Movie: Django Unchained (2012)

Django Unchained (2012)
Action, Drama, Western

I was so excited when I saw this movie coming, I was even more excited to find out it came out a month earlier in America than it does here at home in Australia. I'm a massive fan of Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill) and so this was just an automatic must see for me. I showed my husband a preview (I have to say they don't really show you much or give you a good idea of what the movie is actually like) and read him an article and suddenly he wanted to see it as much as I did. Hurrah!

So New Years Day when we were severely hungover in New York, we walked to one of the theatres in Times Square and lined up to see Tarantino's latest blood 'n' guts film... and wow! I can't remember the last time a film made me think so much, made me laugh out loud and cringe at the same time. I've also never been to the movies with such an expressive audience; there were gasps, cheers and uncomfortably tense moments from the crowd and a round of applause at the end.

As always in a Tarantino flick the cast is amazing! Jamie Foxx (Ray, Law Abiding Citizen) is the lead as Django, a black slave freed from his captives by the German bounty hunter / dentist Dr. King Shultz played by Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds, Water For Elephants) who was absolutely amazing and just won a Golden Globe for this performance. Django and Shultz make a deal, Django helps Shultz to find his latest bounty and in return they go together to rescue Django's wife Broomhilda - played by Kerry Washington (Ray, Fantastic Four) - who has been sold to the powerful plantation owner, Calvin Candie, amazingly portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio (Inception, Blood Diamond).

You would think all those names would be enough but no, there's more! Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, The Avengers) brilliantly plays Candie's head of house Stephen. Cameos by James Remar (Dexter), Walton Goggins (The Shield), Jonah Hill (Superbad) and of course, Tarantino himself always makes an appearance, this time as an Aussie...with a terrible accent...

Being a Tarantino of course it's rife with violent blood splatter, shocking scenes of murder and disfigurement and foul language. It focuses a lot on the issue of black slavery but it does it so... normally. It felt like of course that's the way they should be treated and according to this article written on SmithsonianMag.com by African American History and Culture Director, Lonnie Bunch, it's pretty damn close to reality. Shame on us!

Absolutely brilliant movie! Everything I have come to expect and love about Tarantino. Will have to go buy this on DVD when it's out, am recommending it to everyone I know with the warning that some parts may just turn your stomach. Out in Australia on the 24th of this month, go see it!

5 out of 5 'N' Words...

[Bonus] 

Samuel L Jackson insists the reporter say the N word before he will answer the question. 

*snickers*