Rating: 17/20 (Jen: 19/20)
Plot: A dentist-turned-bounty-hunter buys the titular slave in order to hunt down some white guys. Django does such a good job, that the bounty hunter decides to work with him throughout the winter and then agrees to help him locate his wife Broomhilda. That leads to lots and lots of violence.
Tarantino blends genres effortlessly and gloriously. Here, you get historical drama mixed with Italian Western with a pinch or three of blaxploitation, and I'm really not sure there's ever been another director who could put all that together so well. Being part-spaghetti, you might expect meandering with some bits drawn out enough to try most people's patience. Of course, Tarantino does that anyway. This does meander and go a few places that I might--upon further viewings--wish it didn't. From my theater experience--rare enough that I often have to curb my enthusiasm--I can tell you that I enjoyed every single minute of this bloated near-masterpiece. The movie looks beautiful, individual shots that you could probably show somebody and trick them into thinking they came from a Leone movie. A Wild West town drowning in mud, a few plantations, lots of good interior shots with what might be accurate period details. I'm not sure where any of this was filmed, but it was all great to look at. And with Tarantino, you expect certain excesses--blood, cursing, the n-word, and dialogue. This doesn't disappoint there if you're type of person who would be disappointed by a lack of those. The dialogue's rich and often funny, and the violence is quite possibly even more ridiculous than the House of Blue Leaves sequence in Kill Bill. It was definitely more shocking for me to see all that red, and I really wasn't aware that guns in 1858 were capable of making people explode. It felt weird to let out a little chuckle during one out-of-control shootout scene when an already-shot-to-death villain gets shot in the crotch again. Tarantino's boldness with inserting humor in all this violence and in a topic that there's really nothing at all funny about definitely helps this stand out, gives it that unique feel that makes Tarantino's movies so rewarding and special. It's all those minor touches. That wobbling tooth-on-a-spring makes me laugh just thinking about it. (Note: It's an LOL, not a real laugh.) And there's a scene featuring the Klan (or some sort of Klan prototype--I don't know their history) that might surpass the one in O Brother, Where Art Thou? as my favorite KKK movie scene ever. That's difficult to pull off even if Jonah Hill isn't involved. There are all kinds of funny asides that make me want to see this again. The characters' interactions are often troubling, of course but they sometimes manage to be both humorous and troubling at the same time. The actors portraying these characters at times make them seem like caricatures, but they do a terrific job making them semi-realistic, completely entertaining, and most importantly just fucking cool. Jamie Foxx gives a perfectly quiet performance as the hero, but he's not helped by how completely awesome Christoph Waltz is as Dr. Schultz. This guy's one of my new favorite movie heroes ever, and although a lot of it is how the character is written, a lot of it has to do with Waltz. I think it's because he kind of sounds like Werner Herzog. DiCaprio's good enough as the villain although he might be a bit too pretty. Prettiest villain in any spaghetti Western probably. There is a really intense scene that Leo pulls off really well, however. Tarantino-regular Samuel L. is also great in a much-different role. He's very funny here. And there are loads of filthy ruffians and rough-faced thugs that look like they came straight off the set of a late-60's Italian western, all craggy and with skin that looks well lived in. Also typical of a Tarantino movie--you're going to notice the music. You do here, too, and I loved hearing a lot of borrowed Morricone. I'm not sure if I loved hearing the modern hip hop or the Johnny Cash. It just didn't feel in place here. Still, it's a minor complaint. It's early January, and I doubt that I'm going to see a new movie that is this consistently entertaining.
For all you spaghetti-philes, Franco Nero does make a cute little appearance. You probably would have guessed that though.
5 comments:
I could have done with a little less blood, and a lot less upside-down dick, but Tarantino has created another totally unpredictable and entertaining movie. "Django" has great acting (Foxx and Waltz are terrific, But I really loved every second Jackson was onscreen), characters, and unique dialogue, and as with all Tarantino films, there are several tentpole scenes that are shocking and original. I love listening to the language of his movies more than that any other director. Sadly, he often goes over-the-top, but that seems to be a part of his exuberance. The day he can get himself under control is the day he could give us another "Pulp Fiction". A 16.
For me, there are times when I think that Tarantino's movies could benefit from him being able to control himself. Having said that, I am so glad that he hit a point in his career so early where studios let him do whatever the hell he wants. I think his lack of ability to control himself is part of what makes these things such great experiences. You kind of have to put up with him a little, but I don't mind it.
I don't need another 'Pulp Fiction'...that he can get pretty close to it is awesome enough for me.
Less blood...when I tell anybody about this movie, that's what I start with. "It's awfully bloody." Surely that's not where they want my mind to go first, right?
Yeah, when the blood becomes such a parody that it makes the viewer immune to any effect, then you have to wonder what the point is of having the violence. He's like a kid with a bag of candy and no one to tell him when it's time to stop. Gotta admit that all of us laughed hysterically at the effect when he shot the sister, though (and yes, I am a little ashamed to have typed that).
I personally thought that it was his most disjointed and meandering film of his career. I enjoyed individual scenes quite a bit but as a whole movie it left me a bit cold. Its still enjoyable enough for me to give it a 15, but I have no desire to see it again anytime soon.
A lot of Spaghetti Westerns have that disjointed feel. The problem is that most of them aren't 2 hours and 45 minutes long.
Post a Comment