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{{Distinguish|Hans Lauda}}
{{short description|Inglourious Basterds character}}
{{short description|Inglourious Basterds character}}
{{distinguish|Hans Lauda|Hans Lammers}}
{{Infobox character
{{Infobox character
⚫
| series = [[Inglourious Basterds]]
| colour = Darkred
⚫
| name = Hans Landa
⚫
|series = [[Inglourious Basterds]]
⚫
| image = Hans Landa IB 2009.jpg
|color =
⚫
| name = Hans Landa
⚫
| image = Hans Landa IB 2009.jpg
| image_size = 225px
| image_size = 225px
| caption =
| caption =
| nickname = The Jew Hunter
| nickname = The Jew Hunter (German; ''Der Judenjäger'')
| occupation = ''[[Sicherheitsdienst]]'' Member
| occupation = ''[[Sicherheitsdienst]]'' member
| title = [[Standartenführer]]
| title = [[Standartenführer]]
| nationality= Austrian
| nationality = <!-- use only when necessary per [[WP:INFONAT]] -->
| affiliation = [[Austrian Nazism|Austrian Nazi Party]]
| affiliation = [[Austrian Nazism|Austrian Nazi Party]]
| first = ''[[Inglourious Basterds]]'' (2009)
| first = ''[[Inglourious Basterds]]'' (2009)
| portrayer = [[Christoph Waltz]]
| portrayer = [[Christoph Waltz]]
| creator = [[Quentin Tarantino]]
| creator = [[Quentin Tarantino]]
| lbl21 = Allegiance
| lbl21 = Allegiance
| data21 = {{flagdeco|Nazi Germany}} [[Nazi Germany]]
| data21 = {{flagdeco|Nazi Germany}} [[Nazi Germany]]
}}
}}


''[[Standartenführer]]'' '''Hans Landa''' is a fictional character and the main [[antagonist]] in the 2009 [[Quentin Tarantino]] film ''[[Inglourious Basterds]]''. He is portrayed by [[Austrians|Austrian]] actor [[Christoph Waltz]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Nazis get their comeuppance, in brutal fashion|url=http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2911887|author=Andrew Siddons|date=October 30, 2009|newspaper=JooAng Daily}}</ref> For his performance, Waltz won the [[Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]], the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor]] and the [[Best Actor Award (Cannes Film Festival)|Best Actor Award]] at the 2009 [[Cannes Film Festival]], among others.
''[[Standartenführer]]'' '''Hans Landa''' is a fictional character and the main [[antagonist]] in the 2009 [[Quentin Tarantino]] film ''[[Inglourious Basterds]]''. He is portrayed by Austrian actor [[Christoph Waltz]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Nazis get their comeuppance, in brutal fashion|url=http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2911887|author=Andrew Siddons|date=October 30, 2009|newspaper=JooAng Daily|access-date=June 11, 2010|archive-date=June 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607234905/http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2911887|url-status=live}}</ref> For his performance, Waltz received widespread acclaim and won numerous accolades, including the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] and the [[Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor]].


==Character==
==Character summary==
''[[Standartenführer]]'' (SS Colonel) Hans Landa is an [[Austrian SS]] officer assigned to the ''[[Sicherheitsdienst]]''. He is nicknamed "the Jew Hunter" for his uncanny ability to locate Jews hiding throughout [[German military administration in occupied France during World War II|Occupied France]]. Egotistical and ambitious, Landa takes a great deal of pride in his fearsome reputation, lauding his nickname of "the Jew Hunter" and using it to compare himself to his boss [[Reinhard Heydrich]], whom he describes as disliking the nickname the people of Prague bestowed upon him ("The Hangman").<ref>Santiago, Angel. [https://medium.com/applaudience/colonel-hans-landa-the-best-and-worst-kind-of-villain-61a944b67a7c Colonel Hans Landa: the best, and worst, kind of villain]. [[Medium (website)]]. Retrieved 8 July 2023</ref> True to his reputation and nickname, he recognizes Shosanna living an undercover life as a cinema owner four years later, but spares her life again.<ref>{{cite web |last=Williams |first=Jordan |title=Inglourious Basterds: Hans Landa's Meal Reveals He Recognized Shosanna |url=https://screenrant.com/inglourious-basterds-hans-landa-food-shosanna-test/ |website=[[Screen Rant]] |publisher=Valnet |access-date=29 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124081527/https://screenrant.com/inglourious-basterds-hans-landa-food-shosanna-test/ |archive-date=24 January 2023 |date=22 May 2021}}</ref>
{{unreferencedsect|date=September 2021}}
{{originalresearch|section|date=September 2021}}
''[[Standartenführer]]'' (SS Colonel) Hans Landa is an [[Austria]]n [[Schutzstaffel|SS]] officer assigned to the [[Sicherheitsdienst]]. He is nicknamed "the Jew Hunter" for his uncanny ability to locate Jews hiding throughout [[German military administration in occupied France during World War II|Occupied France]].


When the tide of the war turns against the Nazis, he scoffs at it, alluding that his job is to find and capture people and the fact that they are Jews is of no consequence to him.<ref name=KrugerWaltzJoinTarantino>{{cite news|title=Kruger, Waltz join Tarantino film|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991354.html?categoryid=13&cs=1|publisher=Variety|date=2008-08-29|first=Michael|last=Fleming|access-date=2020-04-20|archive-date=2009-09-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090923005256/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991354.html?categoryid=13&cs=1|url-status=live}}</ref> Besides speaking German, he is also fluent in at least French, English, and Italian.<ref>Bose, Swapnil Dhruv. [https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/actor-quentin-tarantino-calls-linguistic-genius/ The iconic actor Quentin Tarantino calls a "linguistic genius"]. [[Far Out (magazine)]]. Retrieved 8 July 2023</ref> Landa is intelligent, opportunistic, arrogant, ruthless, and relentless; but can also be circumspect, polite, and charming.<ref>Patel, Benjamin. [https://startefacts.com/news/10-times-hollywood-clearly-ran-out-of-original-ideas_a117 Why Is Tarantino's Hans Landa One Of The Most Terrifying Protagonists in Movie History?]. ''startefacts.com''. Retrieved 20 July, 2023</ref> However, by the end of the film, he unreservedly switches sides to assist the Basterds in assassinating [[Hitler]] and a number of [[Nazi Party]] elite inside a movie theater. In return for his role in the plot, Landa demands full immunity for his war crimes and various other rewards and compensations. The surviving Basterds let him live, but carve a [[swastika]] into his forehead to ensure everyone will always know he was a Nazi.
Egotistical and ambitious, Landa takes a great deal of pride in his fearsome reputation, [[Wiktionary:laud#English|lauding]] his nickname "The Jew Hunter" and using it to compare himself to his boss [[Reinhard Heydrich]], whom he describes as disliking the nickname the people of Prague bestowed upon him (“the hangman”).{{fact|date=October 2021}} When the tide of the war turns against the Nazis, he scoffs at it, alluding that his job is to find and capture people and the fact that they are Jews is of no consequence to him.<ref name=KrugerWaltzJoinTarantino>{{cite news|title=Kruger, Waltz join Tarantino film|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991354.html?categoryid=13&cs=1|publisher=Variety|date=2008-08-29|first=Michael|last=Fleming}}</ref>


In 2019, Tarantino appeared on the podcast ''Happy Sad Confused'', where he discussed Landa's fate after the events of the film. Tarantino stated that Landa is recognized as a hero in the US and history books for his involvement in ending [[WWII]] and helping to kill Hitler, and that he subsequently settles on [[Nantucket Island]], where he is roped in to solve a series of murders as an amateur master detective.<ref>{{cite podcast|last=Horowitz|first=Josh|url=https://open.spotify.com/episode/7JB4hoOZsU6LlKT3svkPbX|title=Quentin Tarantino, Vol. II|work=Happy Sad Confused|date=July 22, 2019|access-date=March 6, 2022|time=35:00-38:00|via=[[Spotify]]|archive-date=November 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107020636/https://open.spotify.com/episode/7JB4hoOZsU6LlKT3svkPbX|url-status=live}}</ref>
Besides speaking [[German language|German]], he is also fluent in at least [[English language|English]], [[French language|French]], and [[Italian language|Italian]].

Landa is intelligent, opportunistic, arrogant, ruthless, and relentless, but can also be circumspect, polite, and even charming. He is an opportunist acting only out of pure self-interest.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}} As such, by the end of the film, he unreservedly switches sides to assist the Basterds in assassinating Hitler and the [[Nazi Party]] elite inside a movie theater. In return for his role in the plot, Landa demands full immunity for his war crimes, a house on [[Nantucket Island]], a colonel's military [[pension]], public recognition as an agent working with the [[United States|America]]n [[Office of Strategic Services]] and to be awarded the [[Medal of Honor]].


==Conception and creation==
==Conception and creation==
[[Quentin Tarantino]] has said that Landa might be the greatest character he has ever written. He originally wanted [[Leonardo DiCaprio]] for the part.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Michael|last=Fleming|url=https://www.variety.com/VR1117988993.html|title=Quentin Tarantino seeks 'Bastards'|journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|publisher=[[Reed Business Information]]|date=2008-07-15|access-date=2008-07-29}}</ref> Tarantino then decided to have the character played by a [[German people|German]] actor.<ref name=deck>{{cite journal|first=Michael|last=Fleming |author2=Tatiana Siegel|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117990111.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2564|title=Eli Roth on deck for 'Bastards'|journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|publisher=[[Reed Business Information]]|date=2008-08-05|access-date=2008-08-06}}</ref> The role ultimately went to the Austrian Waltz, who, according to Tarantino, "gave me my movie back", as he felt the movie could not be made without Landa as a character, but feared the part was "unplayable".<ref>[https://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/tarantino-reflects-on-basterds-1118003822/ Tarantino reflects on 'Basterds'], Variety.com, May 17, 2009.</ref>
Landa is based on [[Alois Brunner]].<ref>[https://www.awesomestories.com/pdf/make/133086 Inglourious Basterds Movie] (PDF). ''Awesome Stories''. Retrieved July 24, 2023</ref><ref>Howells-Mead, Mark. [https://permanenttourist.ch/2016/03/the-evil-of-hans-landa/ The evil of Hans Landa]. Retrieved on 24 July, 2023</ref> [[Quentin Tarantino]] has said that Landa might be the greatest character he has ever written. He originally wanted [[Leonardo DiCaprio]] for the part.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Michael|last=Fleming|url=https://www.variety.com/VR1117988993.html|title=Quentin Tarantino seeks 'Bastards'|journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|publisher=[[Reed Business Information]]|date=2008-07-15|access-date=2008-07-29|archive-date=2008-07-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080728103422/http://www.variety.com/VR1117988993.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Tarantino then decided to have the character played by a German actor.<ref name=deck>{{cite journal|first=Michael|last=Fleming|author2=Tatiana Siegel|url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117990111.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2564|title=Eli Roth on deck for 'Bastards'|journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|publisher=[[Reed Business Information]]|date=2008-08-05|access-date=2008-08-06|archive-date=2008-08-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080812080212/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117990111.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2564|url-status=live}}</ref> The role ultimately went to the Austrian [[Christoph Waltz]], who, according to Tarantino, "gave me my movie back", as he felt the movie could not be made without Landa as a character, but feared the part was "unplayable".<ref>[https://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/tarantino-reflects-on-basterds-1118003822/ Tarantino reflects on 'Basterds'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222160922/http://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/tarantino-reflects-on-basterds-1118003822/ |date=2015-12-22 }}, Variety.com, May 17, 2009.</ref>


When Waltz auditioned for the role, he had no prior correspondence with Tarantino or producer [[Lawrence Bender]], and believed that the character of Hans Landa was being used during the audition process to cast other roles. Waltz stated that he was most impressed with the dialogue and the depth of the character.<ref name="interview"/><ref name="interview2">{{cite web|title=Meet Inglourious Basterd's Colonel Hans Landa - Christoph Waltz|url=http://www.atnzone.com/nz/2009/08/31/meet-inglourious-basterd%E2%80%99s-colonel-hans-landa-christopher-waltz|publisher=ATN Zone|access-date=2009-10-03|date=2009-08-31}}</ref>
When Waltz auditioned for the role, he had no prior correspondence with Tarantino or producer [[Lawrence Bender]], and believed that the character of Hans Landa was being used during the audition process to cast other roles. Waltz stated that he was most impressed with the dialogue and the depth of the character.<ref name="interview"/><ref name="interview2">{{cite web|title=Meet Inglourious Basterd's Colonel Hans Landa - Christoph Waltz|url=http://www.atnzone.com/nz/2009/08/31/meet-inglourious-basterd%E2%80%99s-colonel-hans-landa-christopher-waltz|publisher=ATN Zone|access-date=2009-10-03|date=2009-08-31|archive-date=2009-09-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090914001540/http://www.atnzone.com/nz/2009/08/31/meet-inglourious-basterd%E2%80%99s-colonel-hans-landa-christopher-waltz|url-status=usurped}}</ref>


Waltz has described Landa's character as one who has an understanding of how the world works, stating that the [[swastika]] means nothing to him. He adds that he is not driven by ideology, and that if anyone were to call Landa a Nazi, he would clarify that he was not, stating that just because he wears a Nazi uniform does not mean that he believes in the Nazi ideology. In describing the ending between the Basterds and Landa, he describes him as "realistic to the point of being inhuman", adding that he understands that the world is not just one thing at a time, and even though these things may contradict each other, they do not necessarily have to.<ref name="interview"/>
Waltz has described Landa's character as one who has an understanding of how the world works, stating that the [[swastika]] means nothing to him. He adds that he is not driven by ideology, and that if anyone were to call Landa a Nazi, he would clarify that he was not, stating that just because he wears a Nazi uniform does not mean that he believes in the [[Nazism#Ideology and programme|Nazi ideology]]. In describing the ending between the Basterds and Landa, he describes him as "realistic to the point of being inhuman", adding that he understands that the world is not just one thing at a time, and even though these things may contradict each other, they do not necessarily have to.<ref name="interview"/>


==Reception==
==Reception==
{{quote box
|align=right
|width=25%
|quote=...a character unlike any Nazi — indeed, anyone at all — I’ve seen in a movie: evil, sardonic, ironic, mannered, absurd.
|source=—[[Roger Ebert]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |date=August 19, 2009 |title=Inglourious Basterds movie review (2009) |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/inglourious-basterds-2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019193435/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/inglourious-basterds-2009 |archive-date=2021-10-19 |access-date=2022-08-13 |website=[[RogerEbert.com]] |language=en}}</ref>
}}
Waltz received widespread critical acclaim for his role as Landa, and won the [[Best Actor Award (Cannes Film Festival)|Best Actor Award]] at the [[2009 Cannes Film Festival]] for his performance. Due to his role as Hans Landa, Waltz has received many offers from directors to play roles in their films, enough for him to describe the situation as "wild".<ref name="interview"/>
Waltz received widespread critical acclaim for his role as Landa, and won the [[Best Actor Award (Cannes Film Festival)|Best Actor Award]] at the [[2009 Cannes Film Festival]] for his performance. Due to his role as Hans Landa, Waltz has received many offers from directors to play roles in their films, enough for him to describe the situation as "wild".<ref name="interview"/>


Film editor Hunter Stephenson commented that international viewers, Americans more so, would be surprised by Waltz's talent in this role, adding that he tipped Waltz to be nominated an [[Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]].<ref name="interview">{{cite web|title=Interview: Christoph Waltz on Playing Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds, Working With Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt, and the Legendary Strudel Scene|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/2009/08/25/interview-christoph-waltz-on-playing-hans-landa-in-inglourious-basterds-working-with-quentin-tarantino-and-brad-pitt-and-the-legendary-strudel-scene|publisher=Slash Film|access-date=2009-10-03|date=2009-08-25}}</ref> Waltz was awarded several accolades for his performance, including the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor]] and the [[Screen Actors Guild Award]] in the same category in January 2010. He also won the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role|BAFTA]]<ref>[http://www.bafta.org/awards/film/film-awards-nominations,949,BA.html#jump11 2010 Film Awards] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228014651/http://www.bafta.org/awards/film/film-awards-nominations,949,BA.html |date=2010-02-28 }} The BAFTA site. 2010-02-21.</ref> and the [[82nd Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for Best Supporting Actor, becoming the first actor to win an Oscar for a performance in a Quentin Tarantino film.
Film editor Hunter Stephenson commented that international viewers, Americans more so, would be surprised by Waltz's talent in this role, adding that he tipped Waltz to be nominated an [[Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]].<ref name="interview">{{cite web|title=Interview: Christoph Waltz on Playing Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds, Working With Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt, and the Legendary Strudel Scene|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/2009/08/25/interview-christoph-waltz-on-playing-hans-landa-in-inglourious-basterds-working-with-quentin-tarantino-and-brad-pitt-and-the-legendary-strudel-scene|publisher=Slash Film|access-date=2009-10-03|date=2009-08-25|archive-date=2009-09-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090927210025/http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/08/25/interview-christoph-waltz-on-playing-hans-landa-in-inglourious-basterds-working-with-quentin-tarantino-and-brad-pitt-and-the-legendary-strudel-scene/|url-status=live}}</ref> Waltz was awarded several accolades for his performance, including the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor]] and the [[Screen Actors Guild Award]] in the same category in January 2010. He also won the [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role|BAFTA]]<ref>[http://www.bafta.org/awards/film/film-awards-nominations,949,BA.html#jump11 2010 Film Awards] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228014651/http://www.bafta.org/awards/film/film-awards-nominations,949,BA.html |date=2010-02-28 }} The BAFTA site. 2010-02-21.</ref> and the [[82nd Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for Best Supporting Actor, becoming the first actor to win an Oscar for a performance in a Quentin Tarantino film.

==Analysis==
Hunter Stephenson of [[/Film]] describes Landa's [[Smoking pipe (tobacco)#Calabash|calabash]] as an unsubtle metaphor of masculinity, and describes his love of milk as being left over from an age of innocence and a primal link.<ref name="interview"/> Stephenson compared him to ''[[Die Hard]]'' villain [[Hans Gruber (character)|Hans Gruber]], played by [[Alan Rickman]], due to his disdain for the inferior intellect of those around him.<ref name="interview"/>

Waltz, in an interview, pointed out that the calabash was Tarantino's allusion to [[Sherlock Holmes]], who smoked a similar pipe.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mr. Beaks Squares Off With INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS' Christoph Waltz! |url=http://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/42127 |website=Aint It Cool News |access-date=21 September 2021 |language=en}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
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{{Reflist}}{{Quentin Tarantino}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Landa, Hans}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Quentin Tarantino}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Landa, Hans}}
[[Category:Fictional Austrian people]]
[[Category:Fictional Austrian people]]
[[Category:Fictional characters in Quentin Tarantino films]]
[[Category:Characters created by Quentin Tarantino]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with disfigurements]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with disfigurements]]
[[Category:Fictional colonels]]
[[Category:Fictional colonels]]
[[Category:Fictional mass murderers]]
[[Category:Fictional mass murderers]]
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[[Category:Fictional military personnel in films]]
[[Category:Fictional war criminals]]
[[Category:Fictional Nazis]]
[[Category:Fictional Nazis]]
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[[Category:Fictional smokers]]
[[Category:Fictional World War II veterans]]
[[Category:Fictional World War II veterans]]
[[Category:Fictional detectives]]
[[Category:Film characters introduced in 2009]]
[[Category:Film characters introduced in 2009]]
[[Category:Male film villains]]
[[Category:Male film villains]]
[[Category:Male characters in film]]

Latest revision as of 12:13, 26 December 2024

Not to be confused with Hans Lauda or Hans Lammers.
Hans Landa
Inglourious Basterds character
First appearanceInglourious Basterds (2009)
Created byQuentin Tarantino
Portrayed byChristoph Waltz
In-universe information
NicknameThe Jew Hunter (German; Der Judenjäger)
TitleStandartenführer
OccupationSicherheitsdienst member
AffiliationAustrian Nazi Party
Allegiance Nazi Germany

Standartenführer Hans Landa is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 2009 Quentin Tarantino film Inglourious Basterds. He is portrayed by Austrian actor Christoph Waltz.[1] For his performance, Waltz received widespread acclaim and won numerous accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor.

Character summary

[edit]

Standartenführer (SS Colonel) Hans Landa is an Austrian SS officer assigned to the Sicherheitsdienst. He is nicknamed "the Jew Hunter" for his uncanny ability to locate Jews hiding throughout Occupied France. Egotistical and ambitious, Landa takes a great deal of pride in his fearsome reputation, lauding his nickname of "the Jew Hunter" and using it to compare himself to his boss Reinhard Heydrich, whom he describes as disliking the nickname the people of Prague bestowed upon him ("The Hangman").[2] True to his reputation and nickname, he recognizes Shosanna living an undercover life as a cinema owner four years later, but spares her life again.[3]

When the tide of the war turns against the Nazis, he scoffs at it, alluding that his job is to find and capture people and the fact that they are Jews is of no consequence to him.[4] Besides speaking German, he is also fluent in at least French, English, and Italian.[5] Landa is intelligent, opportunistic, arrogant, ruthless, and relentless; but can also be circumspect, polite, and charming.[6] However, by the end of the film, he unreservedly switches sides to assist the Basterds in assassinating Hitler and a number of Nazi Party elite inside a movie theater. In return for his role in the plot, Landa demands full immunity for his war crimes and various other rewards and compensations. The surviving Basterds let him live, but carve a swastika into his forehead to ensure everyone will always know he was a Nazi.

In 2019, Tarantino appeared on the podcast Happy Sad Confused, where he discussed Landa's fate after the events of the film. Tarantino stated that Landa is recognized as a hero in the US and history books for his involvement in ending WWII and helping to kill Hitler, and that he subsequently settles on Nantucket Island, where he is roped in to solve a series of murders as an amateur master detective.[7]

Conception and creation

[edit]

Landa is based on Alois Brunner.[8][9] Quentin Tarantino has said that Landa might be the greatest character he has ever written. He originally wanted Leonardo DiCaprio for the part.[10] Tarantino then decided to have the character played by a German actor.[11] The role ultimately went to the Austrian Christoph Waltz, who, according to Tarantino, "gave me my movie back", as he felt the movie could not be made without Landa as a character, but feared the part was "unplayable".[12]

When Waltz auditioned for the role, he had no prior correspondence with Tarantino or producer Lawrence Bender, and believed that the character of Hans Landa was being used during the audition process to cast other roles. Waltz stated that he was most impressed with the dialogue and the depth of the character.[13][14]

Waltz has described Landa's character as one who has an understanding of how the world works, stating that the swastika means nothing to him. He adds that he is not driven by ideology, and that if anyone were to call Landa a Nazi, he would clarify that he was not, stating that just because he wears a Nazi uniform does not mean that he believes in the Nazi ideology. In describing the ending between the Basterds and Landa, he describes him as "realistic to the point of being inhuman", adding that he understands that the world is not just one thing at a time, and even though these things may contradict each other, they do not necessarily have to.[13]

Reception

[edit]

...a character unlike any Nazi — indeed, anyone at all — I’ve seen in a movie: evil, sardonic, ironic, mannered, absurd.

Waltz received widespread critical acclaim for his role as Landa, and won the Best Actor Award at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival for his performance. Due to his role as Hans Landa, Waltz has received many offers from directors to play roles in their films, enough for him to describe the situation as "wild".[13]

Film editor Hunter Stephenson commented that international viewers, Americans more so, would be surprised by Waltz's talent in this role, adding that he tipped Waltz to be nominated an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.[13] Waltz was awarded several accolades for his performance, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Screen Actors Guild Award in the same category in January 2010. He also won the BAFTA[16] and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, becoming the first actor to win an Oscar for a performance in a Quentin Tarantino film.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Andrew Siddons (October 30, 2009). "Nazis get their comeuppance, in brutal fashion". JooAng Daily. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
  2. ^ Santiago, Angel. Colonel Hans Landa: the best, and worst, kind of villain. Medium (website). Retrieved 8 July 2023
  3. ^ Williams, Jordan (22 May 2021). "Inglourious Basterds: Hans Landa's Meal Reveals He Recognized Shosanna". Screen Rant. Valnet. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  4. ^ Fleming, Michael (2008-08-29). "Kruger, Waltz join Tarantino film". Variety. Archived from the original on 2009-09-23. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  5. ^ Bose, Swapnil Dhruv. The iconic actor Quentin Tarantino calls a "linguistic genius". Far Out (magazine). Retrieved 8 July 2023
  6. ^ Patel, Benjamin. Why Is Tarantino's Hans Landa One Of The Most Terrifying Protagonists in Movie History?. startefacts.com. Retrieved 20 July, 2023
  7. ^ Horowitz, Josh (July 22, 2019). "Quentin Tarantino, Vol. II". Happy Sad Confused (Podcast). Event occurs at 35:00-38:00. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2022 – via Spotify.
  8. ^ Inglourious Basterds Movie (PDF). Awesome Stories. Retrieved July 24, 2023
  9. ^ Howells-Mead, Mark. The evil of Hans Landa. Retrieved on 24 July, 2023
  10. ^ Fleming, Michael (2008-07-15). "Quentin Tarantino seeks 'Bastards'". Variety. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on 2008-07-28. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
  11. ^ Fleming, Michael; Tatiana Siegel (2008-08-05). "Eli Roth on deck for 'Bastards'". Variety. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on 2008-08-12. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  12. ^ Tarantino reflects on 'Basterds' Archived 2015-12-22 at the Wayback Machine, Variety.com, May 17, 2009.
  13. ^ a b c d "Interview: Christoph Waltz on Playing Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds, Working With Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt, and the Legendary Strudel Scene". Slash Film. 2009-08-25. Archived from the original on 2009-09-27. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
  14. ^ "Meet Inglourious Basterd's Colonel Hans Landa - Christoph Waltz". ATN Zone. 2009-08-31. Archived from the original on 2009-09-14. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
  15. ^ Ebert, Roger (August 19, 2009). "Inglourious Basterds movie review (2009)". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on 2021-10-19. Retrieved 2022-08-13.
  16. ^ 2010 Film Awards Archived 2010-02-28 at the Wayback Machine The BAFTA site. 2010-02-21.
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