Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Jamie Fox, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio
In an ode to the Spaghetti Western and Blaxploitation genres that basically defined his childhood, Quentin Tarantino directs a blood-spilling epic in “Django Unchained”. And as we’ve come to expect, he directs the hell out of it.
Tarantino’s gripping flair for storytelling and unique combo of explicit, cringe-worthy violence, accompanied by the darkest of humor leaves almost nothing to be desired. Tarantino tackles the abomination that was slavery in pre-civil war America by setting the film in the Deep South (Yeah, pretty legit), but making it like a Spaghetti Western (Uhh…. What?). Who else right? Even crazier, while Tarantino does partially stick to a classic Ennio Morricone (the Godfather of Spaghetti Western soundtracks) soundtrack, he also brings in some not-so-classic songs, including Rick Ross’ “100 Black Coffins”, John Legend’s “Who did that to you”, and most astoundingly, a mash-up of James Brown and Tupac. This soundtrack will get you hyped.
The plot is literally all over the place. Django, a slave played by a subtly steaming Jamie Foxx, is offered his freedom by one Dr. King Schultz, a German dentist turned bounty hunter, in return for tracking down and identifying the scumbag Brittle Brothers, who carry a hefty price tag on their heads. Schultz is a great Tarantino character, consisting of that knack for untimely humor, and whose depth, complexity and flair reel us in regardless of his/her underlying intentions. Incidentally, another great Tarantino character, Colonel Hans Landa (the Jew-Hunting Nazi in Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds”) is played by the same actor, the great Christoph Waltz, who earned an Oscar for his performance as that Jew-hunting Nazi and is up for another for his work in “Django”. Impressive stuff Mr. Waltz.
Moving on, Django obviously accepts this generous offer, and once their work is done, King Schultz offers his services in freeing Django’s wife, Broomhilda, who is still enslaved. Yep, that’s an African-American woman called Broomhilda. They end up at a cotton plantation called Candyland, owned by the wannabe Francophone (and slightly menacing sociopath), Monsieur Candie. Candie is played by a charming (in a psychopathic way) Leonardo Dicaprio, exempt from his good-guy image and having a ball playing a character who considers racism a simple norm, nothing to take exception to. And yes, he insists that you call him Monsieur. I won’t spoil the rest, but you’re going to enjoy watching the plot unwind (look out for a surprising appearance from Samuel L. Jackson – always a joy to watch).
Here’s the bottom line. Does “Django” possess any form of historical accuracy? Nope, I guarantee you Tarantino didn’t open a single history book. But this thing is all sorts of crazy and fun. While the history and deep emotional appeal that is lacking won’t reel you in, the sheer illogical impunity with which it tells its story will. The dialogue, as Tarantino would have it, is entertaining to the max. Listening to members of what would go on to become the KKK argue about the size of the eye holes on their headwear (with one taking exception because his wife had cut the bags) is just too funny because it paints them as complete bumbling idiots.
Ultimately, a film stylized as a blend between the Spaghetti Western and Blaxploitation genres (Tarantino self-proclaimed it a “Southern”), with a flashy, violent, exploitative overtone gets its message across. Through flashbacks tailored to expose the inhumanity of slavery, and characters such as Candie’s slave/servant Stephen (played by a terrific Samuel L. Jackson) embodying the complete loss of hope and dignity amongst black slaves, Tarantino conveys a big-issue sentiment in what comes across as an exploitative revenge film. It’s pure genius.