"DJANGO UNCHAINED" Full Review & Other Holiday Film Thoughts

Hello, all!

It has been a couple of weeks of cathartic escape from the blogosphere, but the return could not come soon enough as far as I am concerned. The holidays were in full force in the suburbs this year, and it was a wonderfully relaxing time with family, friends, and desserts. I hope you all had a wonderful time over the break, and that you have morphed into a homo-erectus species of whale with human blubber!

The holidays also proved to be productive, as I was fortunate to see many of the "big name" films; these are ones very much in Academy Award© conversation for 'Best Picture' and, by virtue of this, a plethora of the technical and acting categories. These include the star-studded & grandiose
Les Misérables, Peter Jackson's bombastic and ambitious (thank you, Google synonyms!) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Adventure, Steven Spielberg's poignant and thoughtful exposition into arguably our greatest president's life in Lincoln, and Ben Affleck's gritty portrayal of an inspiring story not enough Americans know about in Argo.

These were all, as anticipated, fantastic films, and I cannot recommend seeing them enough; one, however, took me gladly by surprise in how much I enjoyed it. As you might have surmised from the not-so-subtle blog title, it was Django Unchained - Quentin Tarantino's passion project since, well, the finality of Inglorious Basterds (2009) set in. In the week or so since I first viewed the film, I've only been able to think of new parts I loved when talking with others about it. (It also coerced me into changing my Twitter background; a groundbreaking film, it IS!) Tarantino fans will love it; the gratuitous violence, swearing, & controversial motifs characteristic of most, if not all, of Tarantino's films are not only prevalent, but are in-your-face & boisterous. I consider myself a Tarantino fan, but for various reasons, this film stood out. [[TRAILER BELOW]]

Jamie Foxx as Django; "I like the way you die, boy."

The basic premise of the film is essentially that Django (played brilliantly & with a quiet confidence by Jamie Foxx) is a slave enlisted by a German bounty hunter named Dr. King Schultz (played by Christoph Waltz, who might have outdone his despicably amazing performance in 'Basterds' that earned him an Academy Award© for Best Supporting Actor) to provide reliable intelligence on fugitives who were former masters. In the process, Dr. Schultz befriends Django, and expresses his disgust over the immorality of the slave trade. And, because Django is the first man he has ever 'freed', he finds himself feeling responsible for Django's well-being. This leads to a heartfelt conversation between the two men in which Django provides minute-but effective detail about his wife Broomhilda (played excellently by Kerry Washington), and how they were punished for attempting to escape from their torturous plantation by being sold separately. Dr. Schultz eventually finds it in his heart to aid Django in his quest to find and rescue his wife from the horrendous torture she is surely enduring. They travel to Mississippi to find that she was bought by Calvin Candie (played superbly, and with evil conviction, by Leonardo DiCaprio), the owner of the infamous "Candie Land" plantation in Mississippi. Dr. Schultz eventually devises a plan of rescue in which he 'plays' a slave owner who is interested in foraying into the horrible underground world of 'Mandingo Fighting' - a gladiatorial-like sport in which slaves are bred to fight to the point of death. Django poses as the Mandingo 'expert' who advises Dr. Schultz on the optimal rates for each slave according to his condition and seeming potential. There is one who does not take kindly to Django's respectability and eloquence, and he is Candie's house-slave Stephen (played with a despicable hilarity by Samuel L. Jackson; a house-slave is one who sucks up to the plantation owner enough to escape slave duties, the slave 'label', and be treated with the respect that all other slaves deserved). 

The premise of the film is interesting on the surface, but only gains more intrigue when one learns Tarantino filmed this in the style of Spaghetti Westerns of the 1960's and 1970's. 
(A "Spaghetti Western," for those who don't know or are unclear [as I admit I was], is a film made by Italians [so the title has but a MERE hint of racism; ah, traditional America of the 60's!] with traditional "Western film" motifs - i.e. extremely quick close-ups juxtaposed acutely with wide landscaping shots, unique musical scores, melodrama, and intensely conceived facial expressions.)
As a result of the deep southern environment blended with the 'Western' genre, some critics have come to label 'Django' as Tarantino's 'Southern.' I love the label, & I will continue to do this at the expense of those who have no idea what it is I'm saying, and probably assume I'm not completing my sentence when I assert confidently: "In fact, I do think it's Tarantino's 'Southern."
"....Wait....Southern what?..."

Look at how MAD Leo is!

As mentioned previously, the music of Spaghetti Westerns provided a nuance not many genres enjoy: music differentiability. The soundtrack, in and of itself, makes the film watchable and is like a visual 'condiment' that spices the film up. There is an excellent blend of the more traditional, guitar-heavy Western pieces, and rap and hip-hop - art forms predominantly practiced by African-Americans. Rapper Rick Ross, R&B star John Legend, and even artists like James Brown and (in)famous rapper Tupac make their way onto Tarantino's uniquely conceived soundtrack. While providing interesting conversation starters as mere 'soundtrack members,' they are all placed strategically into the film at points that only add to the exposition and/or action sequences, of which there are plenty.
 
Tarantino's unique vision keeps me coming back for more. And, with Django Unchained,  I was not disappointed I did so. Writing about this film only does so much justice to the masterpiece I felt I saw in theaters. If you are a Tarantino fan, the decision to see the film is a 'no-brainer'; if you aren't, you must ask yourself if you're okay with spending 2.5 hours watching a slave go on a murderous rampage to save his wife from a horribly perverse, violent, and despicable slave owner, who just so happens to be played by Leonardo DiCaprio. 

...

It's ultimately up to you, and I refuse to tell you what togoseeit do. 

On The Horizon...
Here's where we stand, audience. I am trying to figure out where to go from here. I love giving you all my thoughts and feelings about the films I have seen. I am also aware, however, these posts can be long, and can be arduous. Any feedback on how to make the reviews more lively is much appreciated! 

But, in answer to my original question, I am still making my way through AFI's "100 Years... 100 Movies" list, and I am very much looking forward to perhaps beginning a chain of reviews of those films, and whose inclusions I agree and disagree with.  

Thank you all for reading, and have a wonderful beginning of January!

Twitter: Chris_0Reilly

--Chris