[manasecret]

I loved the movie for its wonderful use of suspense. Pretty much every scene had me cringing wondering what was going to happen, if the "good" guys would make it out alive or if the "bad" guys would prevail or somewhere in between. The movie hardly ever let up. I think Quentin can probably take much of the credit for that. The chapter style of this movie is much like most of his other movies.

I don't think any message from it is supposed to be taken seriously. It's an over-the-top farce. My guess is you may have some issues with that statement, as it's somewhat similar to your issue with the Jon Stewarts of the world hiding their message behind humor, but I think it's a legitimate statement. The movie was a farce.

I was also completely struck by Christoph Waltz's performance. He alone created the suspense I loved in much of the scenes. His scene at the end I agree is somewhat out of character, but believable enough to be forgiven. It may even be written off as part of the farce. Here you have this devastatingly smart and brutal Nazi officer who expertly toys with his victims, who in the end is defeated by a simple trick.