Django Unchained [Blu-ray]

Honestly, this movie is amazing. I remember watching when it first came out and revisiting it re-watching it even years later the acting in this movie is superb.

A great Film !

Django Unchained is a very gratifying movie, a unique western that almost deserves its own category as both an entertainment piece and also an educational tool. It is in a lot of ways standard Tarantino fare with the obligatory action scenes and blood but it also grows into something more. It's very much a man against the system story. But, as the tale unfolds, it goes beyond the predictable gory narrative and becomes an allegory of revenge, integrity and social ignorance. It has funny, satirical moments as well as scenes where you, like the good guys, have trouble holding in your rage at what you are seeing. All things said, it may very well be the best movie Tarantino has ever directed.In brief and without giving up too much plot information, this movie is about a slave named Django (Jamie Foxx) who was separated from his wife by his master as a form of punishment common in the Antebellum South. As we meet our soon to be hero, he is without hope and has all but given up on everything. Everything begins to change when a former dentist-turned-bounty-hunter named Dr. Schultz (Christoph Waltz) finds him and through a witty and hilarious scene frees him, formatively then, eventually, in the literal and legal way. The two quickly become friends and partners as Django learns to be a bounty hunter. Eventually, the two hatch a plan to find and free Django's wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington). To do so, they have to find a way to trick the maliciously evil slave owner and slave fighter Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). Worse yet, among the various miscreants and thieves in Candie's employ is his seeming butler and slave boss Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson), who is his equal in cruelty and even sneakier and more suspicious of everyone than he is. The acting is, in all cases, superb and powerful. How these men and women brought this story to life is a true marvel and truly makes you feel like you are yourself transported back in time.The thing that I value the highest about this movie, above even the masterful performances and stunning scenery, is that it is both entertaining as an action-western but also educational. Much like the hardships of the Great Depression, World War II and the price paid by the Greatest Generation to ensure everything that Americans have today, the more years that pass under the bridge the more distant the days of slavery become. The more removed we become from the evil of those times, the more easily we as a society forget what slavery meant and what it was. While Django Unchained is not completely historically accurate, the portrayal of the way blacks were treated in those days is absolutely true to the nature of the beast. The slave owners convey a dedication to being vicious, heartless and cruel. They treat their slaves as less than property, less than people, less even than valuable livestock. The slaves live and die at the whim of these masters, whose only distinguishing skills are their talents at inflicting suffering and their deference to their own shortcomings. For instance, DiCaprio's character, Candie, is French but doesn't speak his own tongue and even gets offended when that language is brought up. While perhaps not suitable for small children, this movie definitely entertains while also educating a post-Roots generation. It reminds us to value the freedoms that we have today.Obviously, being a Tarantino movie, this isn't just a satire, comedy or revenge tale. It's definitely an action flick and, loyal to his fans, Tarantino delivers many fast-paced fight scenes, many with hysterical twists to them. For instance, I love the scene where Tarantino is abruptly blown up by dynamite. The way Tarantino always appears in his own films is reminiscent of the Great Masters, the great artists of yesteryear who had a tendency to always paint themselves into their masterpieces. To find the scene that I am talking about you just need to watch the movie - it is well worth the effort. The film is well paced, not spending too much time on Act I where Django is introduced nor on Act II where he transitions into a hero-in-training. It builds up to a climactic Act III, which is an all-out gun battle (several actually) where Django finally gets revenge on the people who hurt him, tortured his one true love and at last killed his one and only friend. Whatever else it does, this movie will please fans of both the Kill Bill films, classic westerns and also the old spaghetti westerns, which it almost seems to pay tribute to in simple terms of the number of fight scenes.As to picture and sound quality, these are near perfect like most new releases. The video was encoded perfectly in 1080p and I do not recall any pixel problems at any point. This was a great thing given the dramatic cinematography which included old west town sets, deep forests, mountains covered in snow, rolling plains, desert mountains and southern plantation houses. An epic film deserves epic b-roll and Django delivers. The extras that come with the Blu-ray release are tasteful and appropriate, adding some depth and background to the film. These include such discussions as the reimagining of spaghetti westerns and such. All around, these aspects of the release are very good.In summary, I highly recommend this movie. It educates and entertains which makes it a value to all generations and also marks a pinnacle of achievement for both its director and the actors who made it come to life. I cannot speak highly enough of the work they put into this. The best thing you can do is give it a try if you haven't already. It will make you laugh, and you may cry, but you will certainly raise your hands and cheer for the hero before it is over.

Quentin Tarantino’s latest is another genre mash up, this time blending the over-the-top action of the spaghetti western with the gritty modern revenge fantasy of the blaxploitation flicks of the ‘70s. The result is a gory and wildly entertaining action movie with standout performances from the entire cast.The film opens with the iconic Luis Bacalov theme from Django, the ultraviolent Sergio Corbucci western from which this movie attributes its title, and we meet our hero. Django (Jaime Foxx) is a slave being dragged through the south after having been sold away from his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington). He’s soon purchased and rescued by the charming German bounty hunter named Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), who rides around in a dentistry wagon. Schultz needs Django to identify three criminals so that he may kill them and claim the reward. Django turns out to be a natural gunfighter, and the two of them become fast friends. Their friendship leads them to attempt a dangerous rescue of Django’s wife, in a parable of the German fantasy “The Twilight of the Gods”, who has been sold to a particularly villainous slave owner named Monsieur Calvin Candie, owner of the notorious Candyland plantation. His pleasure involves forcing slaves to fight in gladiator style bare-knuckle wrestling matches.There’s a lot to like about this movie, and the first place to begin is with the acting. Every actor gives a great performance. Jaime Foxx goes through a subtle and yet very noticeable evolution from slave to badass bounty hunter. He’s sympathetic when he needs to be, and extremely dangerous when he has to be. There are several sides to the character that make him a believable an endearing protagonist for this style of movie, and you’ll find you’re on his side when he punishes the wicked. Christoph Waltz turns in yet another flawless performance, making his Dr. Schultz an extremely likeable killer. His every action and expression comes across so nuanced and genuine.The more surprising performances come from the villains. For the first time I think in any movie, Leonardo DiCaprio appears to be having fun with his character. He plays Monsieur Candie with such an obvious relish it’s difficult not to find him enticing. His despicable and grinning slave owner is nearly overshadowed by the almost unrecognizable Samuel L. Jackson, who plays his loyal family house slave, Stephen. It’s Stephen who’s shown to be the worst of the worst, which in this movie says a lot, and Jackson nails every line. In public he plays an Uncle Tom style slave for his master, but behind the scenes he’s wickedly sharp and even appears to be pulling the strings. All of these characters are aided by a terrific script, and I think that Tarantino's dialogue is benefited by the period setting, as it keeps his writing and characters focused on the story at hand.The influences of the spaghetti westerns are obvious, with the frequent quick zooms, sweeping wide shots, and beautiful cinematography. The movie looks gorgeous, showcasing vast snowcapped mountain ranges in one scene and the desolate heat of the southern plantation in the next. As to be expected in a Tarantino movie, let alone a western, there’s a ton of glorified violence in this. It's the kind of ridiculous, borderline cartoonish violence that can only suit the sensationalist take on the western genre. While the action scenes and bloody set pieces are well crafted and entertainingly shot, what’s really nice to see is the use of blood packs. It might seem a minor detail, but in far too many action movies (especially in the past decade) there has been an abundance of CG blood spray. It’s welcoming to see the old Robocop style gratuitous blood geysers that can only come from practical effects.The violence is well over-the-top, but this plays into the blaxploitation aspect of the film along with the often contemporary selection of songs for the soundtrack, which reinforces the crazed and ridiculous take on the setting. All of the villains, who in this case are white slave owners, are depicted as disgusting, inhuman, sadistic degenerates who deserve everything that’s coming to them by the inevitably gory end. It’s actually a little refreshing to see the American slaver owner dehumanized in such a way, and it more than suits the tone of the film.Django Unchained is hardly a movie that stresses some kind of deeper meaning or offers analysis on slavery and the morals behind it. It paints a very stark black and white picture for the sake of pure entertainment value. This is a movie meant to thrill and excite you, making every shot in every scene interesting and captivating without drawing too much attention to itself. It’s the best kind of tribute to both of the genres there can be, and it could comfortably fit into a collection of either. It’s pure bloody fun at its finest.

Great movie