Django Unchained

To this day I believe Django Unchained is Quentin Tarantino’s magnum opus as it’s one of the most enjoyable and outrageously technical pieces of filmmaking that cares equally about captivating an audience as well as honing the classic westerns from the past. A genre film that deals in some fantastical elements although these horrible atrocities did take place similar to films like Inglorious Bastards. Works as anything you’d like it to be; action-epic, comedy, wester, romance. Performances are now solidified as iconic from Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio among others only breath further life into the picture creating a one of a kind experience. A bounty hunter named Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) is hiding under the alias of a dentist when he finds an enslaved man named Django Freeman (Jamie Foxx) where he’s offered his freedom after providing some simple services. Their pair’s relationship develops tremendously as they learn more about each other including their skills leading to Django becoming a bounty hunter like Schultz as they both peruse Django’s wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) who’s been separated from him by a massive plantation owner in Mississippi named Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). Their journey takes place across the deeply rooted racist south of the 1950’s with all the flourishing violence and abrasive dialogue that Quentin Tarantino has stood his career on. At its heart the story is about the development of a brotherly/fatherly relationship between Django and King Schultz as his unshakable drive to be reunited with his wife makes him have some otherworldly charisma and skills. We spend a lot of time getting to know these characters whether it be in dialogue or flashbacks so we know plenty of details of the grim past that’s unfortunately part of US history. Scenes can go from intense to absurdly hilarious at a moments notice which is a testament to the acting and writing. There are plenty of characters to like or dislike making almost everyone have their moments. In terms of immersion Django checks all of the boxes for me. The set designs have tremendous depth too them which many western sets do not. It could be Daughtry, Texas or any of the plantation mansions that are all constructed with attention to detail, small things like background actions make all the difference. The costume design is phenomenal for every character no matter the location or the climate and some of the needle drops used are goated. The score is a mix of classic western sounds with an updated modern twist on many giving it its own authenticity. Django Unchained has Tarantino playing with the past with violent attention to detail in his homage to spaghetti westerns with a remix only he knows how to do. Riveting with its commitment to excess allows this film to blossom into something beyond historical revisionism.