Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington
RATING
10/10
My experiences with Tarantino films have been miraculous, to say the least. One of the first films of his that I ever set eyes on was "Jackie Brown", and it was a puzzling night. I didn't understand why the dialogue was so basic and natural, or why the violence was incredibly grotesque. I actually thought someone had just got a camera and filmed regular people going about their normal lives, having odd, random conversations and blowing each others brains out with double-barrel shotguns. My next venture into the world of Tarantino came in the form of "Pulp Fiction", and I found myself asking the exact same questions. It wasn't soon before I realised I was onto something new here. Something that would change my perception of cinema forever, and a director who would soon become a modern legend. Quentin Tarantino's latest outing, "Django Unchained", is another masterpiece.
"Django Unchained" is set within the 1920's, when slave trade was booming in the Wild West. A group of black slaves march across the desert planes, strung along by two traders. Among the group is a slave named Django, who is unexpectedly liberated by Dr. King Schultz, a dentist who doubles as a bounty hunter for the law. Together, Django and Schultz set out to kill three outlaws, and Django's tormentors, the Brittle brothers. However, this only leads them further into finding Django's long lost wife, Broomhilda, and saving her from the possession of an eccentric plantation owner, Calvin Candie.
Watching this movie, I knew exactly what I was getting into. Well, not exactly, but more or less had an idea. And, of course, Tarantino genuinely surprised me again. This is the perfect movie; bold and ballsy in style, in-depth with character, and incredibly engaging. The performances are all phenomenal, starting with Jamie Foxx as the subdued but determined Django Freeman, who is the heart and soul of the film. You are strung along on his ludicrous journey, and with every misstep he encounters, you feel the weight of that misstep fully. It's part of Tarantino's brilliant attention to character. Christoph Waltz teams up with Tarantino again, this time not playing the villainous Nazi Jew hunter, but a good guy. There's a twist. He does a bang-up job of playing the likable and badass Dr. King Schultz, who acts as Django's mentor and close friend. The chemistry between the two is great, and really sets you up for the sequence of events still to come... in the form of Leonardo DiCaprio as plantation owner and slave trader, Calvin Candie. This may be the most villainous performance I've ever seen put on camera since Waltz himself in "Inglourious Basterds". DiCaprio simply owns and embodies his role, and this is such a different character for him to play, it's just shocking and intruiging to see him in action. He steals every scene he is in, very much like The Joker in "The Dark Knight", and you just can't take your eyes off of him. He's not an insane or over-the-top villain (*cough* Javier Bardem *cough* Skyfall *cough*), he's actually more calculated and thoughtful in his plans, but also frighteningly intimidating. He certainly has my pick for best supporting performance of the year. Another scene-stealer is Candie's utterly ruthless and very racist right-hand man, Steven, played eye-openingly by Samuel L. Jackson. Basically, he's the live-action version of Uncle Ruckus from "The Boondocks", and even has the bald, overweight look down too, crazy eyes and all. His performance is just as diabolical and twisted as DiCaprio's, and the two make for some cold bastards on screen together. It's a nice contrast to the good guy buddie frienship of Django and Schultz.
Apart from the performances, the film is also shot very beautifully. The cinematography and lighting work is some of the best in Tarantino's career. Some of the angles chosen for certain shots are just plain odd, but you realise its brilliance once the pay-off happens. It's all intricately woven, despite being Tarantino's most straight-forward film by a narrative stand-point. I actually found myself shocked at how few dialogue there is, at least compared to films like "Inglourious Basterds" or "Reservoir Dogs". This falls firmly in the same bracket as the "Kill Bill" films, masterfully balancing jaw-dropping violence and gore with some gripping conversations, and boy, will they leave you on the edge of your seat. One scene in particular involves character's around a dinner table bickering back and forth about slaves and German heritage, when all of a sudden the tension is heightened in the blink of an eye, and some of the best display of acting and dialogue is revealed. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, that's how powerful Leonardo DiCaprio's performance was. It's no secret now that "Django Unchained" holds the best screenplay at the Oscars on lockdown, and I seriously hope many more too.
Let's talk a little about the violence and explicit gore and cursing, which will be up for strong debate and argument for many years to come. Simply put, it's awesome. The first time you see a bullet fired into a guy's head and it explodes like a water balloon, you're instantly hooked. This is also unquestionably QT's most cartoonishly violent film. Where handguns can blow people through walls, and blood splatters around as freely as broken fountains. It's all so visually stunning, you can't help but just adjust to the action and accept how over-the-top and zany it becomes, especially towards the second half of the film. Some people will outright hate it or find it disgusting, I just say that they paid for a ticket to see a Tarantino film. What were they expecting? A kiddie-friendly popcorn flick with sentimentality? It is about time a film gave the complainers a much-needed middle finger.
"Django Unchained" is a combination of all of Tarantino's greatest strengths as a filmmaker, expertly honed and channelled into this epic R-rated Looney Tunes episode set in America's slave trading history. With a tightly written, suspenseful and often very funny script, a great deal of award-worthy performances (especially from DiCaprio), and a keen eye for the viscerally daring and ecstatic, Tarantino has crafted a stellar masterpiece and his best film since "Pulp Fiction".
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