Django Unchained

Cast
Django: Jamie Foxx
Dr. King Schultz: Christoph Waltz
Calvin Candie: Leonardo DiCaprio
Broomhilda von Shaft: Kerry Washington
Stephen: Samuel L. Jackson

Plot Summary

Django Unchained is set in Texas, in the year 1858. 2 years before the American Civil War. A German born, former dentist turned bounty hunter named Dr. King Schultz seeks out a brutalised slave, Django. Schultz offers to buy his freedom in exchange for helping him to track down 3 slave owners wanted for murder called the Brittle brothers. Django accepts in order to gain his total freedom and find his wife who was sold separately in Greenville. He partners with Schultz through the Winter and is trained  to become his apprentice. As the working partnership draws to an end, Schultz speaks about how he still feels that he is responsible for Django and is driven to help him on his quest to rescue his wife, Broomhilda. Retrieving her is the new mission which Schultz, a proud German and believer in traditional, romantic fairy tales willingly assists with, as long as Django remains his partner. Eventually the pair learn that she was sold to a plantation called Candyland in Mississippi belonging to a mercilessly savage owner; Calvin Candie. The comrades know that  they cannot expect Candie to entertain offers for the release of Broomhilda, especially if they are forthright with their request. So, they devise a cunning plan whereby they are welcomed into the plantation. They use the diversion to their advantage as they attempt to reclaim Broomhilda.

I predict that 20 years from now, Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained will be considered one of the most important films of the 21st century. Mark my words, its impact will become more apparent as it ages. Much like Roots and Uncle Tom's Cabin it portrays an evil characterisation of slavery in the Deep South, a subject that many directors and producers alike have been afraid to tackle head on. Slavery is shown through the grim and raw, unrestrained intensity of a classic spaghetti western. Yet aside from the on -screen violence and profane language, it is undeniable that Django Unchained contains fearlessly audacious storytelling.

Django Unchained is a shameless reminder of Hollywood's failure to tackle the harrowing topic of slavery. There is an insufficient amount of mainstream movies about slavery despite it lasting over 300 years and it being strongly ingrained as part of American history. Whereas Django Unchained has no qualms, it grapples with the formidable subject of slavery from the outset, it is brave and unflinching. There is an unblinking determination to show the heinous monstrosity that was slavery - a whole portion of humanity that was ranked no higher than animals and treated worse than livestock.

Through Django's eyes we witness the barbaric, remorseless, vicious world that was slavery in the 1800's. It was the height of cruelty, slaves were shackled, mistreated, beaten, whipped and killed. They were deprived of basic human rights.

Django Unchained is in essence a visceral recreation about slavery in the Antebellum South told in the style of a punchy, brutal and intelligent spaghetti western. This is where Tarantino's cinematic homages and pastiches become distinctly ascertainable. He is admittedly a huge fan of iconic Western directors such as Sergio Leone and Sergio Corbucci, chiefly the latter, who he names as one of the greatest western directors of all time. Corbucci's "West" is the most violent, most brutal and surreal West. No character is guaranteed safe passage. Tarantino revealed that "I tried to think of the closest equivalent of the pitiless, depraved Corbucci West that he presented. I thought of being a slave in the American South."
There are 2 types of violence in this film. The violence that depicts what could happen to slaves, that is ugly and hard to watch. Then there is the cathartic violence and it is surreal, grand and operatic.
This is certainly one of the most violent pictures Tarantino has made; men pummel each other to death, flesh explodes, women are savagely branded, bullet wounds spurt blood dramatically, dogs rip men apart. Why? Tarantino is uncompromisingly steadfast here, he is forcing us to watch and come to terms with the unadulterated moral bankruptcy in the history of the American South. To downplay the heinous barbarousness of slavery would be an affront to the people viewing and their ancestors.

Tarantino is well known for being no stranger to controversy and Django Unchained didn't disappoint, virtually drawing in surges of fierce criticism after the supposed over use of racial epithets and excessive gun violence. People questioned whether a film about slavery should even be made, especially considering that it was a comedy drama and is very, very bloody.
Some have argued the portrayal of slavery has become too flippant. It is true, there is rampant use of "N" word, it has been used over 100 times in this picture. There were some, such as Spike Lee who called for the movie to be boycotted.
There is no doubt that slavery is a hard topic to openly discuss; the way human beings were treated as chattel purely based on their skin colour is almost unspeakable and painful. However the "N" word is more than just a word, it serves as a reminder of the legacy of racial oppression, those who decry it are not fully understanding its vital use. It is historically accurate for the period of the 1800's, failing to use it in its vicious context would render the film to be a lie. 

The characters are ingenious, in particular Schultz, Candie and Stephen. Their complexity develops throughout the movie as their characters develop. Tarantino demonstrates why no writer is revered more for their characters or written dialogue. Schultz feels like it's his fate to aid Django as he despises slavery. Stephen is stubborn and seems to betray his own race in serving his white master, he is the stereotypical "Uncle Tom" character. Candie is a vile, evil human being. He has a particular fondness for Mandingo fighting (a reference to the 1975 film Mandingo) where two men graphically rip, gouge and snap each other to death.

Yet, the film is hilarious. In spite of its subject matter Tarantino insists on us enjoying the experience. A scene involving a raid on our heroes is certainly the best example. We see dozens of the Klu Klux Klan riding on horseback, their torches engulfing the night in flames. They then stop and spend twenty minutes complaining about ridiculous trivialities - the humourous dialogue is another staple of the Tarantino brand. This is just one of many extremely funny scenes that seems to contrast with the horrifying reality of the attitudes of the Klansmen.

Django Unchained is a testament to Tarantino's vast knowledge of films because no one loves movies (the good, the bad, and the obscure) more. A film that truly demonstrates his fanboy giddiness which comes across in every single frame, every carefully crafted baroque pop monologue and in every specially chosen soundtrack nugget. Most of all because Tarantino's passion is infectious, it shines throughout the duration of the film.

One of the joys of the film is the camaraderie between Django and Dr. Schultz which grows throughout the the film from a fellowship to an inseparable double act. We smile as they execute their revenge and kill dozens of men as it is juxtaposed against the incredible, breathtaking scenery of the beautiful, mountainous western landscape. The imagery replicates so many of the bountiful and distinguished John Ford westerns. There is a remarkable amount of beauty in the lush scenery, the flowing rivers, deep valleys and snowy peaks. It embraces the classic concept of two men, riding majestically along the prairie,which is part of the allure that allows us to seamlessly fall into the movie's spell. Thus, making the abrupt and unforeseen acts of ferocity seem all the more sudden and disquieting.

Another great theme of the film is the prohibited romance. Two people who adore one another and are destined to be together, but kept apart due to the actuality of their situation; they are slaves. Django Unchained takes on a certain eerie romanticism, like the finest spaghetti westerns of a bygone era. We empathise with Django in his quest to rescue his wife while subconsciously enjoying the retribution he pays on the slavers that have ruthlessly enslaved his race. This lends a certain level of sobriety to the whole proceeding. 

Django Unchained's greatness stems from the fact that it works on so many levels. There has rarely been a film so unclassifiable - a trademark that runs throughout Tarantino's body of work. Aside from it being a marvelous spaghetti western, it also works as comedy, action, adventure, drama, horror and suspense. The film manages to masterfully mix other genres such as a classic Western, a romance, and a 70's style exploitation B-Movie.

Another Tarantino trademark is his use of "zooms". They have become part of his style in homage to many of his beloved late sixties and early seventies films, particularly exploitation, martial arts and Italian genre flicks.

The references in this film are too genius to ignore. Where do you start? We should note the basis for this film is the incredibly violent 1966 Django. Other references can be seen from Gone With the Wind, Blazing Saddles and Death Rides a Horse.

Some are blatantly obvious e.g. The KKK scene parodies D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation. However some are less so, but it doesn't matter as the film is still satisfying, not fully getting the reference doesn't even detract an ounce from the film. Another great skill that Tarantino possesses, he doesn't alienate his audience because they aren't arty film buffs like himself.

The soundtrack: Tarantino outdoes himself with the Django Unchained soundtrack, featuring a rich musical score with an eclectic blend of spiritual, folk music and hip hop. It nods to classics such as Ennio Morricone, famous for some of the most instantly recognisable and award winning film scores, the maestro composed music for the Eastwood-Sergio Leone Trilogy. The legendary Italian composer offered a great track for the film.

One minute we are admiring the stunning mountain views against John Legend and Jim Croce. The next we are watching organs explode to Rick Ross, James Brown and 2Pac. It does not matter that the music is not historically accurate, it heightens the mood in the scene.  A couple of tracks are even borrowed from other Westerns.

Also featured prominently are several tracks from Don Siegel’s Clint Eastwood Western Two Mules for Sister Sara and the song “His Name Is King” is from the spaghetti western His Name Was King.

My personal favourite is John Legends's Who Did That To You? It fit perfectly with the scene and the moment.

A scene that stands out to me in particular is when Dr Schultz candidly addresses the moviegoers and says "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist" following a prolonged period in the film without Tarantino-style violence, it is then followed by the bloodiest scene in the film. This was very much Tarantino speaking directly to his audience.

It is obvious that Tarantino is not universally popular, some find the extreme violence in his films abhorrent and socially irresponsible. He is often criticised for being emotionally depthless, yet I feel myself remembering the overwhelming moments of kindness more than the acts of violence. Shallowness is not prevalent in Django Unchained, the devoted adulation of Broomhilda is incredibly sweet, and never seems hammy or artificial. The picture also offers one of the finest relationships, the eternal friendship between Django and Schultz, it transcends the boundaries of race and colour and instead focuses on the virtue and noble integrity in humanity. The true friendship symbolises the values of their characters, brave, true and fearless. A beacon of hope in a time of madness.
Despite all controversy, Tarantino's popularity has never waned, we go to his movies because we know we will be entertained, not just by the characters themselves but also the bizarre storylines. The potpourri of comedy and action attracts us to his picture, but it's Django Unchained's message that resonates. It forces us to confront the reality of the horrors and have a new found respect and small understanding of what the experience must have been like for slaves in the era. 

Django Unchained is more than just a shallow revenge fantasy from the point of view of a freed slave. Tarantino succeeds in showing us the truth of slavery, he seeks to shake us, captivate us and inform us. The constant genre shifting results in a motion picture experience that is nothing short of exhilarating.

Dedicated to Julia Craggs