Django Unchained Review

Quentin Tarantino is one of the most talented and interesting writer/directors working in Hollywood today. He’s a man who has honed a unique filmmaking vision with some of the coolest films you’ll ever see. His name alone brings with it certain expectations of quality, and he always seems to come through.

With Django Unchained, Tarantino tackles the genre of spaghetti westerns and adds another quality film to his impressive resume.

Django Unchained is, at its heart, a love story. Yes, it’s cartoonishly hyper-violent. Sure, characters use language that would make my grandmother blush. Absolutely, some of the scenes are surprising and shocking. Yes, there are great liberties taken regarding the history of the South and the depictions of the people who lived there. Those are things that make Tarantino films, well, Tarantino films.

You know what other traits characterize Tarantino films? Smart, snappy dialog, beautiful scenery, a camera that seems to live within each character, great music that you will forever associate with that scene of the film, characters who are unique and unexpected. All of it comes together in a fantastic way to tell the story of a freed slave searching desperately across the South for his wife.

Django (Jamie Foxx) is rescued from slavery by the bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz). Leave it to Tarantino to name his German slave liberator Dr. King. Django partners with Dr. Schultz to search for his lovely bride, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington). Along the way, Django learns the bounty hunting business while taking on Klan-member plantation owners, armed gangs, and all manner of dangerous thugs.

Eventually, Django and Schultz learn of Broomhilda’s whereabouts and devise a rescue plan. Broomhilda is in “Candieland”, an old plantation in the heart of Mississippi that is notorious for mandingo fighting. For the uninitiated, mandingo fighting pits two large slaves in a Greco-Roman style fight-to-the-death. It’s all for the amusement of their white owners, naturally. It’s a brutal affair, and very lucrative for those who can afford it. Django and Schultz pose as a mandingo-fighting expert and a bored, rich, German investor, respectively, to get access to Candieland and have the chance to secure Broomhilda’s freedom.

Foxx and Waltz really bring these characters to life. Foxx takes complete ownership of the role of Django (the ‘D’ is silent!). He’s got swag, as the kids would say. He needs it too, since he often finds himself tossing insults at a bunch of armed white men just before he guns them down. He’s a man on a mission, and nothing is going to keep him from his wife, least of all some punks with big rifles and tiny brains. He’s not just a brainless super-warrior though. Django was a slave once, so he was never allowed to learn many things about the world.  There is a youthful enthusiasm and innocence to Django as Dr. Schultz tells stories of Germany or helps Django read wanted posters. The guy has had a hard life so far, and we just want him to find his wife, settle down, and enjoy the rest of his days, even if it means blasting through dozens of elitist white folk to get there.

Of course, Waltz won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Colonel Hans Landa in Tarantino’s last film, Inglourious Basterds and has secured another Best Supporting Actor nomination for his work here. In Waltz, Tarantino has a rock solid actor whose skill with language allows him to merge seamlessly from English to German to French. Waltz is amazing not only because he knows so many languages, but also because he knows how language itself is used. His speech can sometimes be fluffy or flowery with million dollar words that require a thesaurus to understand, but Waltz gives his words a singsong or rhythmic quality that allows him to pull it off. For kicks, imagine Gerard Butler reading some of Schultz’ lines. He’d sound like a complete doofus. When Waltz says those things, it makes Schultz likeable.

Unfortunately for Django and Waltz, Candieland is owned by Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), a bored, rich, powerful, and petulant man who inherited the massive plantation from his daddy. His life is so sheltered and automatic that he has long since handed off the day-to-day operations of the plantation. Now he expounds on his ridiculous theories of the negro and manages his mandingo fights. He’s snide and smarmy and overly proud. He can be angry and nasty when he’s not getting his way, and he can be exuberant and showy when he’s talking about something he enjoys. He's a spoiled brat, basically. DiCaprio does wonders with the character.

The most important person in Candieland, however, is Stephen. He keeps everyone in line, slave and white man alike, so that Candieland runs like a well-oiled machine. Nothing happens without Stephen’s knowledge. Samuel L. Jackson’s portrayal of the top slave in the plantation is spectacular. Jackson brought his A-game on this one. Whenever he’s on screen you can’t take your eyes off the sneaky bastard.

Tarantino is able to bring each of these characters to life in the most unexpected ways. Who is the most ruthless person in Candieland? Not Calvin, the owner of the place and presumed “boss”. Not any of his henchmen and hired muscle armed to the teeth with pistols and rifles. Stephen, himself a slave, is absolutely the most fearsome guy around. Who is the most compassionate person in the film? Not Django, who is willing to do anything necessary to save his wife and goes all-in as a black slaver. It’s Dr. Schultz, the bounty hunter. A man who kills other people and sells their bodies to the law. Even Schultz’ horse, Fritz, has personality. He gives a little bow every time Schultz introduces him. You don’t expect such detailed characters, but you enjoy it when you see it.

There are many great things I could say about Django Unchained. It’s one of the most entertaining films of 2012 (No, really. I put it at #3 on my Top 10 of 2012 list). From the great little moments peppered throughout the film, to the great music, to the cool cinematic flourishes, to the final epic conclusion, Django Unchained never disappoints. In fact, it’s the type of film that gets better on repeated viewings. The second time I saw it, I was able to get into the flow of the film and roll along with the great story that Tarantino had prepared. It’s definitely worth the trip to the theater to catch such an epic and fantastic film.

4.5 Stars out of 5

Are you a fan of Tarantino’s latest masterpiece? Are you offended by geysers of fake blood and prolific use of the ‘n’ word? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter!