Beautifully complex and surprisingly deep

Rating: 9/10 (28 January 2013)

If there is a word apt enough to describe Django Unchained, it would be "relentless." In his latest revenge epic, Quentin Tarantino transports the audience to the American South in the waning days of slavery, to deliver an uncompromising tale of revenge, love, and morality. He does so in his usual fashion, with tremendous brutality and language amid wonderfully dressed settings and characters. It has all the staples of the Quentin that his audience loves, and while the revenge theme is becoming a little tiresome, the film is punctuated with magnificent performances that place it among the year's best films.
Django Unchained is not an easy film to watch; the path of brutality cut across every reel by the protagonists feels secondary to the reality of life for a slave circa 1858. Inglorious Basterds was very similar thematically: revenge of the oppressed Jews against the Nazis, but in that film, he avoided too overtly showcasing the brutality suffered by the Jews in World War II. Not so in Unchained, in which the titular Django (Jamie Foxx) is covered in scars he received as a slave, and the bloodiest parts of the film are not the revenge-spree, but those of innocent slaves brutalized by the cruelty of the world around them. Revenge, while still prevalent, takes a back seat to the deep-seeded wrong of inequality.
Foxx stars along with Christoph Waltz as his bounty hunter/mentor Dr. King Schultz, who absolutely shines and captivates every moment he is on-screen. Waltz is the type of actor that is capable of infusing so much nuance into a role that his every movement and every emotion are almost shining on the screen. Already holding a Golden Globe for the performance, he is going to be a contender at the Oscars as well in an incredibly tough supporting actor category.
As Django, Foxx is an angry, yet reserved, basket of complex emotions, though Foxx doesn't really seem to hit on the depth that the character requires. One can't help but wonder if Will Smith- whom Tarantino had wanted for the role- would have done Django that much more justice. Foxx has been largely ignored by major awards circuits, which is criminal given the character's journey in the film and the complexity of his situation. Instead the film is largely stolen from under him by Waltz and the ever-fantastic Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin Candie. Leo may ham it up a bit in the role, but it is good to see him have some fun with the role after being ignored on the awards circuit for some absolutely brilliant turns. Still, Foxx does imbue the vengeful Django with a quiet strength that it is doubtful few actors could replicate; as much as he is meant to stick out in the story, Foxx plays him as subdued as possible, his end goal- finding his wife (Kerry Washington)- ever within his sights.
For the Tarantino-phile, the film is replete with the director's trademarks: long scenes of dialogue with slowly mounting tension throughout, Mexican standoffs, incredible close-ups, a magnificent cameo by the man himself, and razor-sharp character development. His devotion to the re-creation and re-birthing of genres is nothing short of fantastic, fully transplanting the western into the American South. Quentin's script is as unrelenting as his vision, and has landed him a Golden Globe as well, making him a contender for the Best Original Screenplay statue at the Oscars.
Particular mention must go to the score of the film and its period setting, both of which are absolutely fantastic. From its opening seconds, the film transports the audience to the pre-Civil War South, and uncomfortably or not forces them to stay there until the final seconds roll away. Tarantino's films always have a way of immersing their audience within the world in which they are occurring, and this is no exception.
Little more can be said about Django Unchained that would do it any justice. While it'd be great to see Quentin move on to a theme that isn't revenge, Django showcases a thematic maturity and complexity that few of his prior films really engage in, and this is why his Golden Globe was so deserved, as would be an Oscar should he win. But for all of this, the greatest stroke of genius was casting Samuel L. Jackson as the Uncle Tom, and he is absolutely fantastic in the role. Hollywood also needs to start putting Walton Goggins (of The Shield fame) in more films, because even in this small role, he shines. Even if you need to turn away a time or two, don't miss this incredible film in theaters.
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