“Django Unchained” is one of those movies that gets a
release date in India ‘decades’
after it was actually released in the US . So what does that mean? Well
piracy for starters but I had to go through this unfortunate experience of
dodging off those ‘pirates’ to enjoy a spoiler-free film. :)
Django Unchained is a 2012 american action western drama film written
and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film is set somewhere
in Texas in
1858, two years before the civil war. It deals with subject of slavery with a
nice western tinge to it and with violence so gruesome that it was a bit too
much even by the Tarantino standards. (And I mean that in a good way.)
Now chances are you already know Tarantino’s films but If
you are unfamiliar with this man and his work than I would highly recommend
“Inglorious Bastards”, “Kill Bill” and my personal favorite “Pulp Fiction”.
Sudden gruesome violence, black humor, Odd ball cameos, long
witty dialogs, unconventional screenplay and most important of all THE FUN are some
familiar troops that make his films so special and his latest offering “Django
Unchained” doesn’t fall short on any of those things.
The actors play a vital part in any film and this film has
got some excellent cast who rise above their roles.
Jamie Foxx plays Django a free slave who with
the help of a German bounty hunter named Dr. King
Schultz(terrifically played by Christopher Waltz) sets
out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner named Calvin
Candie (deliciously played out by Leonardo Dicaprio)
Christoph
Waltz as the antagonist in Inglorious Bastards had given me chills
of a life time and this time around he plays the opposite. But he does it so
well that he’s one thing that will remain with you after you leave the theatre.
His acting prowess forms the backbone of this film. And the other actors playing smaller roles like Samuel Jackson as Stephen, Keery Washington as Broomhilda have also done justice to their parts.
But it’s the excellent cinematography and sound editing that
eats the cake here. When a bartender is pouring wine into the glass or when a
man uses a whip-lash to ‘punish’ someone you actually feel that you are there
and it’s these little things that make this film so unique and truly involving.
The only one quibble that I have with this film is that the
story is not as deep and multi-layered enough as with the directors previous
ventures and as a result it feels overlong and exhausting towards the end and you don't get those "Kill Bill" vibes that you were expecting. But if we set aside the comparisons, this film is unique & still
far away from the ‘usual’ and most important of all its FUN!
It’s a lengthy film made for the big screen. Go with an
extra large popcorn bucket and have a blast.
But here’s a warning. If you don’t like wit in your cinema,
if you hate long conversations and if genuine violence puts you off then I’m
really sorry to say that Quentin Tarantino movies
are not your cup of tea.
