Movie Review: Django Unchained

Django Unchained

 

By Jeremy Cooper: Layout Editor

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson

Synopsis: A slave in the Deep South named Django (Foxx) is freed by a German bounty hunter, Dr. King Schultz (Waltz), in order to help him identify and kill a group of criminals. In exchange for his help, Schultz promises to help Django free his wife (Washington) from an insidious plantation owner (DiCaprio).

Review: I’m a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino and I’m a huge fan of Westerns, so when I heard that I’d be getting both put together, it immediately became one of my most anticipated movies of this year. After a year of waiting, Django Unchained has thankfully met my expectations.

            This time, however, Tarantino has big issues to explore; racism and slavery, and he does so in the most Tarantino-y way possible. Like his previous film, Inglourious Basterds, it’s  a revenge-fantasy about a group of people who were wrongly persecuted getting even with their unfathomably cruel oppressors. When violence is committed against a slave, it is wince-inducing, intentionally and rightfully so, but when a cruel slaver gets it, it is a cheer-inducing splatter-fest.

            Tarantino’s brand of extended dialogue sequences somehow manage to be more entertaining than an entire action movie and Django Unchained is no exception. In addition, he creates a batch of eclectic characters, even the most minor of whom manage to make an impression on the audience.

            Jamie Foxx is a strong lead and brings a stoic demeanor to his character that’s reminiscent of the silent, rugged heroes of the old spaghetti westerns. However, this is a movie that belongs to its supporting players, the big three of whom are Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson.

            Waltz dominates the screen for the majority of the film and is charismatic, humorous and even a bit complex towards the end, always stealing the show. DiCaprio comes alive in a way I’ve never seen him do before as a villainous slaver whose charming personality is a thin disguise for his savage nature. This is the first time I think I’ve ever seen DiCaprio truly transform on screen and it might be my personal favorite performance of his. Lastly, Jackson gets probably the most original character as a slave whose loyalty to his owners leads him to go against his own people.

            Between a large dose of gleeful violence, fantastic acting and a surprisingly strong moral center, Django Unchained is easily one of my favorites of 2012.

Consensus: Outrageously entertaining from start to finish, Django Unchained is another gem in Quentin Tarantino’s nearly flawless collection.

Verdict: 9.5 out of 10