Standartenführer (Colonel) Hans Landa is a cruel and ruthless, but charming, courteous, polyglot and diabolically intelligent German SS officer in the Sicherheitsdienst (Security Service or SD, the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany). He is nicknamed "The Jew Hunter" in reference to his keen ability to locate Jews hiding throughout France, a nickname he feels he's earned and wears with a certain measure of pride. Besides German, he speaks at least English, French and Italian. Despite several loyalty awards in the SS, Landa does not believe in Nazi ideology, and by the end of the film he is revealed to be driven by ambition and gladly switches sides over to the winning party when opportunity strikes. He even manages to negotiate a hefty deal such as a house on Nantucket Island, his military pension, recognition as being a war hero for working with America and to be awarded the Medal of Honor. [source: wiki]
And this will be DID (Dragon In Dreams) next upcoming release: a 1/6 scale 12-inch military figure of Sicherheitsdienst SS Standartenfuhrer "Hans" in France of 1943 ("Hans" will be available in April 2011). He's a dead ringer for Colonel Hans Landa for sure and the likeness looks to be even better than the headsculpt released by Hot Toy.
In the movie, Hans Landa appears to be the recipient of several high awards and decorations of Nazi Germany. He is seen wearing the Blood Order, indicating that he either participated in Hitler's 1923 Beer Hall Putsch, or that he had been a Nazi Party member since no later than 1932; his status as a veteran Nazi is reinforced by the Golden Party Badge, only worn by the first 100,000 NSDAP members, and the Honour Chevron, indicating Party membership before 1930. On his dinner dress uniform, he is seen wearing the Golden Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross with Swords, the highest possible grade of this order.
A listing of Hans Landa's decorations are as follows: Blood Order, Knight's Cross of the War Merit Cross (in Gold with Swords), War Merit Cross (First and Second Class with Swords), Golden Party Badge, Iron Cross (First and Second Class), SS Long Service Award, Sudetenland Medal (with Prague Castle Bar), Germanic Proficiency Runes, Anti-Partisan Guerrilla Warfare Badge, Honour Chevron for the Old Guard, Sicherheitsdienst Sleeve Diamond, Reichssicherheitshauptamt Cuffband
Quentin Tarantino has said that Landa might be the greatest character he's ever written. He originally wanted Leonardo DiCaprio for the part. The director then decided to have the character played by a German actor. The role ultimately went to the Austrian Waltz, who, according to Tarantino, "gave me my movie back," as he felt the movie could not be made without Landa as a character but feared the part was "unplayable."
Waltz won the Best Actor Award at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival for his performance. Due to his role as Hans Landa, Waltz has received many offers from directors to play roles in their films, enough for him to describe the situation as "wild."
In January 2010, Waltz won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor. That same month he won a Screen Actors Guild Award in the same category. On February 2, at the announcement of the nominees for the 82nd Academy Awards he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, which he won on March 7. On February 21 he won the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor.
Hans Landa has been compared to several other characters in fiction. His "larger-than-life cunning" and "European sensibility" have been compared to that of a Bond villain. Waltz himself has compared the character to Sherlock Holmes, due to the meticulous, theatrical way Landa searches for Jews and traitors. Landa was also compared to Die Hard villain Hans Gruber, due to his disdain for the inferior intellect of those around him.
And here's a picture of Hot Toys MMS134 (Movie Masterpiece Series) 1/6th scale Col. Hans Landa Collectible Figure with Christoph Waltz likeness from the "Inglourious Basterds" movie - see my posts HERE & HERE
How about some Hollywood Germans?
You can pre-order your DID 1/6 Sicherheitsdienst SS-Standartenfuhrer, France 1943 - "Hans" 12-inch military figure now at TFH (launch date: May 2011)
1 comment:
Nice heads. The cunning-smile head is long expected though the sculpt can further be improved. HT's head seems too serious. The accompanying telephone is a bonus ! DID now supplements what HT didn't do -- walking-out uniform, smiling head, telephone, filling the "niche" !
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