DJANGO UNCHAINED (35mm)
I think its fair to say that
Django Unchained represents Quentin Tarantino’s entry into the Western cannon
or rather the Spaghetti Western cannon. It’s a Western that takes the slave
trade as its setting and the journey of Django as its story.
Tarantino is the master of
imprinting a genre with his own DNA and Django Unchained is undoubtedly a
Tarantino movie in its style, dialogue and invention.
I chose to see it in 35mm at
The Everyman Screen on the Green and if it was Tarantino’s intention to create
a movie that looks like a classic widescreen Western he achieves his ambition
perfectly. As per usual there is a great soundtrack and the production values
are spot on. If you get the chance to see it in it's natural 35mm glory I urge you to do so.
Christoph Malz is a magnetic
cinematic presence as bounty hunter Doctor King Schulz and he becomes Obi Wan Kenobi
to Jamie Foxx’s Skywalker: although in many ways he has more in common with
Hans Solo.
Leonardo di Caprio plays a
villain who is bereft of any redeeming features and Samuel L Jackson not only
looks like the generic Uncle Tom figure but also plays the compliant house
slave to Di Caprio’s Calvin Candie as a cross between the unseen Maid from Tom
& Jerry and a judgemental father figure.
Django Unchained does
feature stylised violence, which, predictably enough, has promoted mild
hysteria, yet it is no more than that of Peckinpah or DePalma.
There is an intrinsic humour
in many scenes, which is a counterbalance to the genuinely upsetting depiction
of the treatment of slaves. Django’s retribution on those guilty of benefitting
from slavery is swift and brutal, in fact both Django and King Schulz have a
default position for dealing with bad people: kill them.
It continues the traditions
of the revenge Western and Korean movies such as Oldboy, Lady Vengeance and
Sympathy for Mister Vengeance. Django’s vengeance is not so much against
individuals that have wronged him but rather revenge on the whole rotten and
barbaric institution of slavery.
As each Tarantino appears his position in my hierachy of interesting directors diminishes - it was uphill to JACKIE BROWN but it has been downhill since then. He writes great dialogue and does some impressive set pieces but the films no longer gel for me as complete films - especially after INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS which I hated so much I gave my copy away. I'll no doubt watch DJANGO when it comes my way on DVD but Tarantino has been consigned to the graverobber box with Tim Burton. I hope that one day he'll surprise me and I'll let him out.
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