18

I gather that John Ruth's driver O.B. is not considered one of the "hateful eight," but he is present for all of the film's events and seems as much a part of the story as any of the others.

I like the rhyming title, but I was confused during the film about who the eight were when there were clearly nine people present at Minnie's, at least until folks start dying and

another character comes out of his hiding place.

Improve this question
6
  • it might be related to the eight character's professions.
    – guy_sensei
    Commented Jan 7, 2016 at 19:25
  • 1
    I don't think he hated anyone.
    – DA.
    Commented Jan 7, 2016 at 19:47
  • 6
    It doesn't rhyme. :)
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Jan 8, 2016 at 10:07
  • 3
    I haven't seen the film yet but it sounds like a meta-joke, since The Hateful Eight isn't really Tarantino's 8th movie.
    – DisgruntledGoat
    Commented Jan 10, 2016 at 1:53
  • @DisgruntledGoat I agree, but you can just about keep it to his eighth movie if you only count movies he both wrote and directed and you count Kill Bill as one movie. It's a stretch.
    – Adam Chalcraft
    Commented Feb 7, 2020 at 7:22

4 Answers 4

Reset to default
9

General Sandy Smithers, you may recall, was just some chump sitting around a fire and wasn't really hateful towards any in the group. he had no beef with anyone, he was just in the right place at the right time. Also, Ruth's driver (O.B. Jackson) wasn't hateful towards anyone either. Which leaves:

  • Major Marquis Warren - Samuel L. Jackson
  • John Ruth - Kurt Russell
  • Daisy Domergue - Jennifer Jason Leigh
  • Sheriff Chris Mannix - Walton Goggins
  • Bob - Demián Bichir
  • Oswaldo Mobray - Tim Roth
  • Joe Gage - Michael Madsen
  • Jody - Channing Tatum

8 main players. Also, don't over look the fact that this is Tarantino's 8th movie, the movie's overture contains exactly 8 notes used repetitiously, while in the background there are 8 distinctive mountain peaks. See any "theme" there that might lend to the movie being called "The Hateful Eight"?

Improve this answer
10
  • 1
    Actually I was under the impression that Channing's character was one of the 8 and O.B. was considered a by-stander like Bruce Dern's character.
    – sanpaco
    Commented Jan 7, 2016 at 19:53
  • 1
    In the "cast" section, the Wikipedia article on the movie gives nicknames to eight of the character--those who are present for during the film's main action, except for O.B. and Jody (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hateful_Eight#Cast). It's not clear where those nicknames come from, but I assume it's from press materials and the like. They're clearly propped up as the movie's main characters, which is is why I assume that O.B. and Jody are not part of the "eight."
    – Carl Fink
    Commented Jan 7, 2016 at 20:24
  • 4
    @CarlFink the grouping and nicknames of the principal eight characters are given in the souvenir program handed out as part of the 70mm roadshow presentations, as seen here: imgur.com/a/oxM2M
    – pimlottc
    Commented Jan 13, 2016 at 5:04
  • 9
    General Smithers didn't hate anyone? I don't think so. He actually dies because of his hate. Even if we accept that it was another man's hate that in turn intentionally provoked his, he still dies because of his hate. And even before that incident he hated Warren.
    – Napoleon Wilson
    Commented Feb 5, 2016 at 10:15
  • 3
    Gerneral Sandy Smithers is absolutely one of the eight and full of hate. Against "niggers" and against the murderer of his sun, standing in front of him as black one.
    – user31407
    Commented Feb 20, 2016 at 15:25
5

This promotional featurette from the Weinstein Company (on the FILMISNOW YouTube) numbers and names the “eight” thus:

promo still 1 1: “The Bounty Hunter” Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L Jackson)

promo still 2 2: “The Hangman” John Ruth (Kurt Russell)

promo still 3 3: “The Confederate” General Sandy Smithers (Bruce Dern)

promo still 4 4: “The Sheriff” Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins)

promo still 5 5: “The Mexican” Bob (Demián Bichir)

promo still 6 6: “The Little Man” Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth)

promo still 7 7: “The Cow Puncher” Joe Gage (Michael Madsen)

promo still 8 8: “The Prisoner” Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh)

Improve this answer
0

OB and sheriff Chris Mannix were not among the hateful eight because Mannix gave up his hate in the end, and apparently found somekind of redemption through accepting major Warren and the Lincoln letter. While Jody, Daisy, grouch, Bob, Pete were unredeemable killers and gang members, Smithers wrought consequences because of his hate, and John Ruth and major warren were unrepentant, retaining their hate to the end.

Improve this answer
0

I think its because the 5 in the outlaw gang and the 3 dead outlaws that Sam Jackson's character was bringing in to town, Making 8. That to me sounds like something Tarantino would do for one last question that everyone would talk about, as well as a last laugh. Everyone else wasn't down right hateful. They had jobs to do and they did them.

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .