Movie Review: Django Unchained

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Considering its win for Best Original Screenplay at the 85th Annual Academy Awards, I decided it was only fitting we reviewed Tarantino's latest flick, Django Unchained.

It's no secret that the Oscar winning director was never too shy when it comes to the length of his movies however, these were three hours that didn't feel painful on my attention span. We immediately fall in love with the hero of the movie, Django (Jamie Foxx) and his counterpart Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) in an action packed opening scene that keeps one eager to join the pair on their bounty hunting quest and search for Django's lover, Broomhilda (Keri Washington).

The Western themed movie is set in the late 1850's during a period in which slavery is rife and cities are hardly coy about accommodating racism. It is the interest that Dr. King Schultz takes in Django, to the point where he elevates him in situations the pair will encounter, that keeps the audience tied to the two. This union makes the plot that much more enjoyable.

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Tarantino also took the liberty of incorporating some familiar faces from his previous works such as Samuel L. Jackson who acted in his classic, Pulp Fiction. Needless to say, his Uncle Ruckus sort of character in this movie will definitely be harder on one's senses.

In terms of the actor's performances, all credit should undoubtedly go to Leonardo DiCaprio who played the role of Calvin Candie, displaying his most believable performance to date. The plantation owner portrays absolutely no sympathy for his slaves, finds pleasure in the most brutal scenarios and gives the audience a number of reasons to despise him. Tarantino claims that Candie is "the first villain he has ever written who he didn't like. He hated Candie" and DiCaprio himself stated that he struggled to grasp the character and his ability to play such a role. 

Might I reiterate how believable his character was? It was for this reason that I was most certain he would walk away with the Best Supporting Actor award at the prestigious ceremony. The award was however taken by Christoph Waltz for his role as Dr. King Schultz. DiCaprio failed to grab the slab of gold despite his stellar performance, this definitely feels like some form of déjà vu after his roles in Inception, Blood Diamond and The Aviator. I do believe I am starting to take his Oscar Award misses personally but I continue to have faith that his big break will arrive.

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Hats off and poetry snaps to a great plot, and original script. Tarantino certainly put together an incredible team for this project and in the words of Candie, "gentlemen, you had my curiosity. But now, you have my attention."

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