Django Unchained

DJANGO UNCHAINED

Director : Quentin Tarantino

Year : 2013

Genre : Western

Rating : ***1/2

For months, all I have been hearing from people is how brilliant Quentin Tarantino's new slavery epic 'Django Unchained' is and that is the best film of 2013 so far. Being a fan of the director, I was looking forward to the film coming out on Blu-ray and now that I have seen all 2 hours and 45 minutes of it, I have to say while I enjoyed it, it isn't the best film of the year by any stretch. It isn't as focused as 'Inglorious Basterds' and it isn't as edgy as some of Tarantino's early work such as 'Pulp Fiction' or 'Jackie Brown'. However, there are some fantastic performances from Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio and especially Christoph Waltz and I was never bored. More than I can say for some of Tarantino's other work.

Jamie Foxx plays Django, a slave who is bought by a retired dentist, now bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz played by Christoph Waltz. Over time, Schultz agrees to help Django find his missing wife played by Kerry Washington and they soon confront the villainous Calvin Candie, a murderous Francophile who revels in slavery and persecution played by Leonardo DiCaprio.

Tarantino has never been one to shy away from violence and here he gives it to us in all of it's 'blood spray on the walls' splendour. I never have a problem with gratuitous violence on screen and there are some moments in 'Django Unchained' which really made me laugh inadvertently. However, there are some moments of strong bloody violence which didn't seem to serve any purpose at all. Innocent people are blown away by a hurricane of gunfire and due to the little characterisations given, we feel little empathy towards them. When we are expected to find the death of a seemingly unbeknownst victim comical, I'm not so sure that the director cares about ethics or taste. However as mentioned, there are dozens of scenes of explicitly gory violence that really made me laugh out loud and they outweigh the problematic deaths of innocents tenfold.

Just like 'Kill Bill : Vol. 2', 'Death Proof'' and 'Inglorious Basterds', 'Django Unchained' is far too long. At nearly 3 hours, the film does become tiresome in parts and would have benefitted greatly by a forceful editor. There are many scenes of inane and pointless dialogue which don't have the same snap and vigour as other Tarantino films do and really hold up both the action and the narrative. If the movie ended 40 minutes earlier after a clear break happens, then 'Django Unchained' would be an almost flawless movie. But no - one is ever going to say no to Tarantino and as a result, the film outstays it's welcome by quite a long way. By the end, the movie becomes rather a case of 'Django un-edited'.

However despite these problems, 'Django Unchained' clearly shows that Quentin Tarantino is still one of the best directors working in cinema today. There are some shots which are just gorgeous and his continual inventive use of camera angles and framing is constantly intriguing. With fabulously entertaining set pieces, fantastic characterisatons and a scathing satirical script, the movie is Tarantino's best since 'Kill Bill Vol.1'.  'Django Unchained' has less of the fan-boy element that annoys me so much about Tarantino's work and as a result I enjoyed the movie much more than his other recent reference filled films. Rather than seeming like 'Quentin Tarantino Film School', 'Django Unchained' feels more like 'Quentin Tarantino's How To Make A Visually Inventive And Entertaining Film'. 

The cast that has been chosen for 'Django Unchained' is probably one of the best assembled in a Tarantino movie since 'Pulp Fiction'. Jamie Foxx is brilliant as the revenge seeking Django, who transforms from down beaten slave to a gun wielding, vengeance seeking liberator. His dedication to his wife and his race is greatly admirable and his loyalty towards Schultz is truly heartfelt. To me, Foxx has never been given a role which shows his true acting talents, but thankfully Tarantino has now done that and I think that Django will prove to be one of his enduring characters, along with Vincent Vega, Jules Winfield and Hans Landa. Talking of Hans Landa, Christoph Waltz brings an innocent dynamic to the bounty hunter Dr. King Schulz. His cool exterior and dry German wit creates an instantly memorable character, one of my favourites of the year so far. Stealing every scene he is, Waltz deservedly won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

For years, I have been doubting the talents of Leonardo DiCaprio due to his poor performances in both 'Titanic' and 'The Quick & The Dead'. However over the past 5 years, he has really proven to be an actor of great talent in films such as 'Inception', 'J. Edgar' and 'Shutter Island'. 'Django Unchained' shows his best performance to date and if it was up to me, he would have also won an Academy Award. He is perfect as the scheming, malicious and evil Candie, whose love for slavery and violence is hideous and sickening. As well as scene stealers DiCaprio and Waltz, 'Django Unchained' features a darkly comic role by Tarantino favourite Samuel L. Jackson who is just brilliant as the brown nosing and hate filled Stephen, whose lust for cruelty and segregation is truly shocking. When a film has 3 scene stealers in scenes together, magic happens and many set pieces of 'Django Unchained' are equally riveting, entertaining and thought provoking. Unfortunately however, this does mean that Django himself is sidelined to a supporting role rather than the film's focal point and this can distract from the main drive and impetus of the movie.

While many films have dealt with the evilness of slavery such as Alan Parker's horrifying 'Mississippi Burning', 'Django Unchained' is one of the only ones I can think of which shows the violent brutality and persecution of an entire race. With scenes of hideous torture, senseless murder and wicked bloodlust, Tarantino has made a graphic portrait of an America which many would rather forget. With a somewhat overuse of the 'N' word and other derogatory terms, he creates a world in which persecution, segregation and casual murder where everyday and acceptable occurances. For this, Tarantino should be praised and many critics have seen 'Django Unchained' as a realistic, if not overexaggerated representation of mankinds darkest hours. However, just like 'Inglorious Basterds', 'Django Unchained' paints the picture of an America which revels in cruelty towards black people and the subsequent deaths of thousands and thousands of innocents. Unfortunately, Tarantino only uses Dr. King Schultz as the only character who despises slavery and doesn't show the true hatred felt towards segregation by millions of Americans. Like the Nazi's who disobeyed Hitler during the Holocaust, many white Americans didn't agree with slavery and I just wish that the director had taken the time to show this, rather than using 'Django Unchained' as an excuse to show hundreds of white people being brutally murdered in usually comic fashion.

On it's opening in cinemas, 'Django Unchained'  opened to wide commercial and critical acclaim, turning up on many American film critics best of 2012 list. I have a feeling that it may also appear on many British critics best of 2013 lists as well and who knows, it might appear on mine as well. While I enjoyed 'Django Unchained' immensely, to me, it doesn't rank as high as other movies which impressed more this year such as 'The Impossible', 'Les Miserables' and 'The Bay'.

For Tarantino fans, this is the treat you have been waiting for. It is an everlasting onslaught of violence, comedy and satire about one of the evillest acts of man. For me, it is not as accomplished as 'Inglorious Basterds' or 'Kill Bill Vol.1', but it is a heck of a good time and well worth the 3 year wait. I just wish that an editor had stood over Tarantino throughout the making of 'Django Unchained' and kept him in check. Then the film would be something to truly behold and admire.

You will like this if you liked : Kill Bill Vol. 2 & Inglorious Basterds