As a young Jewish girl in Nazi-occupied France, Shosanna Dreyfus is merely a soft-spoken victim. But when she plays the role of Emmanuelle Mimieux, she becomes the stuff of movie fantasies: the vengeful heroine who burns down the Nazi empire. Basking in her beauty (check out the red dress opposite the Nazi flag), Tarantino employs Shosanna as both the beating heart of Inglourious Basterds and its symbol of cinematic power. Even after she’s dead, her projection gets the last laugh.