Movie: Django Unchained
Cast: Jamix Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo Di Caprio, Samuel L. Jackson
Director: Quentin Tarentino
Rating: ****
When the promos started rolling in for Django Unchained, I dismissed it as a rehash of revisionist history formula that Tarantino used emphatically for Inglorious Basterds. There we had Jews turning the tables on Nazis here we have a black guy hunting white folks during the slavery era. But how ingloriously wrong was I. Yes it has the same DNA at its core, but this movie stands on its own, and it stands really tall. Violent and charming are not the two words meant to be used together, but such is the rare genius of Tarantino that he mixes these unique elements with annoying ease.
The story unfurls when a retired dentist and now a bounty hunter, Dr King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) rescues a black slave Django (Jamie Foxx) to identify few vicious criminals for him to add to his trophy collection. The partnership blossoms there in and the good doctor takes Django under his wing and brands him Django Freeman. They cut a deal that during the winter Django will help him hunt down criminals and later Schultz will help Django to rescue his wife from a charismatic yet dangerous plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo Dicaprio). I won’t dwell into specifics to keep this review spoiler free, as the movie is yet to release in India.
The movie is set in two parts: the first is a western revenge tale, where Django is unleashed by the Doctor and their partnership is established. Brutal, outlandish and funny, this part belongs to Christoph Waltz. He adds new dimensions to his silver tongued, sly devil persona that he first introduced to us when he played Hans Landa in Inglorious Basterds. He is the one who sets the stage and puts it in a platter for Jamie Foxx to shine, and he doesn’t disappoint. Foxx takes bad ass to a whole new level with his portrayal of Django, his body language, his curt and dry deliveries and his one liners will have you curiously engaged. The only point where I was unconvinced was his transformation from a chain bound slave to a horse riding, whip lashing “nigger”. I guess a little time could have been spent on this, but considering the already bloated run time, it was an acceptable compromise.
Now onto the 2nd part. The second part is a much more elaborate affair. In a good-ol-western, they would have taken the whole cavalry and charged the plantation in order to rescue the damsel in distress. But that is not how characters roll in the Tarantino universe. Without getting into spoiler territory let us just say, they take the dialog first approach. At Candie Land, they are welcomed by the outlandishly charming yet devilishly vicious Calvin Candie (DiCaprio). The movie slows down in pace, but you will not notice. You will be sucked in to the sheer brilliance of Di DiCaprio’s charm. He speaks in more elaborate sentences than the good doctor and their game of verbal repartee is a sight to behold. But he is outshone by the unparalleled Samuel L. Jackson. He plays the role of Stephen, an uncle Tom sort of figure who is fiercely loyal to his white master. I might have used a stereotype to define his character, but his portrayal is anything but. Go watch it for yourself, I am keeping this one under wraps.
All is not perfect though. Jamie Foxx comes off as a weak link when he is left on his own. Not that he is bad, but such is the brilliance of the other three actors that he seems to pale in comparison. At the tail end, the length of the movie starts catching up on you and you get a little restless. But rest assured the movie matches the hype and is a classic Tarantino affair.