Review of Django Unchained

Flash Summary: 

A slave in the pre-Civil War era is freed by a bounty hunter who promises him freedom, his slave wife, and a little pocket change to carry out some people hunting. Tarantino madness ensues, to the pleasure of gore-hounds.

Review:
Let me start by stating my views on Tarantino and his films themselves, as this can always be a lingering question when reviews are given for his films. I have yet to see a Tarantino film I did not like, and by no means place him on a pedestal above other directors of his current/past time. There are mild things and major things wrong with some of his films, but I have not been overcast by his mistakes so as to be made to hate anything he's done. And no, I do not refer to him as QT.

This being said, I am on a Django high right now. I was completely engulfed in the film, and felt like it was a struggle to take my eyes away from the screen throughout the 165-minute run-time (which had legitimately frightened me at the start). The film Tarantino has given the public is incredibly violent, incredibly racy (to the highest extent of the word), and incredibly daring. There is not a scene of dialogue or shootout that was unimportant to my immediate memory, and it is very simple to see why this movie called for so much controversy. To that, I will adress anyone to read the rating of this movie more thoroughly. 

Django, played by Jamie Foxx, is a slave on a walk through a forest with his two recent buyers and some other no named slaves, when along comes Dr. Schultz. The doctor, played by the ever-so-perfect Christoph Waltz, proceeds to free Django from his current predicament, only to bestow yet another challenging one in his hands. The two pair up to search for Django's lost slave wife, all while engulfing themselves in shootouts and tense conversations will ill-fated southerners. The climax of the movie only begins when we are introduced to Calvin Candie, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio, in what may be his most diverse role to date. From this point on, the film takes place in Candie Land, and the name is the only soft, sweet solace we receive while in this grim third act.

The group I saw this film with agreed that this film was most certainly not Foxx's to own. In traditional Tarantino style, we are given several multiple characters, and everyone is given their chance to shine. Waltz was basically handed the first hour and a half of the movie, dealing with any conflict with sullen ease and teaching Django his craft in gunmanship and in language. It really is wonderful to see Waltz act, almost like walking art. He was cookie-cut for this role, and it was a pleasure to see him supporting the lead role, quite unlike his last Tarantino film (Inglorious Basterds). 

Foxx seems to have a great balance on his character, but, at times he appears confused or shaken in the role. It is only natural, being that the film deals with slavery, and this was probably a very tough and heavy role for any black man to sign on for. He should be applauded for his attendance in this film, and his character speaks this in leagues. As our heroes were mighty fine and dandy, I couldn't take my eyes off of Leonardo DiCaprio in this movie. Every gesture he had and every line he spoke seemed to make me nervous and cautious. His aura in this movie is genuinely disturbing, which makes the scenes where he is charismatic and gentle all the more frightening. His role is quite reminiscent of Waltz's mentioned before in Inglorious Basterds. 

I'd have to applaud Tarantino for his spaghetti-western, because it delivered a solid theme and was a great time at the movies, two of the things I simply ask for out of any movie. I would revisit Django in a couple months' time, simply because of its length, but I would recommend this movie to anyone that has seen Tarantino's work in the past. For newcomers to Tarantino, I would try to explore his earlier filmography before delving into this movie, as you will be able to appreciate some of his signature actors/camera movements/dialogues a lot more. Before finishing, I'd like to encourage any readers to post their thoughts of Django or any other Tarantino films below, as I am quite curious to see what more of the general public thought/thinks.