Review of Django Unchained (2012) by Thedrauch — 02 Jan 2013

I hate to state the (very) obvious, but 'Django Unchained' is just what you would expect from a film by Quentin Tarantino. Granted, 'Django' isn't his greatest film where emotional depth and resonance is concerned, but it certainly is the most entertaining.

I had a blast. It is probably the single film this year that I had particularly high hopes for that were met to the exact level of my expectations. It follows the same type of mold of any Tarantino film.

There are many drawn out scenes of interesting dialogue that typically conclude with sudden bursts of super-violence which are meant to be jarring (and are). There are multiple cameos from established actors (trust me, there are a lot of them) and there is usually one standout off-the-wall character that parades around like a controlled, unsettling lunatic.

Those shoes, last filled by Christoph Waltz in 'Inglourious Basterds', are now worn by Leonardo DiCaprio as the racist and refined francophile brat, Calvin Candie. He is truly a great villain here, delivering one of the best character interpretations of his career.

All of the other performances are great too, though. Waltz proves his worth as a full-on Tarantino convert as the morally good Dr. Schultz, demonstrating the control he had in 'Inglourious Basterds', but with the traces of humanity that didn't exist in Hans Landa.

Samuel L. Jackson, a standard in Tarantino movies, gives a thoroughly maddening performance as the book-keeping slave (the name escapes me now), whose motives and actions are consistently intriguing. And who could forget Foxx, displaying a cool, hardened, revenge-driven character so filled with spite for the evil around him that it nearly jeopardizes his plans to save his wife at every turn.

I am also happy that, when writing the script, the word n****r wasn't taken out, not shying away for the times of today out of reverence for historical accuracy. There are plenty scenes worth noting for their brutal violence and often gut-busting hilarity, but I shouldn't spoil the film.

You should go see it. It's really awesome.