A Potpourri of Vestiges Review: American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino's scurrilous lampoon on human trafficking

Rating: 9/10 (18 January 2013)

Django Unchained presents the larger-than-life tale of a slave named Django (Jamie Foxx) who collaborates with Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz)—a German dentist-turn-bounty hunter—in order to rescue his wife from the servitude of a ruthless Mississippi plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). The story begins in the US state of Texas in the year 1858—two years prior to the start of the American Civil War. The tone of the movie is set by Luis Enriquez Bacalov's original "Django Theme Song" sung by Rocky Roberts—taken as it is from Sergio Cobucci's Django (1966)—which plays with the opening credits. Django Unchained is Tarantino's tribute to the visionaries of Western filmmaking—those who conceptualized the decorated genre and more so those who prevented it from dying by reinventing it. The Western genre has always fascinated Tarantino. Right from the beginning of his career it has been his dream to make a Western of his own. Sergio Leone and Sergio Corbucci are the two filmmakers who seem to have inspired him the most. With Django Unchained, Tarantino finally seems to be living his lifelong dream of emulating his childhood idol. And what makes Django Unchained even more special is the fact that it comes at a time when the Western genre once again finds itself on the brink of obsolescence.
While the classic works of John Ford and Howard Hawkes epitomize the golden age of Western filmmaking, the grotesque, tongue-in-cheeky works of Sergio Leone and Sergio Corbucci—often referred to as Italo-Western or more prominently as Spaghetti Western—clearly represent its new age. At a time when Western genre was looked upon by most filmmakers as dead and buried, Leone and Corbucci not only rejuvenated it but also changed its very face for the better. The Old West which was once governed by the tenets of pride, honor, chivalry, machismo and idealism got metamorphosed into a brutal realm inhabited by realistic, grey-shaded characters that despite their endless flaws couldn't be deemed completely devoid of human virtues. While Leone is often regarded as the master creator of Spaghetti Western cinema, people often overlook the indelible contribution made by Corbucci. With movies like Django (1966) and The Great Silence (1968), Corbucci succeeded in adding a whole new dimension to the Spaghetti Western canvas by painting a nightmarish world haunted by fascist ideologies. In fact, Corbucci's depiction of the Old West was so lurid, stark, brutal and vicious that it made Leone's portrayal appear remarkably dull and placid in comparison.
There's absolutely no doubt whatsoever that with Django Unchained Quentin Tarantino consummates his trademark style—built around the uncanny combination of gore, glamour, grotesquerie, and dark humor—which is often described using the adjective "Tarantinoesque". The movie's filming style also bears a striking similarity to Sergio Corbucci's sanguinary, majestic Spaghetti Western masterpiece: The Great Silence (1968). In Django Unchained, Tarantino fiddles with history (but falls short of rewriting it unlike his previous film Inglourious Basterds) to present his own perspective on several delicate issues mainly concerning slavery. Tarantino's naked display of uncorroborated brutalities associated with the inhumane practice of slavery, especially Mandingo as its extension has given rise to discontent among certain sections of the white community. Likewise, the movie has received condemnation from the likes of Spike Lee and Tavis Smiley for glorifying the n-word in the tradition of blaxploitation films. Django Unchained features special appearances from Jonah Hill, Don Johnson, Quentin Tarantino and Franco Nero who had played the titular role in the 1966 Spaghetti Western classic Django.
Tarantino's imaginative direction is well backed up by some commendable acting performances from movie's lead as well as supporting cast. Jamie Foxx delivers his best performance in years, one that is perhaps bettered only by his Oscar-winning portrayal in Ray (2004). Despite bearing several similarities to his multi-lingual part in Inglorious Basterds, Christoph Waltz portrayal easily forms the backbone of the movie. Tarantino once again takes full advantage of Waltz's polyglot abilities and uses it to great effect at different points in the film. Waltz's Schultz is basically a representation of all those white men who raised their voice against slavery and contributed to its abolition. Behind his facade of a cold-blooded bounty hunter we discover a righteous human being whose superior intellect is well matched by his great sense of compassion. He inexorable resolve to rescue Broomhilda and his sacrifice in the end inexplicably brings to mind of the great sacrifice made by Abraham Lincoln. Schultz is a symbol of white men's conscience, courage and virtue in the same way as Samuel L. Jackson's Stephen is a symbol of Black men's pusillanimity, servility and hypocrisy. Thus, Stephen in many ways is Waltz's antithesis and the movie's true antagonist. And to Jackson's credit, he plays the part with great subtlety, guile and conviction. According to this critic, it's his best performance since Pulp Fiction (1994). Leonardo DiCaprio, in a rare negative portrayal, delivers a thumping performance as the sadistic Calvin Candie. A megalomaniac who dresses with the perfection of a fop, Candie is quite easily one of the most menacing Western villains of all time. Kerry Washington plays the part of the slave-girl Broomhilda—the only major female part in the movie—with exquisite charm.
Overall, Django Unchained has its flaws and suffers from anachronisms and incongruities, some deliberate and some not so. But, Tarantino still manages to pack a strong punch. From the cinematic point of view, Django Unchained is undoubtedly a lesser work in comparison to Inglourious Basterds (2009). But the audacious yet effective manner in which Django Unchained retraces the history, fiddles with it, and presents its dark side makes it an important work of cinema. Django Unchained is unusually high on style, but luckily there's enough substance to keep an intelligent viewer interested. Highly recommended!
A more detailed review of the movie can be read at:
http://www.apotpourriofvestiges.com/