Django Unchained

Shocking, I know, but even as much of a cinephile as I am, Django is only the second Tarantino film I've seen. It's been on my radar since well before it came out, and it took me a disturbingly long time to get to the theater, but I’m relieved, thrilled that I was able to catch it on the big screen, and that I was able to see it before the Oscars. We all know that presence gained after the Oscars is crap. 
 

Not many filmmakers take the obvious risks (or the equally obvious drugs) that Tarantino does, which is why there are so few films like his. Even rarer are the filmmakers that inspire new genres. Django Unchained is the second in what is rumored to be a trilogy-in-progress, a series of films in a new vein of 'revisionist history' - a radical twist of What Could Have Been that goes beyond historical fiction (Lincoln) or science fiction (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), painting stories of heroes doing what we wish we had done, or been able to do. Tarantino started his journey with Inglorious Basterds, and now he ups the body count with Django Unchained.

I love me a contemporary western, especially one that employed a friend of mine. Maybe I was a little biased, but I was also fairly apprehensive. I'm not a fan of blood, guts, and violence, so I'm also not exactly Tarantino's target audience. Accepting that for what it is, and the fact that a Tarantino picture is just that, I was ready. And I freaking loved it. 

When was the last time something like this came to cinemas? Something that doesn't take the western genre quite so seriously - with references to spaghetti westerns of the 1970s through use of graphic font (I'm talking about the credits here, and any on screen text), music, and camera work. One of the things I really like about Tarantino, really respect, is his reverence for film. Whether it's a stylistic choice in an ode to a genre or choreography that references a landmark Italian film, Tarantino is a filmmaker who loves movies. While he's often criticized for the violence in his movies, the absurdity of it might even be viewed as artistically as the use of a red scarf to represent blood, or some of the other creative options often explored by stage productions. At least, I'm choosing to view it this way, so that I might be able to enjoy the amazing performances and writing that the movie has to offer. 

Right off the bat, after the credits roll, Christoph Waltz steals the show. His phenomenal voice, his accent, his entire presence is captivating, riveting as Dr. King Schultz, dentist-turned-bounty-hunter. His sense of humor, his character's unique manner of speaking - it's brilliant.  He's a perfect complement for the intense Jamie Foxx as Django. Bearded, bitter, and brooding, Django is purchased by Schultz, who disdains slavery, but needs Django's help to pursue the next bounty. The two make a good team; Schultz proposes that he help Django rescue his wife from the smarmy, wretched hands of the owner of the fourth-largest cotton plantation in the south, a 'Monsieur' Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). 

DiCaprio is great - for the first time, I'm not thinking about how much I despise him as an actor, just that Calvin Candie is atrocious, every bit as horrible as you want to imagine plantation owners to be. Despicable. Who's worse is house-slave Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson), whose power and proximity to Monsieur Candie makes him closer to a white man than a slave. I liked not being able to instantly recognize Jackson, makeup and prosthetics allowing him to escape his iconic identity and truly absorb a new role. Can we go back to talking about how awesome Christolph Waltz is?

The only thing I didn’t love about the movie was its length. I wondered, about two-thirds of the way through the movie, where it was going and how it was going to end. I desperately wanted Django to have his victory; I wasn’t sure I could handle any other possible outcomes.  To know the film continued for another hour – what could possibly fill the time? Yet, entertaining is what Tarantino does best, and the final scenes are tremendously rewarding. It’s no wonder the film has garnered so much praise already. I’m sure it will continue to gain popularity as newcomers to the Tarantino oeuvre discover it.

If you can stomach the violence, I would highly recommend Django Unchained. To create a new legend, a new hero, out of the ashes of cultural shame, Tarantino has taken a great risk, for which he has also had much abuse. I hope he feels the product is reward enough for his trouble – though I still think he may have a Best Original Screenplay Oscar in his future. I hope you still have the chance to catch it in the theater – though I imagine Django Unchained will make for epic viewing, no matter the size of the screen.