Django was technically a Southern (it was set in Texas and Mississippi), meaning The Hateful Eight is actually Tarantino's first Western. Not that you'd immediately spot a direct connection between this and his beloved spaghetti westerns though; the film is set in wintery Wyoming mountains and is thus all bleak, snowy landscapes (most of the film takes place during a blizzard) where death by freezing is infinitely more likely than thirst. It makes the film stand out from the rest of the genre; a western in heart and style, yet one that's missing a key visual trait. It's just one more case of two contrasting ideas pushed together: this is a long film that flies by; an epic movie set in small locations all about character interplay. There's also an awful lot of conflicting ideals, from the fact the building where most of the film takes place is called a haberdashery for no clear reason and the whole Civil War backdrop literally dividing the group. Everything, from the technical filmmaking to the narrative construction to the broader themes, plays into the idea of these opposites working together. It makes for a unique, tense, exciting experience that feels big and powerful, and one that is just ripe for further explorations. Tarantino's gone on record saying he's only going to make two more movies. Let's hope they'll be as good this. The Hateful Eight is in cinemas in the US from 1st January 2016 (limited from 25th December) and the UK from 8th January 2016.
