Tarantino at his best!

Rating: 10/10 (28 December 2012)

I just saw Django Unchained, and I was absolutely mesmerized by it. Although I had been looking forward to it ever since I heard of the collaboration between Tarantino and the incredible cast, I had only a vague notion of what it was about. But as soon as the credits started rolling I knew I'd just finished watching one of his best films, which is saying a lot considering the director's record (Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, etcetera). I would say that what I most enjoyed were the performances by Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio, and the relationship and dialog between their characters, though in truth the whole cast did a fine job. Some particular scenes are so masterful and meritorious that I would not hesitate to place them in the top hundred or so in film history. The cinematography is very good, retaining the seal of Tarantino's work while also playing homage to the style of Spaghetti Westerns. The music is almost irreverently varied, from country to classical to rap, but it never seems out of place. The plot, as is Tarantino's wont, plays with notions of morality (though its main theme is revenge), but has some plain evil characters and no impeccably "good" ones. It is just as ludicrously violent and bloody, if not more so, than most of his other films, so some degree of desensitization is necessary and I would advise caution before taking the young ones to see it. If I have one small qualm, I would argue that it is perhaps a tad too long, though it may have suffered if it had been overexposed to the editing room. All in all, the film is powerful enough to be able to appeal to both Tarantino fans and just movie-goers in general (in fact, I am not really a devoted fan even though I hold him in high regard). Highly recommended.