Django Unchained review

Tarantino has been interviewed frequently lately, promoting his new film Django Unchained, saying his main aim was to create a modern Western that presented a hero type character in the form of a slave. Stating that that had never really been done before, he seemed confident he could deliver such a concept, and of course, that’s what he did.

Django Unchained was a long time coming for fans of the director, whose last film was 2009’s Inglourious Basterds but it is definitely one worth waiting for! Sharing a very similar style to that of Basterds (and an even more similar soundtrack), the film follows the intertwined stories of black slave Django and Dr. King Schultz, a German dentist turned bounty hunter who buys the slave’s freedom in turn for his help on a kill.


Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz at first seem an unusual duo to lead the film, but their effortless chemistry makes for an interesting dynamic on screen. Waltz’ humour against Foxx’s slick delivery of Django works perfectly, and is no doubt down to both actor’s talents and dedication to the characters. 

The plot is almost segmented into two completely separate halves, the first focussed on the pair hunting down and collecting the bounty for wanted brothers, The Brittles (who used to own Django), and the second half surrounds Django and Schultz travelling to Mississippi to find the freed slave’s wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) and rescue her. The characters discover that Broomhilda was bought by notorious cotton plantation owner Calvin Candie, and now resides at his home, Candyland. Knowing that Calvin will not sell Broomhilda without a fight, the two concoct a plan to enter the plantation under the false pretence of buying a “mandingo”, male slaves who are made to fight to the death, and steal Broomhilda away. But of course, it is a Western, and inevitably, trouble and shoot-outs ensue.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Candie is a very different role than the actor has ever portrayed before, but he carries it with ease and skill (even when he accidentally cuts his hand for real during the filming). How he didn’t even get an Oscar nod is unfathomable as he walks the lines of charm and terror with Candie so well. Not as easy feat. In fact, the only criticism is that for a film actually named after him, Django seems more like a supporting character than a lead throughout almost the entire film. He is completely over-shadowed by Waltz’ affable Schultz (who is eerily similar but somehow completely different to his portrayal of Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds) and DiCaprio’s flamboyant, tempestuous Candie. Even Samuel L. Jackson’s relatively minor part as Stephen, Candie’s house slave, gets more laughs and more attention than Django.

Not one to shy away from the limelight, Tarantino even makes a small cameo towards the end himself! His accent is questionable, and his acting is not at all believable, but it works with the whole absurdity of the film. Perhaps you should stick to behind the camera, Quentin.

Taratino’s style has always been interesting. A master of creating things so bad, they’re genius and Django Unchained is probably a film of his that explores this concept the most. It’s campy and over-exaggerated but that is what makes it brilliant. It combines all kinds of genres, comedy, action, drama and Western and what audiences get is a hilariously gruesome, pistol-slinging action that certainly hits you right between the eyes.