"How do you like the bounty hunting business?" "Kill white people and get paid for it? What's not to like?"

Year: 2012

Directed and written by: Quentin Tarantino

A freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner with some help from a German bounty hunter.

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I had heard a lot of things about Django Unchained before I finally watched the film. Like every movie I hadn't seen from Tarantino, it had been on my list for quite some time because of the peculiar things I've heard. One of the peculiar things that I had heard was how Leonardo DiCaprio accidentally cut his hand while they were shooting, and yet they continued filming. And then there was that rumour going around that the actor Ato Essandoh was actually killed by the dogs during the film. And then of course there's that legendary picture of the Django Unchained screenplay, though I have no idea how authentic that is.

That is clearly some Oscar worthy shit right there!

The story of Django Unchained is interesting and very thrilling. Okay, that's hard to sincerely while that screenplay picture is there, but I really do mean it. Django's character makes everything even better. He is definitely a hero, but he's slightly complicated hero. Usually roles like that are made for white actors, but there's no way to make this story about a white man. There are too few heroes that aren't just white men, especially when we're talking about roles where the hero is forced to act against his beliefs. Meaning Django had to pretend to be a black slaver, and he did his part and seemed almost merciless, and even when you know that's just for his plans, it is awful to watch. 

The love angle is a good add for this story. Of course the revenge theme is very strong here, but the love story of Django and his wife Broomhilda is definitely a nice touch. Maybe the audience doesn't get to see romance that much, but it gives a sort of softer feeling to this.

And of course this movie has created some controversy on many parts, and like QT has said, you can't make a movie about slavery without it creating some kind of controversy. But I'm going to talk about two things in particular, though I don't think I'll be saying anything that hasn't already been said before. First there's the n-word situation. A lot of people are criticizing how often Tarantino uses racial slurs, and he does use them a lot, there's no denying that. And of course I have to point out that my opinion as a white person is of course... not at all meaningful compared to those who hear this word being used against them on a regular basis. The characters using the n-word in this movie are racist. That's the point, no one is throwing it around just like that. White people using that word are racist, no matter how they try to convince otherwise. The characters using that word are racist, and that's why it's used. The audience knows exactly that they are racist. Yeah, of course it could be used less, but I see where Tarantino is coming from.

Violence is another thing that is always creating controversy when we're talking about films - and especially Tarantino's films. Violence in Django Unchained has two reasons: there's the violence that the slaves face. And that's something that definitely shouldn't be left out. Slaves were treated horribly and that's a fact, and seeing that violence on screen makes it harder for people to not talk about it. And then there's the violence where Django gets his revenge, and those are amazing. Firstly there's the catharsis - the bad guys get what they deserve. Secondly, film is a fantasy. One guy fighting ten or more guys and surviving is impossible, and we all know that, but it is thrilling to watch.

It's impossible to talk about Tarantino's films without mentioning the music. Once again, I loved the soundtrack of Django Unchained. It felt different compared to the other movies I've seen, but it was still good.

Django Unchained is definitely amazing movie. It deals with a very serious issue, yet it manages to give a satisfying result to everything. 

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

10 / 10

After Django Unchained I've seen all Tarantino's movies - well apart from those he has written but not directed, and some he's directed as a guest director (Sin City). Tomorrow I'll go see The Hateful Eight again, so there won't be a review, but I might put all these movies on a list to see which one I like most, even though it seems hard to choose.