Tarantino goes west

Rating: 8/10 (25 May 2019)

"Django Unchained" was noted director Quentin Tarantino's long anticipated foray into the western genre. As with 2009's "Inglourious Basterds", Tarantino took a decidedly revisionist approach to the subject matter. As a result, the movie is inspired as much by spaghetti western & exploitation movies as it is by traditional Hollywood westerns.
The titular Django (Jamie Foxx) is a freed slave in the Antebellum South who teams up with a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) to track down and rescue his wife (Kerry Washington) from the clutches of a wealthy plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). That's the plot in a nutshell but at two hours and 45 minutes, the movie ends up covering a lot of ground. Throughout that time there are several memorable episodes demonstrating Tarantino's knack for plotting and dialogue. It should also be noted that Tarantino's script earned him an Oscar (not to mention a Golden Globe & a BAFTA), so that should give some indication of its merit.
Of course, a script is only as good as the actors that bring it to life. Luckily, in this case, the cast is exceptional. First and foremost are two supporting players - Christoph Waltz & Leonardo DiCaprio. Waltz earned his second Oscar (both for roles in Tarantino films) with his magnetic portrayal of charming bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz. Running a close second was Leonardo DiCaprio, as the also charming but equally malicious plantation owner Calvin J. Candie. It was a rare villainous turn for DiCaprio and one or his most memorable performances in a career studded with memorable performances. If star Jamie Foxx was outshone by these two actors it was only because he was merely very good rather than outstanding. The rest of the cast continued this level of excellence since even minor roles were filled with talented individuals. The movie brought together the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington, Don Johnson, Jonah Hill, Walton Goggins, Dennis Christopher, Michael Parks, Bruce Dern and, in a cameo role, the original Django himself, Franco Nero. What's not to like?
There isn't much to complain about on the technical side, either. Tarantino can always be counted on for top-notch direction but a western presents its own set of challenges. Thankfully, the production design was very nicely handled, as was the costuming, though neither received any awards recognition. The soundtrack & score was also quite interesting, with its re-use of the theme from the 1966 movie "Django" along with some unique choices like Jim Croce's "I Got a Name" and "Freedom" by Richie Havens. If I have one complaint it's that I found that there were a few narrative quirks in the editing, which were probably unnecessary and/or out of place in a mostly traditional western.
Ultimately, "Django Unchained" is pretty much what we've come to expect from Tarantino. Unapologetically violent, intricately plotted, well acted and artistically presented while remaining accessible. In my opinion, it ranks among Tarantino's most memorable. Of course, if you just don't like his style then this probably isn't the movie to convert you.