Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino’s foray into the western genre, Django Unchained is not your average Hollywood theater experience.  This movie takes place in America two years before the civil war.  A German dentist-turned-bounty-hunter named Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) needs the help of a black slave named Django (Jamie Fox) in order to identify his next bounty.  The two strike a bargain and begin working together.  They hatch a risky plan to save Django’s wife from a plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).  Will they succeed in rescuing the damsel in distress?

The Tarantino style is recognizable her, or at least the “Neo-tino” style that we have come to recognize.  The budget is bigger and the dialog is shorter, but the comically graphic violence is still there along with the classically seventies sounding music and sociopathic villains.  The patented style of dark humor is present throughout.  The film is extremely well-made.  The production value is at the same level as Inglorious basterds which was markedly higher than his previous films.  The sets and costumes set a rich backdrop for the characters to move through.

I enjoyed this movie but when it was over, I felt a little disappointed like something was missing.  It took me a long time to realize, but it is because there are only three characters in this movie.  Schultz is a fantastic, verbally dexterous character and Candie is a fabulously loathe-able villain with distinct flair.  I didn’t actually like the character of Django, and found myself not caring what happened to him.  His wife was a non-character and did nothing but caused the duo problems during the escape attempt, and scream an awful lot.  I was particularly disappointed by this because Tarantino typically provides some pretty interesting female roles.  Also, because there is only one set of characters, there is only one storyline.  That storyline is followed in a linear way that is also atypical of the classic Tarantino film. 

This won’t eek into the realm of a favorite, but I really had fun on this movie.  It is nearly three hours long, but I didn’t feel the length and was entertained the entire time.  I laughed the whole way through.  Waltz and DiCaprio are nominated against each other for Golden Globes for their performances and they deserve it.  The film itself is also nominated for best Drama, Best Screenplay, and Best Director, which I don’t think it deserves.  The film is extremely violent and the language is very strong, so if you are sensitive to these things, please stay away from this movie.  But if you are a fan of dark humor, Waltz or DiCaprio, or are following the award circuit then this is a must-see.  If you are a Tarantino fan, or plan to watch the Golden Globes, go see this before it leaves the theater, but otherwise I would suggest waiting for Red Box. 

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