Tarantino doing what Tarantino does best

Rating: 9/10 (10 January 2013)

This is a film that I couldn't help go in with some high expectations. First of all, close friends told me how amazing it was. In fact some said it was one of the best movies they had ever seen. Critics have been raving and audiences have been bubbling and now awards all over the place. Django is a great film. Its a revenge western done the only way Tarantino does it, exploitative, insane violence with a 70's Grindhouse vibe. It fits the bill in every way. You can't say you didn't know what you were in for if you know Tarantino. Its well done and its entertaining and stylish in his style. I actually hoped this would be a huge ten for me because I do love Tarantino though I only discovered him in the last ten years or so. As good as it was, I had some issues. I hate saying a film is too long because I love every second I spend in a theatre but it was a massive three hours long. It could have easily been split into two in the same vein as Kill Bill was. That being said I give him kudos for not milking a film the way so many series are nowadays. Still I think with some better editing, the film could have been chopped ever so slightly and still kept its integrity. I found a certain issue with the plot as to why Django and the Doc went through such elaborate hoops to trick Candie instead of offering him a ridiculous amount to buy Django's wife. I know I'm not the only one bothered by this plot from the IMDb boards. And finally I felt like Jamie Foxx's lead performance of the title character lacked something. He didn't feel like the hero or anti-hero. He wasn't quite as bad-ass as I expected and with two or three really exceptional performances, Foxx felt less than stellar.
Jamie Foxx plays Django. He's a former slave who has been beaten and mistreated. He is supposed to be dark and brooding and he is that but sometimes he plays it too much because he seems almost monotoned and almost boring. Yes he has some scenes where he really steps up and blows away his enemies but he doesn't really shine in his role and its too bad. Foxx is an amazing actor but I felt like he missed the opportunity to really impress. I wanted more Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name or something like that. Now for the absolutely amazing performances. Christoph Waltz is scene stealing. He is truly outstanding as the intelligent smooth talking Dr. King Schultz. He deserves his Oscar nod and proves once again in a Tarantino film how great he is at making his character come to life. I like Leonardo DiCaprio, you can't deny his outstanding career, but he truly blew me away in this film. He is just simply outstanding in his role as the quick talking businessman and pseudo villain Calvin Candie. This is easily one of the best roles I have ever seen him in. The scenes with him and Waltz are magic and some of the best chemistry I've seen on screen in a long time. Samuel L. Jackson, who does everything, actually really shines in this film. He is deliciously bad and you'll love to hate his maniacal and grouchy old Stephen. Combine the three of them and you'll have the three best characters in a 2012 film hands down. Kerry Washington is decent as Broomhilda. She fits her character well but never really impresses. She is just there to fill the plot point and she does that. The supporting cast are terrific too including some stand out performances from Don Johnson, Tom Wopat and M.C. Gainey.
I knew as I watched the film that it was boiling up to an all out blood splattering revenge battle and it fulfilled that 120%. No one does blood splattering revenge like Tarantino. He certainly shows a lot of style in the film and the cinematography is well done. It shows from the typical western town to a southern plantation. Much has been said about the racist content of the film but it is a product of its time. That being said I don't think there is a lot of true history behind this story. I still don't feel that it showed racism in a positive light by any means and considering the black slave is the one who literally rips every single person apart in the end...I think he gets his vengeance. If you love Tarantino then you'll be pleased with Django Unchained. It is epic in every proportion and while not a perfect ten in my books, it certainly gets honourable mention at being stylish and entertaining through and through. 9/10