"Django Unchained" (2012) Directed by Quentin Tarantino

“Do you know what they’re going to call you? The fastest gun in the South”.

With a trademark opening shot of an old style Columbia Pictures icon, this fades into yet another Tarantino trademark, of an uplifting and iconic soundtrack and the film’s signature tune “Django” by Luis Bacalov. A brilliant, Western inspired track and one that sets the table for a soundtrack to the film that is yet again eclectic and brilliantly inspired. Throughout the full playing of this signature tune are red emblazoned opening titles set against the backdrop of black slaves, badly scarred and beaten walking slowly in a chain gang through an arid and unforgiving desert. Our hero, “Django” (Jamie Foxx) is only fleetingly front and centre, but interestingly so in a homage to Tarantino’s 1997 film Jackie Brown.

Arriving at a wooded area with many of the chained slaves visibly tired and one falling to his knees in exhaustion, enter from the distance the film’s star and yet another virtuoso performance of utter brilliance from Christoph Waltz as “Dr King Shultz”. Immediately evident is his balletic and eloquent style of speaking despite the in joke use of it being “a second language” to him. Waltz immediately dominates the screen despite being a stranger amongst heavily armed guards and slaves, his language and demeanour immediately upsetting the less loquacious of the guards.

Walking along the line of chained slaves he settles on Django and with a huge, calming smile addresses him to secure information. Django, unaccustomed to such friendliness cannot look at Shultz but rather it’s Waltz’s timing here, even in a very brief scene that excels. His smiles and nods are always in time as the camera remains fixed on him throughout their brief exchange, with Django rather more deliberately obscured and out of focus. Their conversation cut short by the two irritated guards, both of whom have now drawn their guns upon him, Shultz’s smile as he approaches is one of wanting to bargain for the slaves, and Django in particular, however with gun’s cocked and aimed towards him he drops his lighted lamp and in one movement kills one guard “fancy pants” indeed(!) and kills the second guard’s horse, immobilising him underneath the weight of the dead animal.

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The above opening paragraphs are taken from spoiler free review of "Django Unchained" penned and published over a decade ago, transferred to my Medium blog site and which can now be read for free and in full via my Substack blog site and updated original article linked immediately below. I've also linked my opus blog articles on the cinematic career of Quentin Tarantino below too:

https://ramblingmusings666.substack.com/p/django-unchained-through-the-eyes-of-a-new-quentin-tarantino-fan-fb9c75a30e5f

https://ramblingmusings666.substack.com/p/the-genius-of-quentin-tarantino-7d8df84138ee

https://ramblingmusings666.substack.com/p/the-genius-of-quentin-tarantino-vol-2-a4b299a510c0

This spoiler free review and love-in appreciation is also integral to volume 2 of my 7 volumes of "essential film reviews collection". Currently only available as an e-book on Amazon and priced at £4.99 per volume, however should you have an Amazon Kindle "Unlimited" package you can read each and every volume for free

Volume 2

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C4J1S1TL

All 7 Volume Collection

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C4HZSTTH?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tukn

https://www.patreon.com/TheBlackfordBookClub
https://www.paypal.me/TheBlackfordBookClub
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/steveblackford

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