Movie Review: 'Django Unchained' is a Nasty, Blood-Splattered Masterpiece

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Parent Category: Film and the Arts

Category: Reviews

Published on Friday, 28 December 2012 06:51

Written by Matt Oakes

Django Unchained
Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L Jackson, Kerry Washington, Walton Goggins

Quentin Tarantino tactfully draws back the shade on the dark underbelly of America's great shame- slavery- and the result isn't easy to swallow. Django Unchained is an ugly, gruesome, ruthless film...and I loved every second of it.

The uncharacteristically chronological narrative follows the journey of ex-slave Django (Jamie Foxx) and his bounty hunting liberator (Christopher Waltz) as they attempt to free Django's wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from twisted plantation owner and mandingo curator Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio.)

This splatterfest symphony has all the earmarks of a Tarantino film- flashy superimposed text, snappy dialogue, terse banter, larger than life characters and an emotional revenge narrative- but it uses the backdrop of the slave-ridden south to expose the nastiness of our nations past. The sad truth- this is pulp fact, not fiction.

While we can conjecture about the historical accuracy of the film, it's probably all more true than we'd like to admit. Tarantino sweeps the most unpalatable of human nature from under the rug and into our faces and we can't help but watch paralyzed and hopefully take something away from it. In an interesting juxtaposition to this years similarly-themed Lincoln, Django may not be the history lesson we want but it's probably the one we deserve.

Without the vast talent of its cast, Django may have fallen flat and lost its emotional oomph. Thankfully, every performer in this sprawling epic places their definitive stamp on their varied roles with great success.

Waltz is easily the highlight, not only of this film but of the entire year, as he chews up the scenes with masterful gusto. He has a mysterious way of making you listen to his each and every word, perfectly slung like the sweet-talking gunfighter he is. Waltz is the ideal vessel for Tarantino's trademark dialogue and their pairing is a perfect marriage we can hope to see prosper for many years to come.

Foxx plays the titular Django with swagger and style. He's a no-frills badass with a crystal clear motive and he executes his worthy mission with trigger-happy snark.

In a career first, DiCaprio assumes the role of the villain and is downright venomous.  A highlight of the film involves him and Waltz in a confrontation about a handshake that will be sure to leave you shaken and wowed.

And last but not least is Samuel L. Jackson, who hasn't been this good since his unforgettable turn as Jules in Tarantino's sophomore phenomenon- Pulp Fiction. This nasty-hearted head house-slave may not be spouting Ezekiel but his conniving ways are equally malicious and chill-inducing.

As should be expected, there are moments where Tarantino is overindulgent- I could have used about five minutes of riding horses through various landscapes and a couple unfitting musical numbers edited out- but it's all a part of a great and sprawling film that's not only highly stylized but injected with a urgent sense of purpose. Plus, has gangster rap ever been better in a feature film?

While it's not for the faint of heart- be prepared for torrents of blood and no short measure of the "n-word"- Django Unchained is that rare masterpiece that will have you laughing out loud one moment and in jaw-dangling horror the next.

All the performers involved are hitting their mark with pitch perfect bravado and Tarantino once again proves that he's the king of cinema.

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