Django Unchained, Quinton Tarantino Unleashed

Rating: 10/10 (3 January 2013)

Set in 1858, the last 2 years of the antebellum era, we see the Django played by Jamie Foxx marching in a slave chain gang when Dr. King Schultz, a bounty hunter liberates him in a most hilarious way. That is, by killing one of the slave traders and injuring another. When describing these actions, it shouldn't be funny by any standards yet, the genius and style of Quinton Tarantino makes it so. Quinton himself went on the other side of the camera to give us a brief but very explosive performance. I'm belly laughing at people getting shot, maimed, and blown up as if I was watching Looney Tunes. But there's plenty of drama and character development to enjoy as well. We see Django transforming from a timid slave into the confident bounty hunter sidekick to Dr. Schultz played by Christoph Waltz. And we see Dr. Schultz haunted by the atrocities of the antebellum era.
I really enjoyed seeing Christoph Waltz playing the polar opposite of his SS character in QT's 2009 Inglorious Basterds, while maintaining his Austrian accent. Equally as delightful was Don Johnson who rejoined the QT team (see Machete 2010). Hopefully we'll see him as well as others to be regulars in Mr. Tarantino's movies. Leonardo DiCaprio is brilliant as the Slave owner/Mandingo fighting promoter and with the introduction of his character, Calvin Candie; the brutality escalates exponentially and with historic accuracy. But still Quinton's movie style goes from a horrific brutal scene to a humorous moment at light speed. In fact at one point I unintentionally drew attention to myself as I laughed just a little longer and a little louder than the rest of the audience at the cartoon like demise of a slave mistress. I won't give "another" spoiler by describing the scene exactly, but I thought it was one the hilarious moments as only Quinton can do with this subject matter.
Django is further evidence of genius arising from humble beginnings. Not bad for a boy who started as a video store clerk. I'm just glad I was one of the polite customers who always rewound.