Django Off the Chain. A "REEL" Review

Rating: 9/10 (30 December 2012)

Believing all the media talk of excessive violence I went into Django Unchained expecting to see such gratuitous maiming and bloodletting that even for a Tarantino film it would be a new milestone. After seeing the film I wonder if the folks in the entertainment media have ever seen a Tarantino movie? Django is "chock full of guts 'literally" but no more so then Kill Bill pt.: 1. To be frank the big deal about the violence in this film was because of the ginormous elephant in the room when America has to face the shady side of its history in talking about slavery. Routinely this subject is skimmed over or swept under the rug as we believe in post racial America *wink* that we are the great big shining city on the hill without blemish. It's an uncomfortable topic for most. Staying true to form, Director Quentin Tarantino is not going to shy away from anything that makes you uncomfortable or squirm in your seat. He is the type of director that is going to take the uncomfortable stuff and throw it right in the audiences face. Django takes the uncomfortable stuff and puts it on display. It wraps it up in a biscuit (no pun intended) to make it go down easier but also making it memorable. This film is harsh in its depictions as it has enough N-Bombs to make any Antebellum South nostalgist feel right at home. I believe the N-bomb was used as a verb, adjective, and noun through out this film and it felt at times that some of the actors themselves had a hard time letting the word loose. Particularly Christophe Waltz who is magnificent in his Role as King Schultz the Dentist/Bounty Hunter. In my opinion that was the most difficult part of the film to get through but staying true to the time period it is the way things were. Especially in the "Grand Ole" state of Mississippi. The last time I heard the N-word that much was in the mini series "ROOTS". Although I can't say that Django is in the realm of Roots, in modern times I can say that it is an evolution of it with a different ending, As for the violence in the film if you are familiar with the history of slavery then the images portrayed should not come as a shock as in most cases the violence was much worse in reality than what was shown on screen. There were a few moments where "I said oh my did they really just show that?' but that was in relation to how much flesh one can get away with showing on screen these days. If you can handle that then buckle your seats for the type of ride that only Tarantino can provide. The film is lengthy coming in at almost 2hrs&45 min with trailers but most of the dialog is so well written that you get disappointed when some of the scenes end. The story is simple in that Christophe Waltz plays a bounty Hunter who enlists the help of a slave named Django to assist in bringing in the lucrative bounty of three outlaws. The Rub is that Django can identify the outlaws because he was a slave on the plantation where the outlaws worked as overseers. Django is played by the multi talented Jaime Foxx who executes the role of Django superbly. In exchange for Django's help the bounty hunter agrees to help Django rescue his wife Broom Hilda from Calvin Candie, a Ruthless plantation owner. Broom Hilda is played wonderfully by the beautiful Kerry Washington. Leonardo Dicaprio plays Plantation owner and antagonist Calvin Candie to a twisted level in a role that sees him as the bad guy for a change. He plays this part masterfully. The cast of this film is excellent. Don Johnson and Jonah Hill make cameos so memorable you wish they had more screen time. Last but not least is the role of Stephen played by Samuel L. Jackson the long time Tarantino alum. Stephen is the head of all the house servants and Calvin Candies' most trusted adviser/personal attendant. The role of Stephen is a character so despicable that he may indeed be "the worse Black man in the History of film" as said by Samuel L Jackson. He is an "Uncle Tom archetype who is a scene stealer as his dialog and portrayal by Samuel L. just dominate whenever he is on screen. No one uses the word mother F'er like Mr. Jackson and he does not disappoint. Stephen routinely uses his power to make life hell for the other slaves and is so in need of the master's approval that self-respect and personal pride mean nothing to him. He is truly the master's lap dog. The relationship between Stephen and Django make for some of the most memorable scenes in the film. It's strange experiencing a Tarantino film with so Linear A story line but it's no less exciting than any of his previous films. Django is a risky story to tell sure to anger some and be praised by others. However in the hands of a true craftsman and with noble intention this film shines in its honesty about the state of the world back then and also offers a small spoon of sugar to make the bitter pill go down easier. The true intention of this film comes shining through. Exploitation no. Entertainment and bit of indulgent fantasy yes. Imagine if Kunta Kente grabbed the whip from the overseer, whipped him back and kept his African name. Well that's the kind of world where Django Unchained exists. Django overall is a fantastic film in the same logic as Inglorious Basterds. Revisionist history may prove to be its own genre if it remains so entertaining in the hands of quality directors. 4 Stars. See for yourself
JG