Another Fantastic, Solid Film from Tarantino

Rating: 9/10 (3 August 2013)

I am an absolute Quentin Tarantino fan. 100%. So my comments on his 2012 "Southern" film might come across as a tad biased. Personally, I don't believe my views on Tarantino are biased. If he were to come out with a movie that I felt was horrible, I'd have no problem saying it. I just don't believe he's ever put out a movie that was less than "good" and I'd go so far as to declare DJANGO UNCHAINED one of his better movies. The movie has everything I've come to expect from one of his movies (great characters, brutal violence, sleek writing, etc.) and comes with the added bonus of being one of the few Westerns I can enjoy enough to watch over and over. The movie follows the tale of Django (Jamie Foxx), a slave in mid 19th century America who fate has separated from his beloved wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington). Resigned to a life of miserable servitude, Django's life changes for the better when he is approached and 'purchased' by the eccentric Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz). Schultz is a bounty hunter and needs Django's assistance in searching for a team of slavers and promises, in return, to aid Django in locating Broomhilda and reuniting the two of them. It might have been a simple mission if Broomhilda hadn't been purchased by the infamous Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), owner of the largest and most feared plantation in the South: Candieland. Schultz and Django form a plan to gain entrance to Candieland and escape with Broomhilda, but this is a Tarantino movie so it's never that simple.
It's tough for me to pin down what was so awesome about DJANGO UNCHAINED. There's a lot to love here. It's easier to point out what doesn't work, but that's because my complaints about the movie are minimal. I suppose the only real complaint I have about the movie is that, once Schultz and Django decide to work together in finding Broomhilda and freeing her, the movie feels like it grinds to a halt for a few minutes so we can enjoy a very Western montage of Django and Schultz bounty hunting through the winter. By this point, Django has already upheld his end of the bargain (helping Schultz locate the Brittle bros.) and we're on the verge of introducing our main villain (Candie) but the movie says, "Wait! Let's show them riding horses and shooting guns for a few more minutes." Once you pass that hurdle, the movie ratchets up the pace again and continues on track for the rest of the film. I suppose this movie will get a lot of flack for the language, too. Tarantino's never been shy about dropping a few N-bombs in his movie but the context of this movie allows for some sort of world record on Tarantino's part. I'll admit, even as a white dude, it was uncomfortable at first when this movie started with the constant stream of racial slurs but this is a movie about slavery and, as unsettling as it might be, it sets a tone for the time period.
Yeah, my problems are miniscule. That's because DJANGO UNCHAINED is pure awesomeness. Tarantino brings his trademark violence, eliminating any doubts that the movie might've toned it down within the first five minutes when Schultz 'negotiates' Django's purchase with the Speck brothers. Blood is shed in this moviein epic proportions. This might seriously be Tarantino's bloodiest film, if not on equal ground with KILL BILL – VOLUME I. No one does a modern revenge film like Tarantino and he makes sure every hit is brutal. We're also treated to plenty of Tarantino's wicked dialogue. After this film and INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, I am a firm believer that Christoph Waltz was put on this Earth to act in Tarantino movies. No one, short of Samuel L. Jackson, has delivered Tarantino's sharp writing as perfectly as Waltz. His character, Schultz, steals the show just as much as Colonel Hans Landa did in 2009. It's no surprise to me that he one a second Oscar for his role here. He's so good, he almost eclipses anyone else in the film. And that's not to say the rest of the cast doesn't bring their A-game. Foxx is excellent as the title character. I've read in articles how the character was originally written with Will Smith in mind and I can't express how glad I am that he passed. This movie would not have been nearly the same with Smith in the lead role. Foxx is great, and so are the film's villains.
The villains are almost always the coolest characters in Tarantino movies (e.g. Mr. Blonde, Ordell Robbie, Bill and his DeVAS, Stuntman Mike, andof courseLanda). When I heard Leonardo DiCaprio had been cast as an evil plantation owner in Tarantino's movie, I knew we were in for a killer performance. I'm not sure that he's the greatest actor, but I love how he's willing to throw himself at some bizarre roles and embrace the characters. He is probably the last person I would envision as Calvin Candie but Tarantino saw something in the choice and he wasn't wrong. Candie is a Southern dandy, obsessed with French culture and mandingo fighting and fancying himself as a Southern gentleman. He's a firm believer in Southern hospitality and a successful businessman in the business of slave fighting. His main house slave is Stephen, played by Samuel L. Jackson. Stephen is a conniving manipulator and way more dangerous that he appears at first glance. I'd say it was probably one of the more daring roles Jackson's taken.
There is a lot more to love about this movie, but there's limited space to rave about it. It looks amazing (both cinematography and production design), it sounds amazing (with the typical Tarantino soundtrack), and the story grabs you and doesn't let go. Long story short: another win for Tarantino.