Django Unchained is unarguably Tarantino’s return to form. I say unarguably, and yet, people are arguing it. It’s too long, it’s self-indulgent, it’s not Reservoir Dogs, it’s not historically accurate, it’s unnecessarily gory and so on. Stop whining. Tarantino has here produced a blisteringly funny and fantastically audacious film that entertains as much as it shocks; which is no mean feat for a film about slavery. *It is bloody. Incredibly bloody. I cringed in my seat as we see a runaway slave torn apart limb-by-limb by ravenous dogs. But the levels of gore are entirely necessary. Tarantino is addressing an issue that deserves attention and deserves a reaction, even if that’s a stomach-churning one. The depiction of slavery may not be 100 per cent historically accurate, but you sure as hell come away feeling nauseated by the concept. Far from belittling the suffering of the slaves by placing it in a comedic setting, Tarantino manages to empower. We at NamaKo applaud the ability to laugh in the face of death. Hollywood is traditionally nervous of tackling slavery but Tarantino hasn’t shied away on any level. You may not enjoy the blood and carnage being pushed under your nose, but for us, the closer we get to the gore, the better.
We’re in love with Christoph Waltz. Ever since his terrifying opening scene in Inglourious Basterds we have been intrigued and infatuated by this man and his ability to draw you in. He leaves you waiting for something, always aware that he’s capable of more than he’s letting on. But the entire cast were upstaged by Samuel L. Jackson’s extraordinary performance as Stephen. His character is the most unsettling of them all – the stooping elder-slave of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Candie is chilling and scarier than whip-brandishing white slave owners.
Django was entertainment in its purest form. From the KKK struggling with the eyeholes in their masks to Django’s emergence in a lurid, blue monstrosity after choosing his own outfit – there were moments of directorial genius from beginning to end. We left the cinema feeling elated and horny for Jamie Foxx.
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