Django Unchained

Welcome to another episode of Lights....Camera....Popcorn!

Today's review is Django Unchained.

Written & Directed by Quentin Tarantino.

Review #199

MPAA Rating: Rated R for strong graphic violence throughout, a vicious fight, language and some nudity.

Run Time: 165 min

Cast

Jamie Foxx...Django

Christoph Waltz...Dr. King Schultz

Leonardo DiCaprio...Calvin Candie

Kerry Washington...Broomhilda

Samuel L. Jackson...Stephen

Walton Goggins...Billy Crash

Dennis Christopher...Leonide Moguy

James Remar...Butch Pooch / Ace Speck

David Steen...Mr. Stonesipher

Dana Michelle Gourrier...Cora (as Dana Gourrier)

Nichole Galicia...Sheba

Laura Cayouette...Lara Lee Candie-Fitzwilly

Ato Essandoh...D'Artagnan

Sammi Rotibi...Rodney

The man. The myth. The legend. Quentin Tarantino is at it again. The master of homage has graced us with his latest entry of his revisionist history series. Inglourious Basterds kicked things off and was one of his finest works to date. So what does he do for an encore? Two words.

Spaghetti Western.

Quentin Tarantino is a man of certain tastes. He likes what he likes and could care less if you do. His films have always catered to an audience of one. This is what makes him one of my favorite directors of all time. The man knows what he wants to do and let's nothing interfere. It's no secret to Tarantino fans that Spaghetti Westerns is one his favorite genres of films that directly inspire the stories surrounding his films.

The question I among others had was why in the world has it taken this long for him to tackle the wild west. The answer was obvious. He needed the right story to tell. Any master film maker like QT, he takes his time getting his ducks in a row. Then he sets out to tell the best possible story he can. That's why it takes him 2-3 years between film releases. He leaves no stone unturned and gets every detail figured out before putting eye to lens. The end results are smile inducing, entertaining rides that stimulate both the mind and body.

Django Unchained honors the master's homage to his beloved western genre.

Plot

With the help of his mentor, a slave-turned-bounty hunter sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner. 

There is so much to love about this film that it would be impossible for me to list them all. Instead I'll mention what I loved the most about Django Unchained. 

Unbeknownst to me. QT pulled a fast one on me and treated us all to a double feature. This movie is connected by it's two leads, Django and King Schultz, but their adventure is in two parts. This gave me the feel of watching two different films. I'm sure that wasn't the intent but it worked perfectly for me. After Schultz frees Django and sets out their quest to find the Brittle brothers, the film slows down, gives us a chance to recover and takes us on a completely different adventure that was full of suspense and intrigue.

This is something that Tarantino has down to a science.

The man is a wizard at pacing, in every aspect of his films. Whether it's from act to act or from my personal favorite, scene to scene. He knows how to push buttons and get every single drop of emotion out of a scene. He drives you mad with excitement, anticipation, fear and most of all attention. This is most evident in act three. I will not ruin it by mentioning which scene. I will say that you will know what's going to happen and still freeze in fear and anticipation. How does QT manage to pull this off every time? It's the next part of his puzzle that makes him so great.

His writing.

Tarantino's dialogue can cut through diamonds. He finds a way to weave together words that get  more mileage than you could ever imagine. Like all masters, he's a student of his craft. The man has always been a good writer. His ability to accentuate the verbal volleys among his characters just amplify his expertise as a storyteller 100 fold. This isn't shocking to any fan of his work. Many of his biggest influences have been cinemas biggest and best film makers of all time. Sergio Leone, Akira Kurosawa, The Shaw Brothers to name a few have all made their mark on his work and we as the audience are the happy beneficiaries.

Getting back to Django Unchained.

The film feels like your in the wild west. Tarantino can take you back in time like the best of them. The grit, grime of the world these characters are in just bleed through the screen. It doesn't hurt that the performances are as always top notch. I've already covered QT's ability to write and pace his films. The final part is his ability to get kick ass performances from his cast. He knows what he wants and conveys that perfectly to his crew.

The rest speaks for itself.

Speaking of the cast. Django Unchained is highlighted by three exceptional performances. Christoph Waltz as King Schultz. Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin Candie and Samuel L. Jackson as Stephen. You're probably asking why I didn't include Jamie Foxx. I mean no disrespect to his effort as the titular character. He was great. However in the pecking order of depth and importance to the overall story, Django falls a bit down the list. The reason being his motivations are simple and transparent. Everyone else have much deeper and specific roles that both help and hinder Django's progress. This is why I placed more stock in the other three.

What was most interesting about Candie and Schultz is they both looked out of place. Waltz was so amazing in Inglourious Basterds as The Jew Hunter that he would have seemed perfect to play Candie. On the other hand, DiCaprio is so clean cut that it's hard to see him as a villain at first glance. He would have been excellent as Schultz. Yet the roles for both men were reversed and it still worked. In the hands of any other director it probably would have failed but we're talking about you know who.

The dude loves to roll the dice and makes it work.

Finally, as is the case with all of Tarantino's films. Django Unchained does not skimp in the violence department. Blood flies everywhere so make sure you're not wearing white when you see it. It's raw, rough and gritty, which should be expected when you're story takes place in a period of history where rules and order were casually enforced. The film also has a ton of foul language with one specific word tossed around. I won't say which word it is but considering Django is a freed slave and the film takes place 2 years before the Civil War, it shouldn't take you long to put 2 and 2 together.

Bottom line. Django Unchained is another home run for Tarantino who continues to crank out entertaining pieces of celluloid. It's a shame that his next entry is a few years away.

The good news is that it will be worth the wait.

On the 5 star scale. Django Unchained gets 4.5 stars. With a resounding "Worth Every Penny!" recommendation.

That's a wrap for today. Up next is Gangster Squad. My 200th review!

Until Next Episode...."I'll Save You A Seat!"

"D"