By definition, a Spaghetti Western, is a movie about the American Old West made cheaply in Europe, typically by an Italian producer and director. The conventions of this genre are black humor along with melodrama. There are generally elements of economic issues present, which is largely due to the heavy influence of civil war within films of this genre. That aspect alone makes it quite clear as to why Tarantino would deem this genre fitting for a World War II movie, considering this film category is inspired by a war that was a precursor. Spaghetti Westerns fits with war due to the raw nature of the scenes and character types. Violence is generally present, something that can easily be seen in ample amounts within the film Inglourious Basterds.
One of the three ways in which Tarantino subverts the expectations of the genre are introducing characters that seem important, but are killed off shortly after. For example, Michael Fassbender's character is given a role within the film that presents itself as significant but is killed off a scene or two later. Furthermore, the manipulation of history allows Tarantino to surprise audiences with events that have not truly happened. Most can figure out how events will occur given true historical events to compare it to, but the writer completely shifts them in order to suit the film. Lastly, the third way in which expectations are subverted is the use of words to create tension more so than weapons. Within various scenes in the film, an exchange of dialogue between to characters causes much more anxiety than the fight scenes themselves. It is as if words are equated to bullets or knives, causing conflict and potentially leading to violence just as a physical attack would.
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