Weekend Watch: 'Django Unchained'

A few weeks ago I watched the Golden Globes. It was an interesting event, because I wasn’t really into many of the movies that were nominated this year, so I was really watching the show out of habit. However, after watching all of the praise given to Quentin Tarantino for “Django Unchained” I had an immense urge to watch the film.

I’ll admit it. I was unimpressed by Tarantino’s last film “Inglorious Basterds.” In fact, it was extremely boring. So needless to say I had mixed emotions about “Django Unchained” from the first trailer, not because of the premise of the film because I like Westerns, but simply because of my last Tarantino experience. But even with my reservations I have to admit the film had piqued my interest.

The film centers on Django (Jamie Foxx), a freed slave, who with the help of his benefactor and bounty hunting mentor, Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), sets out to find his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), after she was sold to a different owner.    

Every actor in this film did an amazing job. Christoph Waltz brings a quirky attitude and ingrained sense of justice to his character Dr. King Schultz, turning him from what could have been a simple worldly murderer, to a man with both a depth of knowledge and emotion.

Jamie Foxx’s Django shows his range of acting skills. Django is at times child-like and at times a ruthless killer. He is a man on a mission who does what he needs; even embodying the things he hates most, to save the woman he holds dear, which everyone can identify with.  

The thing that surprised me the most was how Tarantino took scenes of immense violence and turned them into art. The explosions of blood as Django and King shoot their way across the land, resemble splatters of paint on an artist’s canvas.  The film shows many scenes of violence including toward villainous slave owners, and I couldn’t help but find myself rooting for them to die,  especially after seeing what they did to their helpless slaves.

This movie, even with all the controversy it created, was great and I would suggest you head to a theater and see it immediately.

Did you see "Django Unchained"? What did you think? Does it deserve an Oscar? Share your review in the comments.