I Look Forward To A Proper Edit of this Film

Rating: Null/10 (25 December 2012)

The truly breathtaking aspect of Quentin Tarantino's film-making is his use of music even if comes from a different time than the diagesis on screen.
I got chills watching 'Django' in the scene where Jim Croce's 'I Got A Name' played whilst the title character and his German bounty hunter compatriot Dr. Schultz (Christoph Walz) ride off against backdrop of a rugged western landscape.
A truly frustrating aspect of Quentin Tarantino's film-making is his apparent resistance to cutting the footage he shoots. 'Django' is at least 30 minutes too long - a time elongated with pointless cameos of terrific actors recognizable to 1980s TV aficionados and fans of Grindhouse productions. There are enough character actors to fill three movies but too many for one.
Tarantino gave himself a speaking role (Always a mistake) and inexplicably did the worst attempt at an Australian accent ever. There was no need for that and no need in fact for sizable chunks of the movie that he nevertheless chose to include.
Some will take issue with the numerous glaring anachronisms. I don't mind those so much particularly given the tone in which the diagesis is presented which evokes European-made westerns of the 1960s. Scenes that go nowhere fast and utterly baffling pacing are things I take issue with however.
A complete re-edit would serve to present the essence of the story more efficiently whilst emphasizing more appealing aspects. It would also serve more efficiently hide flaws. Some of Tarantino's best work is buried within some of his worst.
Stylistically the reaction shots evoke Bogdanovich but in a good way. The violence evokes Peckinpah as do the blood spatters and moments of emotional havoc.