Following in the style of Inglorious Basterds, the Kill Bills and Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino delivers yet another sense assaulting onslaught which teeters on the edge of profanity, but is reeled back by inappropriately, appropriate humour. For a Tarantino fan such as myself, Django Unchained was faultless, so one might infer that I am perhaps a little biased in my critique. It is true that Tarantino-esque features are an acquired taste, and Django is not for the faint hearted. In fact, if you couldn’t stomach Kill Bill or Inglorious Basterds, then you’ve got no hope with this one.
The film follows bounty hunter Dr King Shultz, played ever so flawlessly by the ever so magnificent Christoph Waltz, and his companion Django “Freeman” a freed slave, on a quest to save his wife, who is held prisoner by the malevolent Calvin Candie, a southern plantation owner played by Leonardo Dicaprio. The cast of this ‘Spaghetti Western’ caps off an imaginative and original script with both Jaime Foxx and Leo sizzling on the silver screen.
Tarantino always creates the perfect atmosphere through dialogue, and in Django, the dialogue does more than set the scene, but encapsulate an era. For a film like Django, don’t watch a trailer. Don’t read over-detailed reviews. And don’t ask your mates “so what’s it about?” Experience it for yourself and prepare to be repulsed, entertained, angered and rewarded for you participation.
Reviewer: Sami Swilksy