Inglourious Basterds was released in 2009. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, the film managed to garner considerable acclaim, both on the commercial and critical fronts. Many people have described the Brad Pitt starrer as an imaginative retelling that draws inspiration from the historical events of World War II. Simply put, it tackles a premise centered around alternate history, a sub-genre of speculative fiction.
To prepare for the undertaking and step into the psyche of the characters, one of the actors utilized an unconventional method. Filmmaker and actor Eli Roth, who portrayed the role of a ruthless Bostonian soldier named Sergeant Donny Donowitz, revealed how esteemed singer-songwriter Miley Cyrus helped him channel the emotions required to depict the baseball bat-wielding character.
How Eli Roth Prepared For His Inglourious Basterds Role
Eli Roth is no stranger to gore and grotesque horror. He has left quite a lasting impression on some audiences with his splatter film series, Hostel. While directing and writing a horrific premise has its fair share of challenges, acting in one poses certain difficulties too. Upon choosing to assume the role of Donowitz, Roth found himself delving into the dark corners of his mind to authentically capture the very essence that made his character in Inglourious Basterds seem so menacing and brutal.
In an interview with CTV News, following is what the filmmaker/actor stated:
“You think about the most painful things that have been done to you and really awful things that you’ve done to other people. You conjure it up and make it feel like it happened 15 minutes ago and you have to stay in that state.”
The Jewish-American actor remarked that to tap into the brutal, vengeful nature of his Nazi-hunting character, he channeled the rage and indignation that arose from reflecting on the tragic loss of his relatives during the Holocaust. This wasn’t the only method used by the actor to summon the intense, ferocious, and bloodthirsty fury that his Inglourious Basterds character was meant to represent.
Interestingly, it was listening to Miley Cyrus that assisted the famed horror director to embark on the journey of a Nazi-killer in the Quentin Tarantino-helmed endeavor.
Miley Cyrus’ Music Helped Eli Roth Channel His Inner Fury
Music is known to inspire people. Numerous film directors have credited songs with influencing some of their most exceptional works. Actors too rely on specific genres of music to immerse themselves in a particular headspace. However, it’s usually unexpected to see an actor credit their violent, vengeful portrayal of a film role to Miley Cyrus’ music.
To feel pumped up for his role in the 2009 Quentin Tarantino-directed film, Eli Roth compiled a playlist featuring a collection of heavy metal and hard rock music. As a prank, his girlfriend discreetly put a Hannah Montana song into the mix. This, surprisingly, worked wonders for Roth, who thanked Miley Cyrus for making him “want to kill.”
Following was the actor’s statement:
“I went back and forth thinking about my relatives being killed in concentration camps to listening to Hannah Montana. I was like, `Wow, what if Brad Pitt caught me listening to Hannah Montana? […] There are certain songs you don’t expect to trigger what you need and then it just comes on randomly and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, that gets me in the place I need to be.'”
He additionally joked:
“You couldn’t ever put me in a Hannah Montana concert with a baseball bat or I would wipe the place out.”
Listening to Miley Cyrus and reflecting on the loss he personally encountered was all that Eli Roth needed for his rage and wrath to reflect in his Inglourious Basterds role. While utilizing the former approach might come across as unconventional, it somehow worked in the actor’s favor. Audiences were treated to a superb, thrilling performance from the baseball bat-wielding Roth, and Quentin Tarantino achieved grand success with his Oscar-nominated film.
Inglourious Basterds (2009) is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: CTV News
