgment on Arrow’s 4K presentation of Inglourious Basterds, if you’ll allow me a brief digression. First of all, there’s something to keep in mind about Quentin Tarantino’s films on modern home video formats. He and his representatives seem to generally prefer that distributors use masters that have already been pre-approved rather than be involved in creating new ones, regardless of how old those masters are, their quality over time, or the format they’re being presented on. This can be problematic when bringing some of them to 4K Ultra HD, a format that has the capability of fully replicating the visual data of a high quality analog or digital source. Second... in my review of the 2021 Universal Pictures UHD, I said many things that I now feel were patently incorrect, perhaps because of my ignorance toward what we now know about how Tarantino approaches his films when brought to this format, or maybe I just swallowed the hype that, in regards to the Universal release in question, “Some may prefer to wait for a better remaster of the film. This ain’t it.” My setup may have not been working properly, or maybe I was just having a bad day. I honestly have no excuse. Having re-watched that disc and immediately watching Arrow’s new disc afterward for visual comparisons, I find myself in a moment where I’ve changed my mind. I don’t apologize for my thoughts in 2021, but I do concede that I was totally and utterly wrong. I know that might be difficult for some folks to understand, but it’s the truth.

Now, that all being said, let’s get into this release.

As with the previous Universal UHD, the Arrow release uses the exact same master, which is an upscale taken from its existing 2K Digital Intermediate, rather than going back to the original camera negative for a new scan. Even so, it’s a far better presentation than I gave it credit for in 2021, appearing quite sharp with a steady fine sheen of photochemical grain. The Universal disc’s bitrate tends to range from 40 to 100Mbps at any given time, and that’s also the case with the Arrow disc. It may be ever so slightly improved, but it’s negligible as it’s virtually impossible to see any obvious differences between the two. It certainly isn’t perfect as minor aliasing creeps in, and blacks have some apparent crush to them, but contrast is generally pleasant for the most part. The new Dolby Vision pass definitely helps to iron out some of the master’s deficiencies, but by no means does it fix everything. On the other hand, color temperatures, as well as flesh tones, are expertly rendered. It’s also clean and stable from beginning to end. In other words, it’s more than just “watchable,” as I put it in my previous review. It’s quite good, excellent even. Can it look better? Most definitely, but it’s more than satisfactory, especially given the age of its source.

Audio is included in English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio (the latter a new addition by Arrow), with optional subtitles in English SDH. Take note that the Universal UHD includes audio tracks in Spanish and French 5.1 DTS Digital Surround and subtitle options in Spanish and French. The 5.1 track has been present on all releases since the original Universal Blu-ray, and it’s just as impressive now as it was then with a highly immersive mix that puts the surrounding speakers to good use. Low frequency activity is steady thanks to the score and sound effects, the latter of which mostly involve explosions and gunfire. Dialogue exchanges are clear and precise, as well. Key moments, including The Bear Jew’s main entrance, are given excellent reverb and presence. Speaker to speaker movement is also constant. It’s definitely a dynamic soundtrack, though one can’t help but wonder what a new object-based track would do for this film’s sound design, if only to add some extra height to an already outstanding-sounding film.

The Arrow Video Limited Edition 2-Disc 4K Ultra HD release of Inglorious Basterds sits in a black Amaray case alongside a 1080p Blu-ray containing extras only, 3 art cards, a recipe card for “Chez Maurice – Apple Strudel,” a Nation’s Pride premiere programme booklet replica, and a double-sided poster and insert featuring new artwork on the front (which is also featured on the slipcover) and the original theatrical artwork on the reverse. Also included is a La Louisiane Tavern beermat (or coaster) and a 60-page Films & Filmmakers booklet containing cast and crew information, the essay Revenge of the Giant Face: Talking Inglourious Basterds by Dennis Cozzalio and Bill Ryan, presentation details, a set of production credits, and special thanks. All of this is stuffed into a sturdy cardboard slipcase replica of War Office: Operation Kino. documentation, with the aforementioned slipcover housing everything. All of the new artwork was created and prepared exclusively by Dare Creative. The following extras are included on each disc:

DISC ONE: UHD (FILM)

Audio Commentary by Tim Lucas

DISC TWO: BD (EXTRAS)

WWSD: What. Would. Sally. Do? – Fred Raskin on Cutting Tarantino (HD – 11:09)
Doomstruck: Confessions of a Basterd (HD – 11:24)
Blood Fiction: Special Makeup Effects Supervisor Greg Nicotero on Inglourious Basterds (HD – 22:14)
Making It Right: The Kindness of Quentin Tarantino (HD – 22:04)
Film History on Fire (HD – 19:49)
Filmmaking in Occupied France (HD – 15:42)
Archive Extras:
- Roundtable Discussion (SD – 30:47)
- Nation’s Pride:
  - With Audio Track 1 (Upscaled SD – 6:13)
  - With Audio Track 2 (Upscaled SD – 6:13)
- The Making of Nation’s Pride (SD – 4:02)
- The Original Inglorious Bastards (SD – 7:41)
- A Conversation With Rod Taylor (SD – 6:45)
- Rod Taylor on Victoria Bitter (SD – 3:21)
- Quentin Tarantino’s Camera Angel (Upscaled SD – 2:44)
- Hi Sallys (SD – 2:11)
- Extended and Alternate Scenes:
  - Lunch With Goebbels – Extended Version (HD – 7:12)
  - La Louisiane Card Game – Extended Version (HD – 2:09)
  - Nation’s Pride Begins – Alternate Version (HD – 2:06)
- Film Poster Gallery Tour With Elvis Mitchell (SD – 11:02)
Trailers:
- Teaser Trailer (HD – 1:47)
- Domestic Trailer (HD – 2:25)
- International Trailer (HD – 2:10)
- Japanese Trailer (HD – 1:19)

Arrow has (thankfully) chosen to move almost all of the extras to a Blu-ray bonus disc, which is much appreciated as to not spoil the quality of the video and audio on the UHD. We begin with a new audio commentary by author and film historian Tim Lucas, who provides expert analysis of the film’s many influences and references, but also delves into the history of the film, and its cast and crew. Like all of his commentaries, it makes this release an essential purchase. WWSD speaks to editor Jeff Raskin, who began working with Quentin Tarantino on the Kill Bill films as an assistant to Sally Menke, eventually taking over for her after her untimely death, and later working with James Gunn on the Guardians of the Galaxy series. Doomstruck interviews actor and musician Omar Doom about his background and his experiences on the film. In Blood Fiction, special make-up effects supervisor Greg Nicotero details the working environment and effects on Tarantino’s films that he’s participated in. Making It Right offers an excellent visual essay by film critic Walter Chaw, author of A Walter Hill Film, who re-contextualizes the film, framing it through Tarantino’s inherent kindness in wanting to re-capture the humanity of the people during these awful events and providing audiences with his own brand of catharsis. Film History on Fire is another new visual essay by film scholar Pamela Hutchinson, author of BFI Film Classics Pandora’s Box, who discusses the film’s allusions to film history. And finally, Filmmaking in Occupied France features a new interview with film scholar Christine Leteux, author of Continental Films: French Cinema Under German Control, speaking on the French film industry at the time the film takes place.

That take cares of the new extras. Almost all of the extras from previous releases have carried over, save for a couple. The Roundtable Discussion features an interview with Brad Pitt and Quentin Tarantino, conducted by Elvis Mitchell. Nation’s Pride is presented with two separate audio options, while The Making of Nation’s Pride details its creation. Three featurettes are dedicated to The Inglorious Bastards from 1978, including The Original Inglorious Basterds, A Conversation With Rod Taylor, and Rod Taylor on Victoria Bitter, the latter more of a fun outtake about Taylor and Tarantino. Quentin Tarantino’s Camera Angel and Hi Sallys are a series of humorous outtakes, although the second stings in light of Menke’s passing. The Extended and Alternate Scenes are sourced from the German version of the film, while the Film Poster Gallery Tour sees Elvis Mitchell giving a visual essay of sorts about German films, Nazi propaganda films, and their artwork. Closing out the extras are a series of four trailers.

Not carried over from the Universal UHD is nearly 70 minutes of The New York Times Talks extended interviews, which was formerly a Best Buy Blu-ray exclusive, and an Inglourious Basterds Poster Gallery. Also missing from the Universal Blu-ray is the Killin’ Nazis Trivia Game.

Unfortunately, the functionality of the second disc depends upon which model of UHD player you'll be playing it on. I initially viewed it on my OPPO UDP-203 player and had no issues whatsoever. However, more folks have been coming forward and reporting that Panasonic players seem to have problems playing some of the extras on this disc. Since I also have a Panasonic DP-UB820, I tested it and can confirm that yes, some of the extras on this disc will lock up your player if you try to play them. They include the Roundtable Discussion, The Making of Nation's Pride, A Conversation with Rod Taylor, Rod Taylor on Victoria Bitter, the Extended and Alternate Scenes, and the Trailers. As of this writing, Arrow has not publicly confirmed this issue, but when they do, we will update this space with more information. In the meantime, you folks with Panasonic players beware.

Arrow Video’s 4K Ultra HD release of Inglourious Basterds has long been gestating since it was soft announced a couple of years or more ago. Many expected them to somehow pull off a miracle and somehow convince Tarantino to allow a fresh scan of the negative to take place. They’re certainly capable of making things like that happen, but for the time being, that’s not a reality. Even so, this is still a great presentation of the film with some mighty fine extras in mighty fine packaging. It may not be perfect, but it’s a damn fine release. Highly recommended.

- Tim Salmons

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