SYNOPSIS: Set in the South two years before the Civil War, DJANGO UNCHAINED stars Academy Award®-winner Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award®-winner Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. The unorthodox Schultz acquires Django with a promise to free him upon the capture of the Brittles – dead or alive. Success leads Schultz to free Django, though the two men choose not to go their separate ways. Instead, Schultz seeks out the South’s most wanted criminals with Django by his side. Honing vital hunting skills, Django remains focused on one goal: finding and rescuing Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), the wife he lost to the slave trade long ago. Django and Schultz’s search ultimately leads them to Calvin Candie (Academy Award®-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio), the proprietor of “Candyland,” an infamous plantation. Exploring the compound under false pretenses, Django and Schultz arouse the suspicion of Stephen (Academy Award®-nominee Samuel L. Jackson), Candie’s trusted house slave. Their moves are marked, and a treacherous organization closes in on them. If Django and Schultz are to escape with Broomhilda, they must choose between independence and solidarity, between sacrifice and survival… '

REVIEW:

Django: [upon being asked his name] Django. The D is silent.

The time is 1858 just before the Civil War begins. The place is Texas. The person in question is Django with a silent D. Dr. Schultz is looking for a bit of assistance by a member of a chain gang and this particular slave’s life will never be the same. It is fitting to see a movie of this nature right after having seen Lincoln (no, not the vampire slayer one). It’s also a treat to get another Quentin Tarantino fix; sometimes you just need one and this one’s a doozy. It’s fast, fun, and intelligent and at the same time very simple. It’s explosive and violent, bloody and gory, chock full of intense scenes. There is no mercy and no sugar coating. You know, very Quentin Tarantino style and boy he has a style of his own. His last two pictures have been of very interesting subject matter, but regardless of the subject, he is a master of stories of revenge. He first takes a direct stab at Nazis and now he is taking on slave owners and traders, but in a way like only he can. 

Dr. King Schultz: How do you like the bounty-hunting business? 
Django: Kill white people and get paid for it? What's not to like?

A large part of the success of Tarantino films is the talented cast he surrounds himself with. Jamie Foxx nailed the lead role and was a primary contributor to the action in the film. And then there’s Christoph, Christoph Waltz. He is a joy to watch with line delivery and overall performance. He personifies the icing on the cake. In this film however, the icing is shared between Christoph and Mr. DiCaprio. Leo’s performance was just as intense and entertaining, nothing really surprising there actually. Another interesting performance is given by Mr. Samuel L. Jackson, potent and interesting. He has a knack for appearing in Tarantino films. I was hoping to see more of Kerry Washington in this film. Her involvement was not as much as I would have liked but she is the focal point for some very powerful scenes in the movie. So even though her role is small, her character’s importance is big. Speaking of characters in this film, we get bad asses galore (forgive my French, but it’s really the best way to put it). They are larger than life characters, each with their own agenda and drive, not lacking in determination and a willingness to survive. As mentioned, there is simplicity in the film found in the storyline. The complexity is in the characters and the drama as well as in the potent dialogue. The cinematography wraps it all up in a bow. There is no doubt that Tarantino films are easy to criticize, but they are so much easier to enjoy and be entertained by. If you are a Tarantino fan, this one will not disappoint.

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