Hans Landa
| Hans Landa | |
|---|---|
| Inglourious Basterds character | |
 | |
| First appearance | Inglourious Basterds |
| Created by | Quentin Tarantino |
| Portrayed by | Christoph Waltz |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | "The Jew Hunter" |
| Occupation | Standartenführer |
| Nationality | German |
Col. Hans Landa is the primary antagonist of the film Inglourious Basterds, portrayed by Austrian actor Christoph Waltz.
Character
A psychopathic character, Standartenführer Colonel Hans Landa is a cruel, ruthless and diabolically intelligent Austro-German SD officer who is nicknamed "the Jew Hunter" in reference to his keen ability to locate Jews hiding throughout France.[1] His wearing of the Honour Cross for Combatants shows that he was a combat veteran of World War I.
Unlike most of Quentin Tarantino's villains, Landa has a somewhat sophisticated and narcissistic personality. He is a polyglot, very well versed in languages and able to speak fluent English, French and Italian in addition to his native Austro-German. This passion for linguistics is a trait Landa shares with another Tarantino villain, Elle Driver from Kill Bill. Landa can also be a charming yet salacious detective. He displays a witty yet frequently sadistic sense of humour and it is implied that he is a womanizer.
Conception and creation
Quentin Tarantino has said that Landa might be the greatest character he's ever written. He originally wanted Leonardo DiCaprio for the part.[2] The director then decided to have the character played by a German actor.[3] The role ultimately went to the Austrian Waltz, who, according to Tarantino, "gave me my movie back," as he felt the movie couldn't be made without Landa as a character but feared the part was "unplayable."[4]
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 created solely for the audition process. Waltz stated that he was most impressed with the dialogue and the depth of the character.[5][6] Waltz described a scene depicting Landa eating a strudel, and how he had to figure out how he should eat it, rather than what kinds of toppings should go on it. While Landa is eating the strudel, he describes the non-verbal communication between Landa and the character Shosanna as "not so pure", though he would not elaborate further, stating that he wants to leave the interpreting to Tarantino and to the viewers, describing himself as the intermediary.[5]
Waltz describes 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 believed 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.[5]
Reception
Waltz 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."[5]
Slash Film editor Hunter Stephenson commented that international viewers, Americans more so, would be surprised by Waltz's talent in this role, adding that he expected Waltz to get an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.[5]
In late December 2009, Waltz was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Analysis
Hunter Stephenson describes Landa's large pipe as that of an unsubtle metaphor of masculinity, and describes his love of milk as being leftover from an age of innocence and a primal link.[5] His indifference to even the names of the subordinates around him, proven by his calling every driver, radio operator, waiter, etc. "Hermann", could be construed as a testament to his superiority complex. Even the name Hermann implies ambiguity, containing fragments of the German words essentially equivalent to "Mr. Man" in English.
Hans Landa has been compared to several other characters in fiction. His "larger-than-life cunning" and "European sensibility" have been compared to that of a Bond villain. Waltz himself has compared the character to Sherlock Holmes, due to the meticulous, theatrical way Landa searches for Jews and traitors. Landa was also compared to Die Hard villain Hans Gruber, due to his disdain for the inferior intellect of those around him.[5]
References
- ^ "Kruger, Waltz join Tarantino film". www.variety.com. 2008-08-29.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (2008-07-15). "Quentin Tarantino seeks 'Bastards'". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (2008-08-05). "Eli Roth on deck for 'Bastards'". Variety. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Variety.com
- ^ a b c d e f g "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. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
- ^ "Meet Inglourious Basterd's Colonel Hans Landa - Christopher Waltz". ATN Zone. 2009-08-31. Retrieved 2009-10-03.