Django Unchained

I only had one thought on my mind for this Christmas: see Django Unchained. Quentin Tarantino's latest opus, a Western set two years before the Civil War, concerns a former slave named Django (Jamie Foxx). He is freed by bounty hunter Dr. King Shultz (Christoph Waltz) in order to help him with a bounty. Quite quickly, Shultz takes Django under his wing and trains him as his partner. But he made him a promise: that he would rescue his wife from a plantation owned by the ruthless Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). And rescuing her is not going to be all that easy.

What pains me the most about Django Unchained, as a die-hard Tarantino fan, is just how sloppy it all seems. I enjoyed every minute of it, but I could never shake the feeling of how messy and thrown together it all feels. Portions of the film feel episodic (the search for the Brittle Brothers, mentioned heavily in the trailers, begins and ends practically within minutes), and some scenes just seem to play out just for the fun of it. Another scene from the trailers involving a lynch mob with bags covering their faces seems added for comedic purposes, and has no real point of actually existing. More than any of his films before it, Django feels like Tarantino simply making a movie for sheer pleasure and with no outside motivations or controllers.

The film threatens to go totally off the rails at any given moment, and lacks any real sense of direction or focus. It may sound ridiculous, but the loss of editor Sally Menke confirms a sneaking suspicion I always had about Tarantino – he needed a steady right hand to help encourage him as to what was needed and what was not. I do not want to criticize Django's editor Fred Raskin, but it is obvious he is no Menke and that works against the film heavily. It lacks the polish we have come to expect, and is practically stripped of the glossy/cool texture so prevalent in Tarantino's work up until now.

But then maybe that was his intention all along, and perhaps Tarantino is airing out his frustrations with life and film in general. Django is deliberately shot on film (or at least from the print I saw), and looks very gritty and messy at all times. It is significantly more brutally violent than anything he has worked on before (the borderline cartoonish Kill Bill included), and has a very go for broke attitude about itself. The film seems to revel in how brilliantly it can splatter all the blood and gore (done through the use of squibs and no digital!), and how uncomfortably numbing it can make the violence. I know he does not care what people think of his films, but this movie especially seems like an emphatically raised middle finger to the establishment. And for all of my complaints about how messy it all feels, I was never once bored or felt like the movie was dragging itself out. The staggering 165-minute running time shockingly flies by faster than you might ever imagine.

Acting wise, Tarantino stacks the deck with a number of recognizable character actors young and old for roles that vary in size. Most have very few lines, if any at all, and seem to just stand by, just as content as the audience is to watch the action unfold. It is a little off-putting, especially with how important some of these characters are initially made out to be. Washington as Broomhilda von Shaft (one of the most subtle references he's ever dropped) does well as the helpless victim and frequent dreamlike object – but she never really gets to show off any of her acting prowess outside of her facial reactions. They are increasingly effective, especially during horrific flashback scenes. But her work here feels ridiculously stunted in comparison to the other leads. Samuel L. Jackson, much like Tarantino himself, seems to just be having fun in his role as Candie's adviser Stephen. He plays on every ridiculous stereotype he ever has been associated with and then amps it up to a near ludicrous state. He is frequently hilarious, but the role seems to border on parody more than anything else.

Surprisingly, Foxx takes a very long time settling into the leading role. It may just be the character, but it is quite clear from the on- set that he is not very comfortable in Django's shoes, and leads credence to why Will Smith, amongst so many others, dropped out of the picture so quickly. But once he finds his footing, he does a fantastic job walking the thin line between empathetic and sadistic. It is not an easy character to play, but Foxx makes it his own, bringing a sense of style and grace that are virtually absent from the rest of the film. And of course, he gets all the best lines.

Waltz and DiCaprio are the clear standouts however, nailing every nuance of their sadly underwritten characters. While Waltz plays the straight man, DiCaprio is delightfully unhinged and vicious. Both are playing directly against type, yet are strangely comfortable in the roles. Watching them act circles around the rest of the cast, Foxx included, is the true highlight of the film. I just wish they were both given additional emphasis and more to do.

For all of its numerous faults, I had a blast watching Django Unchained. It is hilarious, it is a lot of fun, and is wildly enjoyable. I genuinely think it could have been a lot better if there was more focus and direction, but this is very clearly a picture Tarantino wanted to make on his own terms. And for that, I applaud him for the effort. It is not his best work, but certainly not his worst.

8/10.

(Jamie Fox, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Walton Goggins, James Remar, Don Johnson, Bruce Dern & Samuel L. Jackson)

Set in the Wild West in Texas in 1858, a former dentist turned bounty hunter named Schultz stumbles upon the Speck Brothers who are in transit moving slaves they own. Schultz gets to talking with a slave named Django inquiring if he's heard of the Brittle brothers, upon affirmation of such information Schultz proceeds to purchase Django if he helps him locate and take care of the brothers than he would grant Django his freedom along with a horse and $75. Schultz then takes Django under his wing training him the ways of the bounty hunter and he becomes his deputy. After successfully tracking and taking out the Brittle Brothers and many other targets over the winter Django tells Schultz his story of how he and his wife attempted to escape their former owner and then were sold separately, and how he would like to use that reward to purchase his wife back. They discover the location of a Mississippi plantation where Broomhilda, his wife , was sold. They learn the ruthless Calvin Candie Von Shaft is the new owner and they now know that a scheme needs to be plotted to successfully purchase Broomhilda without raising suspicion that she was the target all along.

For a nearly three hour movie it certainly doesn't feel that way as the film is so action packed that it'll keep you on your toes the entire duration of the film. A beautifully produced piece of film that stacks up with every other great Tarantino film, it just fits the mold so perfectly. Well developed characters and a unique story like none other. So much originality has been missing in westerns i feel like this one fueled the next decade of great westerns that have been released. This long list of actors in this film is quite extraordinary as there was even more great actors i could have listed. The soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal and I'll admit i listen to this frequently it just fit the film perfect. The dialog was written so nicely creating some iconic scenes. Anyone who truly loves film can not get enough of this Tarantino masterpiece.

Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) is a bounty hunter. To identify his next catch, he tries to purchase Django (Jamie Foxx). Thing go all wrong Tarantino style. The two become friends and Dr Schultz decide on a plan to free Django's wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from a notorious plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).

This is Quentin Tarantino all the way. His style has become as unique & original as they come. There is no mistaking it for another. It's the music, the violence, the visuals, the black humor, and the subject matter. This is all Tarantino. If there is one complain, it's the double climax. While I understand the need for a happy Hollywood ending, it would have been better to have 1 big gun fight and just finish with it. Not that big of a deal. Certainly it's still a great film.

This is a movie that wouldn't work with every other director other than Tarantino. Just like all of his movies, film making top tier. Every aspect of this film is amazing

Django Unchained is a 2012 Hollywood movie depicting the story of a former slave turned freeman who just wants to get his wife back. He will stop at nothing to unite with his wife.

A brilliant masterpiece of a movie. The gut-wrenching way in which slavery in past-America is depicted is simply awe-inspiring. Quentin Tarantino goes all out to show the viewers what slavery was like in those days.

Every character in the movie were aptly cast and put on a splendid show. Every scene with Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz is memorable and impressionable.

All in all, this is a Tarantino movie. So, you gotta watch it. A revenge story so good that it will stir up your insides!