Review of Django (1966) by Paul E — 07 Sep 2009

"Django" starts with Django(Franco Nero), former Union soldier and current scoundrel, dragging a coffin across the country.(Not to give anything away but it should come as no surprise that the coffin contains death.) His deliberate journey is halted when he comes across Maria(Loredana Nusciak) being whipped by a group of Mexican rebels who are dispatched by a gang of American fanatics who wish to do her even more harm for her reported impurity. It is here that he intercedes on her behalf and brings her back to a bordertown that is mostly deserted because of the nearby fighting between the Americans led by the murderous Major Jackson(Eduardo Fajardo) and Mexican rebels led by General Rodriguez(Jose Bodalo). All Nathaniel(Angel Alvarez), the bartender of the saloon, is worried about is when Major Jackson is coming to collect his revenge on Django for killing some of his men.

"Django" is a wild and violent Spaghetti western helped immensely by the charismatic Franco Nero in the lead. For a movie of this genre, it is surprising that it does have something of a social conscience as it examines racism, not only of the Americans(some of whom are seen wearing red hoods. Remind you of anything?) but also of Rodriguez, and how it probably fuels the ongoing conflict. In one scene, Rodriguez puts down Maria by referring to her half-Incan heritage in a derogatory manner. Could this explain why Maria has been shunned, even by those at the low end of the social spectrum?