Django Unchained (2012)

Like his last film Inglorious Bastards, Django Unchained is a historical genera film as ethnic revenge exploitation flick. Django (Jamie Foxx) is a slave in the late 1850's American south who at the beginning of the film is rescued from Texas slave traders by a German born dentist turned bounty hunter played the great Christoph Waltz, who here gets to play a 'good guy' as opposed to the Nazi he played in Tarantino's last film, and in everything I've seen him in this guy is just a joy to watch. Waltz's character, Dr. King Schulz, freed Django (in an enjoyable sequence of trademark Tarantino violence and cleaver dialogue) to help him track down three wanted men who happen to have been among Django's previous plantation over sears. Schulz doesn't know what these men look like but of course Django does, so he makes him a deal (in part of an extended sequence that also features trade mark Tarantino violence and dialogue) that if Django helps him track down and identify the men he will give him his freedom along with $75, not bad in antebellum money.

The two bond while tracking down their targets, and in fact once they have taken those three out elect to stay a team hunting bounty through the winter. Dr. Schulz even agrees, in fact he all but insists, on helping Django track down and rescue his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) who has come into the possession of Mississippi plantation owner, brothel proprietor and slave fighting enthusiast Calvin J. Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio having fun as an evil but elegant scum bag). Convinced that Candie won't just sell Broomhilda to them, and I'm not all together sure why though I think they try to explain it, Schulz and Django come up with an elaborate ruse in which they will purchase Broomhilda's freedom from Candi after ingratiating themselves with him by offering to pay $12,000 for one of his Mandinka fighters, and given the joy of the unexpected in Tarantino's films that is where I will stop my plot description.

While not as ingenious as Bastards, Django is cleaver and fun, also violent and witty. The film includes a number of fun cameo appearances, often by actors best associated with western roles, as well as Jonah Hill of all people. The subject matter being what it is of course will make some people uncomfortable or strike as inappropriate, but its a Tarantino movie, so you should be expecting what you'll get, none of it struck me as beyond the pale. Like all Tarantion films, well worth seeing with an audience. ***1/2