A slave who has a knack for bounty hunting takes it upon himself to rescue his beloved and seek revenge on his tormentors.

Rating: 9/10 (21 February 2014)

Django Unchained is Quentin Tarantino's most recent movie; it borrows many elements from Tarantino's predecessor, Inglorious Basterds, while still remaining an original movie. Tarantino brings all his usual elements to the table. There is an over the top amount of violence, but is presented in an often darkly humorous way. Also the cast is riddled with typical Tarantino cast, Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz have both been in a few Tarantino movies, Jackson has appeared in at least six other movies, also Tarantino has tried to cast Leonardo DiCaprio in other roles, but due to scheduling conflicts they had never been able to work together until now. But it is a very good thing it finally worked out. DiCaprio makes a very good antagonist, even though he is usually on the other end of the spectrum. DiCaprio was so in character that the scene where he breaks the glass on the table out of anger was real. He sliced his hand open and stayed in character, smearing his own blood on Broomhilda's face. Leonardo DiCaprio deserved to finally win his Oscar for his performance in this movie. Personally I feel it is his best performance since his acting in What's Eating Gilbert Grape. DiCaprio was not the only member to have such a strong performance. Christoph Waltz used his skills to create such an easily likable character in Dr. Shultz. He is a kind and caring German doctor, but also a ruthless bounty hunter who sees the world as it is. His ability to switch to being so ruthless, while still retaining his German charm is truly endearing. His performance was truly Oscar worthy. That's not to say the rest of the cast was terrible, every member was cast well, and played their parts to the letter. Their performances together, weaving together the humor, violence, and the dark despair in the movie, creates a fantastic blend on the hero's story of revenge and daring rescue. The writing of Django is brilliant, from Dr. King Schultz gentle and kind demeanor, to the hilarious but entirely loyal butler Stephen, the script is exceptionally well written.
All of the director's trademarks are here in this movie; Tarantino fans will not be disappointed. As soon as the opening credits start to roll and the Django song can be heard, fans will be very glad. Tarantino also includes some of his other favorite trademarks, such as his classic zooms on new character's faces, random segments of music that do not make any sense given the movie, his over the top violence, and Tarantino's small acting cameo's that can be all found in his classics. The soundtrack that goes along with it is phenomenal. It has such a diverse play list, it has everything from rap to country, to instrumental almost classical sound. It would seem like an odd mix, but Tarantino makes it truly shine. Django Unchained is a western, but it is much different from the traditional Clint Eastwood types that come to mind. Tarantino breathes a breath of fresh air into a genre that is not as popular as it once was.
Django Unchained is not for everyone though; it uses an obscene amount of racial slurs, gory violence, and is all about the satisfaction of revenge. Many people will probably be turned off by the N-word being thrown around over one hundred times, or because people's heads get shot off. But that is what makes Django Unchained such a great movie, it is not for everyone. People should hate it, because it takes place in a dark time in American history, right before the Civil War and it spares no expense on showing the cruelty slaves had to endure. The film was not even allowed to be shown in China until some serious censoring happened.
All in all this is a fantastic movie, it is a must see for any Tarantino fan out there. New comers are welcome as well, it is a good starting place for people who are not familiar with his work. Be warned though, once you find you enjoy his movies, you will have to watch the rest of his films, but I promise that that is the best thing that could happen to you.