DJANGO UNCHAINED
USA 2012
Running Time: 165
minutes
Cast: Jamie Foxx,
Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L Jackson
Director: Quentin
Tarantino
Screenplay: Quentin
Tarantino
Cinematography: Robert Richardson
There are few movies out there that will make you laugh
until your sides split, and make you puke your guts up. This is the one that will make you do
both.
Tarantino is a master mimic. His films always have a familiarity about them because so
much of the content is lifted from other movies. Yet he always manages to put his own spin on the material and
makes films that are wholly his own.
Django does this masterfully, and who’d have thought a film about
slavery could be so entertaining?
Jamie Foxx is perfect in the titular role of Django. He has the ability to do comedy, but
enough acting chops to pull back from playing for laughs when the material
requires it. Christoph Waltz
as a German dentist turned bounty hunter also manages to hit every mark and the
pairing of him with Foxx sets up a unique spin on the mis-matched partner
scenario so often used in cop shows.
As the partners travel around, shooting miscreants for
money, they become friends and Django lets slip he has a German-speaking wife
with the improbable name of Broomhilde.
The second half of the film deals with the rescue of this fair
maiden. Things do not go as
planned, of course, and in the course of the rescue, much blood is shed. A lot of blood. Gallons of it. I sat in the front row of the cinema
and was glad the film wasn’t in 3D or I’d have been splattered with gore.
The landscapes are gorgeous and beautifully shot. I’ve never had a problem with the DCP
digital format before, but this is a film that’s crying out to be seen on
35mm. The scenery demands the
warmth and depth of film, not the cold perfection of digital and several times
during the screening I wished I was seeing it on film.
Funny, bloody and with a finale that indulges every one of
Tarantino’s boyish urges for excess, Django Unchained is a terrifically fun
three hours. I didn’t even wish it
was shorter, and that’s saying a lot!
Hey, I've seen this one! And love it!
ReplyDeleteGreat movie!!!! :D
ReplyDeleteI never tire of Tarantino. He spins tropes so well.
ReplyDeleteThis one comes on satellite all the time now, but I haven't been able to get past the offensive time period and the hugely offensive character DiCaprio plays (he does too good of a job!). I don't dislike everything from that era though - I like The Color Purple, Beloved, and Amistad.
ReplyDeleteForgot to mention I think the people "seeing" ghosts in the hotels are cranks, but there are a lot of amateur ghost hunters who go to a place like that hoping to find something supernatural.
DeleteThis movie was actually great. I didn't get to see it in theaters, but as soon as it hit BLuRay I bought it.
ReplyDeleteBrandon Ax: Writer's Storm
For me, Tarantino movies are always hit or miss, so I'm not sure if I should see it. It doesn't help that I've heard a lot of mixed things about this one. But if you like it, I'll put it in the maybe pile.
ReplyDeleteAwesome movie!
ReplyDelete