Django Unchained Bold, bloody, and stylistically daring, Django Unchained is another incendiary masterpiece from Quentin Taranitino.

Tarantino, as a director, is known for his satirical subjects, nonlinear storyline, and an aestheticization of violence that usually result in the exhibition of neo- noir characteristics. Like many of his films, including Django Unchained, Tarantino accomplishes the goal of playing with the audiences perception of past and present. This movie addresses a very horrible and dark period of Americas past, which is why this movie received so much criticism. Slavery is a very controversial topic; however, with the use of the camera, which seems melodramatic and recalls the Spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone. Tarantino was able to tell a story that softens the brutal subject matter, which revolves around slavery and revenge fantasy violence. The movie begins with a still shot of the Texas desert, with Luis Bacalov and Rocky Roberts Django playing in the back ground. While the slaves are walking, the camera zooms out and gives the viewer an aerial view of the desert and the camera dollies in, back into an extra close-up of Djangos face. These simple shot automatically give the audience the tone of the story. The camera then gradual moves to a medium shot of the backs of the male slaves. I think that Tanantino did this on purpose so that the audience can see the slash marks on the back of the slaves. The music also prepares the view, so that they know that this is a Western-style movie. The first scene of the movie begins with main character Django, played by Academy Awardwinner Jamie Foxx, walking in shackles and rags on a cold Texas night in 1858, two years before the Civil War. He then encounters German dentist Dr. King Schultz, played by Academy Award-winner Christoph Waltz. In the film well find that Dr. Schultz, who we never see pulling any teeth, is actually a bounty hunter, searching for men who are wanted- dead or alive. Schultz tracked down Django so that Django can help him track down the murderous Brittle brothers. The two men quickly form a temporary bond and come to an arrangement. If clever and adaptable Django will join up with the bounty hunter for

the winter; not only will Schultz teach Django about his murderous gunslinging trade and give him slice of the profit, hell also help him rescue his wife Broomhilda, played by Kerry Washington. The different angles in this scene gave the movie a haunting verisimilitude. In this scene Schultz has to unchain Django, this was a very powerful moment in the movie. For a moment the camera gives the viewer an extra close-up of Djangos bloody and peeling ankles, and then camera freezes the image, providing; the audience time to absorb the image. The camera then scrolls up, as Django walks away, giving the audience his back. In slow motion, Django removes his blanket and reveals his whipped back to the audience. This frame meant to give the view an insight of Djangos history and his life, prior to being freed. Django removing the blanket from his back symbolizes his freedom and the beginning of his new life as a free man. This film offers one amazing sequence after another, all set around these two interesting characters who seem opposites but share financial, personal, and pragmatic issues. Slavery is a very difficult subject to talk about in public, because it is a dark part of Americas history. It is one of those topics that almost always draw out the deepest of emotions in people. This however is a brilliant entertainment, in which Tarantino takes on the subject of slavery as he did the Holocaust in his previous film, "Inglourious Basterds." That one, too, employed Christoph Waltz in a leading role. Inglourious Basterds conjured up a team of tough Jewish- American soldiers who took Nazi scalps and chases down Hitler with the assistance of a French Jewish theater owner. Django Unchained on the other hand does not 't exactly bring the forces of cinema to stand against slavery in the same fashion, but it does use Spaghetti Westerns and exploitation films to shape the character of a former slave who learns to shoot and finally faces down the people who bought his wife. Like every other Tarantino film, Django Unchained aestheticizes violence to an almost comical decree; with red blood spattering over various white surfaces, like snow and gauzy cotton. Some would argue and say that this film is some kind of joke. Other viewers say that this movie is resist, and that Django presents a bit of a quagmire. However I think Django shows the full unromantic cruelty that takes place during that time. Tarantino did a great job depicting slavery and the darkness of it. One of the

most graphic parts of the movie is when Broomhilda, played by Kerry Washington, had to be wiped. The scene begins with Django having a flashback. As the audience we are presented with Django begging the master to not wipe Broomhilda and then the camera jump-cuts to the master tying Broomhildas arms to a tree. The full body shot of Broomhilda tied with both hands spread apart is breath taking. The closeup of Broomhildas face as she waits to be whipped is truly heart breaking. The scene is very graphic, with each whipe Broomhilda screams and each scream is spreads chills down your spine. This scene was very powerful and beautiful at the same time; Kerry Washington acted with every inch of her body. The film has also been attacked for its incredible level of violence. There is a horrible torture sequence when a slave tracker unleashed his dogs onto a poor slave, while the worst of it disappears due to crafty quick cuts it the editing, the scene is still hard to watch. In this sense the violence here, reflects Tarantinos desire to break through the audiences comfort level for exploration film and insist. This was truly a time when society and culture was inhuman. Throughout Django Unchained the word nigger is used frequently, a hundred and ten times, apparently. The movie has been criticized for its overuse of the n-word; a long-standing charge against Tarantino. The word is ever present yet invisible. This word makes us uncomfortable. The n-word is first used when Django and Dr. Schultz ride into a small town. As they are riding through the town, the people curiously stare at Django. Schultz then asks Django what is everyone staring at and Django replies they never seen a nigger on a horse. The repetition of nigger on a horse employs though the narrative to literally yank Django down from a place that is reserved for whites only. At one point of the movie plantation owner Calvin Candie, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is having a face-to-face conversation with Django, and he says nigger more than four times. Candie uses the word as if he were referring to a simple object. This does not make it less painful to hear. However as an African American, I am not all offended by any of the language in Django Unchained. Within the context of Django Unchained, the word nigger has no racist connotations beyond its purpose of providing the movie with a specific tone. A few say that its general use among black people reflects only self-hatred, or

internalization of white-racism of the kind presented by Samuel L Jackson's "house nigger" in the movie. The word is clearly used frequently as a term of both endearment and empowerment, as when Django himself insists that he's one of those "one in 10,000 niggers" who won't be kept down. Tarantino captures the antebellum South; by drawing in bold colors. Color can be difficult for cinematographers to control; decently in exterior shots. Tarantino used bright colors in the movie; however, the films bright colors did not distract me from the movie. Some of the shots of Southern plantations are beautiful; I worried that the film might, like Gone with the Wind, by glamorizing and romanticizing antebellum Southern plantations (in particular Big Daddys plantation in the beginning), but that was quickly dispelled by the usual Tarantino bloodbath. This movie had lots of nighttime shots, and a nighttime shot is also a challenge for cinematographers. This is definitely difficult with film stock. One of the nighttime shots deals with an early version of the KKK (Ku Klux Klan). The sequence involved tricky lighting to capture the image of torch wielding character, which was also on horseback. This required a very expensive and complex lighting setup. Tarantino did a magnificent job at what he is known for; Close up HD shots that literally splattered blood on the camera lens; the horrifying sound of dogs jaws crunching black arms. Beyond the violence, blood, and slaughter, this film is an amazing. Tarantino was able to tell a story that softens the brutal subject matter, which revolves around slavery and revenge fantasy violence. This is a must see movie!!