Django Unchained – 5/5 stars
The “D” is silent
In 1858, as he is being transported in shackles, the slave Django (Jamie Foxx) is recruited by Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a German bounty hunter, to help identify a target. In return, he helps Django track down his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), whom he was separated from for trying to run away together.
Django Unchained was released Christmas Day 2012, and was directed by Quentin Tarantino. Along with the actors mentioned above, it features Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, and Walton Goggins. I thought all the actors played their parts really well. DiCaprio did a good job playing the ruthless, slightly crazy plantation owner, and Jackson fit the role of the elderly, sassy head house slave.
Overall, I really enjoyed Django Unchained. It was a great revenge story with great action, shootouts, humor, and even custom songs for each character. Django is, in my opinion, the best modern Western movie. While I’m not the biggest Tarantino fan, I thought he did a great job covering the controversial topic of slavery and creating an immersive time piece. Although the use of the “n” word and the treatment of slaves was very jarring at first, I got used to it and recognized that this was probably pretty similar to how it really was in the South back in 1858. Because of this, I really liked Dr. Schultz’s character because he treated Django with respect, he trained him on how to shoot and become a bounty hunter, and most of all, because he helped Django rescue his wife from a Monsieur Candie, the cruel plantation owner. While most of the time he is a gentle, soft spoken character, I would not recommend insisting on a handshake after getting the best of him.
I rated this movie 5/5 stars because I thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t think of a single thing I would change about it. It’s a little long, with a runtime of 2 hours and 45 minutes, but it told a complete, well-rounded story. It’s currently available on Netflix and I’d highly recommend checking it out.