Django Unchained
Django Unchained is straight forward, linear and full of blood. It is the story of a German bounty hunter who frees a slave named Django and together they travel to a plantation called Candie land to find Django’s wife. Along the way you find out the early KKK members weren’t savvy about eye holes, people explode when shot and Sam Jackson is best when in Tarantino films. I think Jackson should have received the supporting actor nomination because he is a the most dangerous snake amongst deadly snakes. His over the top shtick is a ruse that covers up his intelligence. Sam Jackson proves that he can still surprise the audience without the help of large CGI sharks eating him after a monologue.
Django is a exploitation film that delivers on every level. Tarantino is the king of verbal mayhem and bullet wounds. When Tarantino is hitting all cylinders it is like nothing else in the cinematic world. His dialogue scenes are marvels of shifting power, monologues and intense intensity. Since Django is a straightforward revenge film the suspense isn’t palatable like in True Romance, Pulp Fiction or Inglorious Basterds. You know that many will die and revenge will be had. The point is the journey and not the destination. You are spending time with the best of the worst. Tarantino has a knack of making killers likable and insane folk riveting.
Jamie Foxx reminded me of Russell Crowe in Gladiator. The roles are different but each man held the screen with a believable amount of bad ass. Foxx is a legitimate threat who is tutored by the best. The only problem is that he takes a page out of the Tom Cruise play book and finds himself a perfectly tailored jacket in the backwoods south.
Christoph Waltz won a Golden Globe and was nominated for his role as the bounter hunter King Shultz. Waltz is the outsider to the brutal world of slavery and murder. He may be a killer but he isn’t a slaver. I think he is the first Tarantino character to show revulsion to his surroundings. Watching him at Dicaprio’s murder plantation brought out another level to an already wonderful performance. Watching an elite killer squirm is what Tarantino excels at. It reminded me of how Tim Roth realized he was out of his league when he meets Sam Jackson’s character in Pulp Fiction. There is always someone who is more of a “bad motherf***er” than you. Also, kudos to Tarantino for including Justified’s Walton Goggins to the bloody fray.
It is nice having Dicaprio back in a supporting performance. He is always at his best when he is a side character in a world full of interesting characters. He is able to match his roles in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and Departed. His character Calvin Candie grew up privileged and his brutality is supported by the terrible people around him. He is not a tough presence. However, he knows a lot of people who have no problem killing people. He has a childish entitlement that is supported by his murderous crew, bountiful fortune and lack of a threat.
As always Tarantino fills his world with a plethora of fantastic character actors who are clearly relishing their roles. Word on the street is that there is a five hour cut floating around and I’d love to see it on the eventual Uber blu ray. Tarantino once again pops in for a cameo as an idiotic Australian and his hands on directing and boundless prose are influential staples of American cinema.
Django Unchained is blood soaked, revenge laden and ultra cool. It was a surprise to see a linear film unfold in front of my eyes. I would love to see an Expendables type film where Hugo Stiglitz and Aldo Raine (Inglorious) Jules Winfield (Pulp), Jackie Brown, The Bride and Budd (Kill Bill) and Mr. Blonde(Reservoir) kill some very well spoken villains.
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