Quentin Tarantino’s love for the Spaghetti Western is no secret. It has always reflected through his movies’ background scores, and hence it comes as no surprise that he chose the theme for his next venture. Quentin did not stick to the genre in a classic way though; he presents Spaghetti Western with a heavy sprinkling of Rap.
There shall be no spoilers ’coz I hate it when I end up reading about the plot in the reviews before watching the movie, when all I wanted to know was whether the movie is worth my money and time. So if you’re planning to catch Django in the theatres, it’s safe to read this review.
Django Unchained is a Quintessential Tarantino movie, complete with satire, mix-and-match of genres, combination of old with the new, violence, blood splatters, the works! If you are a Tarantino fan, this movie will not disappoint you.
The movie is set in the Deep South and Old West during the Antebellum Era, and reflects America’s horrible past with slavery. Though Tarantino’s picturisation of the slavery is heart-wrenching, the violent parts involving the ‘whites’ is both graphic as well as intriguing at the same time. It makes you feel weird how watching a man blow up in pieces amuse you or at times actually make you laugh. Well, that’s Quentin Tarantino for you! Quentin indulges himself a bit toward the end by playing a tiny part in the film. Can’t say much about his acting prowess, but he made sure that his character exits in style!
Leonardo Di Caprio shines as Calvin Candie, the brutal plantation owner, while Jamie Foxx, our suave Django, rules the film with style! Christoph Waltz is outstanding as Dr. King Schultz, the German dentist/ bounty hunter, while Kerry Washington plays a sweet and extremely beautiful damsel in distress. And then there’s Tarantino’s favourite – Samuel Jackson who plays Stephen, Candie’s staunchly loyal senior house slave.
There isn’t a scene in the movie that’s not interesting, nor a dialogue that’s not worthy of an applaud. There are several comic moments in the movie such as the beginning of what seems the Ku Klux Klan. The rap music twist builds up the tempo and takes the movie to another level altogether! All in all, this one’s worth 2 hours and 45 minutes of undivided attention.