Monday, December 21, 2015

The Hateful Eight

In Tarantino's latest masterpiece, a hateful group of eight (among them bounty hunters, gang members, and an old Southern general) are holed up together in Minnie's Haberdashery during a blizzard. Who's lying? Who lives and who dies? What is a haberdashery? These are the questions that fill our minds during the film.

After arriving at Minnie's Haberdashery, Minnie is notably missing. This detail eventually leads Major Warren to root out the lying and murderous Senor Bob. The loose end of what happened to Minnie is wrapped up, while the audience continues to wonder what a haberdashery is.

Is it like a stable, or an inn? Or are we thinking too simple here? Is it even a physical thing, or is it meant to be understood metaphorically? Is this the only haberdashery there is? Who entrusted Minnie with a haberdashery? Or did she make the haberdashery herself?

Nearing the climax of the film, the Hateful Eight are dropping away like flies. The beautiful camera work and Tarantino's signature gritty dialogue is almost enough to make you forget about the looming mystery of the haberdashery all together. But then it ends, and we are no closer to figuring out what it is.

I thought that after the credits we would see Minnie in a flashback to before she was killed (or she is a ghost), explaining what a haberdashery is, and why it was so important to everyone. Maybe she would also apologize to the audience, and explain how they didn't have time to work this scene into the main body of the film.

But nothing. Perhaps a sequel is on the way? "Minnie's Haberdashery: the Explanation of What is a Haberdashery." I hope so. I hope so.