Inglourious Basterds — War, Cinema & Tarantino’s Rewrite of History
Lesson Type: Movie Discussion | Level: Intermediate
🗣️ 1. Warm-Up Questions
- Have you ever heard of the movie Inglourious Basterds?
- Do you enjoy movies about World War II?
- How do you feel about movies that change real history on purpose?
- What makes a good movie villain in your opinion?
- Do you think revenge stories are satisfying to watch?
📚 2. Vocabulary Preview
| Word / Chunk | Meaning |
|---|---|
| alternate history | a story that changes real historical events |
| high command | the most powerful officers in a military force |
| multi-language film | a movie where characters speak different languages |
| rewrite the past | change what really happened in history |
| hunt Nazis | look for and kill members of the German army in WWII |
| build tension through dialogue | create suspense using conversation, not action |
📘 3. Reading – About the Film
Inglourious Basterds is a 2009 film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The story takes place during World War II, but it does not follow real history. Instead, it creates an alternate version where a group of Jewish-American soldiers called “the Basterds” hunt Nazis in Europe, while a young French woman named Shosanna secretly plans her own revenge against the German high command. The movie is famous for its long dialogue scenes, slow suspense, brutal violence, and the unforgettable villain Colonel Hans Landa, played by Christoph Waltz.
The film is also unique because it mixes languages — English, German, French, and Italian — which makes it feel more realistic. One of the most famous scenes happens in a small bar, where a simple conversation slowly turns into a deadly situation. Instead of showing WWII as history books do, Tarantino rewrites the past using cinema as a weapon. The movie explores revenge, storytelling, power, identity, and the idea that sometimes fiction can change the emotional meaning of real history.
✅ 4. Comprehension Check
A) True or False
- The movie follows real World War II events exactly as they happened.
- The Basterds are a group of Jewish-American soldiers.
- The film uses more than one language in the dialogue.
B) Short Answer
- Who is the main villain in the story?
- What makes this movie different from normal war films?
- What is Shosanna planning to do?
🧩 5. Language Focus
Using “takes place during” to describe time in a story
✅ The movie takes place during World War II.
✅ The bar scene takes place during a secret mission.
✅ Many war movies take place during real historical events.
➡️ Create 2 sentences using takes place during to describe a movie or series.
✍️ 6. Writing Task
📝 What to Do
Write a short comment (4–6 sentences) about the movie.
Post your answer in the comments section of this blog post.
Use simple English and include one vocabulary word from the lesson.
➡️ You can start with:
- In my opinion…
- The story takes place during…
- What I like most is…
- I think the movie is interesting because…
✅ Choose ONE question:
A) Do you think movies should be allowed to rewrite history? Why or why not?
B) What makes Hans Landa such a memorable villain?
C) Is the movie more about war or about storytelling?
🧱 Copy-Friendly Opinion Blocks
I think the movie is interesting because it rewrites history in a creative way.
The story takes place during World War II, but the characters and the ending are different from real life.
Hans Landa is a strong villain because he is intelligent, polite, and dangerous at the same time.
🎙️ 7. Voice Recording Task
Record yourself answering:
“Do you think changing real historical events in movies is creative or disrespectful? Explain.”
✔️ Speak for 30–45 seconds
✔️ Try to use one word or chunk from the lesson
💬 8. Blog Comment Question
📌 What to Do
Write your answer in the comments section below this lesson.
You should write at least 3–4 sentences.
The teacher will read your comment and give you feedback on your English.
📝 Question
Do you think movies should be allowed to rewrite history, or should they stay accurate? Explain your opinion.
✨ Tips for Your Comment
- Use simple sentences
- Give one reason or example
- Try to use one vocabulary word from the lesson
🧱 Example Comment
I think movies can change history if it is clear that it is fiction. Sometimes it makes the story more emotional or surprising. The movie takes place during World War II, but the ending is different from real life. In my opinion, that is not disrespectful because it is just a story.
In my opinion, this answer depends on the purpose of the film. Because if a cinematographical story wants to deliver emotions and lessons that are not related to the historical facts, the film should be able to rewrite history to satisfy its artistical interests. In other hand, if the film comes with the purpose of inform the spectators about accurate historical facts, it will have to be as accurate as possible. In the end of the day, films have the right to rewrite history, but just if they explicit they don’t want to be a historical movie.
I think that movies are totally allowed to rewrite history. Also, I don’t think that it is good to make a historical movie with some fictional events in it. In fact, I like movies that rewrite history, but at the same time, a lot of historical movies that have this title of “historical” on them are not actually accurate.