'....Now you can get the Marshall!'

Rating: 8/10 (23 April 2020)

Completely engaging, darkly comic and probably Tarantino's most intense picture to date, Django Unchained is his definitive western love letter; great action and involving revenge story interspersed with some disturbing material regarding the cruelty of the slave trade. The year is 1858 and Django (Jamie Foxx) is a loving husband to his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) who is tragically separated from her when he is enslaved purely for the colour of his skin. He fortuitously meets a bounty hunter named Dr King Schultz (Christopher Waltz) who frees him and they form a strong bounty hunting partnership. Together they set out to find Broomhilda who is now being held captive by a sadistic plantation owner named Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). It's a very brave film in the same vein as 12 Years A Slave, Steve McQueen's incredible film released the same year with very similar themes. 12 Years was a much more emotional and serious depiction of this time whereas Django is definately played more for entertainment value. Nevertheless, it does still contain some repulsive imagery which fuels the audiences hatred for the villains and the desire for Django to reek his revenge. This along with wonderful realisation of characters makes this a film so worthy of its awards attention in 2012-2013. The violence Django inflicts, the complete opposite of the sadism of his captors, is gloriously cathartic and captured in visually stunning blood splattered carnage. In turns hyperactive and delivering great monologues, this is well worth a watch on the biggest screen you can find. Kerry Washington is severely underrated in this also; she is the emotional core of the story and is tremendous