My favorite character in Inglourious Basterds is Shosanna Dreyfus. She is a Jewish woman who lost her family when they were killed by Nazis. She ran away to Paris, inherited a movie theater, and changed her name to Emmanuelle Mimieux. German soldier Zoller is attracted to her and wants his film to premier at her theater. She sees this as the perfect revenge and plans to burn down the theater when it is occupied by Nazis.
Shosanna is my favorite character because despite the tragedy in her life she rises up and becomes a strong woman. She fights for what she believes and is brave enough to commit such an act of revenge. She goes from being a terrified victim to a heroine for the Jews.
A favorite scene of mine is when Shosanna is at the theater getting ready for the premiere. She is first seen glancing out the window and a Nazi flag is right outside. The flag is all lit up showing it's dominance and she is halfway in the light and dark. When she's putting on her makeup, she smears red blush on her cheeks that resembles war paint, meaning she is ready to fight and will not give up. The Nazi flag is in the background during this scene, showing that while she is nothing like a Nazi, she is fighting like one. Her dress is a striking red color which stands out from the crowd yet blends with the flags in the cinema lobby. The shot of her looking over the balcony to the crowd makes her look powerful and the people small. She is considered "lesser" to the Nazi Germans" but she has made herself more powerful and bigger than them. I love the song "Cat People" by David Bowie that plays in the background. It's perfect for the scene.
Shosanna is my favorite because she is the strongest woman in the movie and rises up to be the hero out of all the characters.
The shot you refer to at the end, when S is on the balcony, is a point of view shot. We see what S sees. She is looking down at the Nazis as is the audience. Thus she is in a position of power.
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