Review of Django Unchained (2012) by Secondclass — 06 Apr 2013

Simply put, this is Quentin Tarantino's best film. Throughout the movie, he breaks down the formula to a creative film and rewrites it completely. This is a film that starts with title cards, opening credits that aren't merely forgettable blips on the bottom of the action, a song named after the titular character, and all the other components of the typical spaghetti western. The revenge-fueled plot and the character archetypes also evoke images John Wayne and Clint Eastwood films.

Strangely enough, however, rap music and sunglasses badassitude trickles into this "Southern". Tarantino, of course, writes in his own style. Excessive (almost cartoonish) violence befalls all characters, the dialogue-only scenes are abundant, and depictions of the pre-Civil War South are brilliant and ominous. Tarantino gives the film a unique atmosphere that I haven't seen since Kill Bill. Django Unchained pulls you into the screen and makes you feel like you are living in the cartoonish, wit-smitten world of the film. I truly felt for Django's quest and was intrigued by the story of his German liberator King Schultz.

Speaking of, the characters in this film are outstanding. Tarantino has always been a character writer, but Django and Schultz may be the best film duo I've ever seen. Each character is interesting on their own level (the introduction of Schultz sparks one of most unexpected and entertaining opening scenes in history), but it's the interaction between Django and Schultz that's most memorable.

Leonardo DiCaprio's villain Calvin Candie is especially potent, to the point that I hated the actor himself for a time after seeing the movie. A slaver with a excessively playboy demeanor, Candie is essentially a hilarious, despicable character that sets up the pieces to introduce the film's true antagonist: Stephen, the head house slave of Candie's plantation (played by Samuel L. Jackson). I can't say too much about this character without spoiling the movie, but it's definitely one of Jackson's scariest roles.

The climax is one of Tarantino's best, I was never bored while watching the three-hour long movie, and I'm still thinking about the characters and the plot today. This is a movie that I will want to rewatch again and again. I have pre-ordered it from Amazon, and I rarely buy things from the Internet. I highly recommend this movie to all but the faintest of souls.