So I’m a little late to the game, but better late than never! I will preface by saying that I am, without a doubt, a fan of director Quentin Tarantino (jury is still out on Quentin Tarantino, the actor). For those who are also present in Tarantino’s world of fandom, Django promises to be a film that will go down as a classic. For those who treasure the Spaghetti Westerns of the 1960’s, add a splash of Commedia dell’arte, Tarantino opens the genre further with his soon to be cult film.
*For those of you who have not yet seen this film, spoilers may follow!
Django Unchained opens in the soon to be dead of night in 1858, before the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. After a German bounty hunter, Dr. Shultz (Christoph Waltz) acquires Django (Jamie Foxx), a slave, who helps him track and identify the brutal, murderous Brittle Brothers promising that afterward, Django would be a Free-man.
After their success, Dr. Schultz and Django decide to become partners and bring a series of criminals to justice, dead or alive, although given Tarantino’s film history, you can safely assume they are brought in only one way. Upon the passing of Winter, Django shifts his attention to rescuing his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) who was sold as a slave to a gentleman by the name of Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). Enter: adventure and mayhem as the misfit heros fight for their independence.
A tale of sacrifice, determination and the occasional blood bath with a twist, Django Unchained left me cringing and wanting more. Tarantino’s special blend of comedy and gore was at its finest. Audience members cheered for the good guy, were repulsed by the sliminess of the bad guys and laughed at the sheer ridiculousness that we have come to expect and love from Tarantino. Christoph Waltz is the perfect wise guy, with a sense of sincerity, to straight man Jamie Foxx and his unwavering devotion to his cause. Running nearly 3 hours, Django is a bloody, violent, heartwarming, triumphant film, not for the faint of heart!
