How does this relate to Django Unchained? Well, as far as movies, I imagine that there is a competitive drive to write, produce, and direct films better than your contemporaries, especially if one of your contemporaries receives more accolades. This is why, after I saw this movie, I was perplexed and disappointed about acclaimed director Spike Lee’s criticism of the movie before seeing it. Before its release, Spike Lee stated that he would not see the movie because it is disrespectful to the ancestors of African slaves in America. He goes on to say that slavery in the United States was not a Spaghetti Western, but a Holocaust. This is not the first time Spike has gone after Tarantino and his films. He has criticized Tarantino’s excessive use of the word “nigger” in his movies, claiming that Tarantino is “infatuated” with the word as if he wants to be “an honorary black man.” As a black American, I understand Spike’s criticisms. Although Tarantino was not the only white character that used the word in his hit movie Pulp Fiction, I was immediately taken aback when his character used in within his first few lines. I remember looking at Samuel L. Jackson’s character and expecting him to punch Tarantino in the face, but he just sat there. It definitely touched my nerve because it just seemed completely unnecessary and awkward. The other character who used it was clearly a racist, so I understood. Tarantino’s character was supposed to be the friend of Samuel L. Jackson, so why was he using it? One thing that Spike has on Tarantino, though, is that when he steps from behind the camera to in front of the camera, Spike is ten times better as an actor than Tarantino. It is not even a contest.
Still, as valid as some of Spike’s criticisms might be, people always felt that his attitude toward Tarantino was due to envy. I am a fan of multiple films from both directors. Their styles were innovative and intriguing. They can also both get great performances from their actors. In fact, Samuel L. Jackson and Kerry Washington, who star in Django, have also appeared in Spike Lee’s previous films (Jackson will be in Spike’s next release coming this year). However, Spike’s critical acclaim has been a lot less than Tarantino. His movies rarely got nominated for Academy Awards, and when they actually did, the award went to some movie of lesser quality. Personally, I thought he was robbed of the Oscar for Best Picture for the movie Malcolm X, and I never took the Oscars that seriously afterward. At the same time, Tarantino’s star and legend began to rise, culminating with Django receiving 5 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Since maybe 2005, Spike has not even sniffed the same critical acclaim or even box office sales save for a couple documentaries that aired on television. It seems like Spike’s notoriety has slowly been dwindling for years, and he is not happy about it. Of course, there are some people that believe that it is a conspiracy due to his outspoken and controversial statements regarding race, whether in the press or through his movies. At the end of the day, Spike’s public comments are overshadowing his talent as a filmmaker, and he now just comes off as a “hater.” Instead of popping off his mouth about Tarantino, I wish that he would have just gone back in the film room and put his all in his work. Eventually, it would pay off for him because if you really touch people with your work, everyone else will notice.
I hope that Spike does see Django someday because there is a lot to like about it. The movie stars Academy Award winning actor Jamie Foxx as Django, an African American slave two years before the Civil War, who is freed by professional bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) in exchange for his help in finding three individuals in connection to an outstanding bounty. Afterward, Schultz agrees to train Django in his bounty hunter ways and help him free his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from the clutches of flamboyant slave master Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his loyal house slave Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson).
Besides the typical bloodbath that we are used to from Tarantino movies, the first thing that stands out is the acting. Tarantino pulls together some heavy hitters for this one with impressive results. Christoph Waltz’s character is the star of the first half of the movie, as he comes off very off-kilter but still ready to blast somebody if necessary. His monologues after shooting his targets are memorable, and he interacts with Jamie Foxx very well throughout the film. I understand why he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor (not that the Oscars are legit but I am sure it feels good to get nominated). DiCaprio continues to show that he is so far beyond his teeny-bopper days from Titanic and lets the world know that he is a talented, compelling actor (he pulls off a pretty damn good Southern accent). Jackson’s portrayal as the loyal house slave and Django antagonist is also compelling and entertaining in its own right. Furthermore, Jackson’s character provides deeper commentary on the black community’s unfortunate habit of discouraging other black people from rising above their social status and pandering to their “white masters” for approval instead of being themselves (that’s a whole different issue).
Surprisingly, the weakest performance comes from Foxx, who I felt was not as convincing as the other actors in assuming his character. It might not be his fault. I expected more character development from him throughout the movie, but the screenplay did not focus on his character’s evolution at all. I expected his transition from a slave to a feared bounty hunter would include more trials, tribulations, and personal conflict. Instead, he comes off as a confident guy born doing what he does, but lacked the tools to get it done at first. That does make Django an appealing character, but delving deeper into his thought process in development would have put Foxx’s performance over the top. Nevertheless, he still did a great job; so that just shows you how great of a job everyone else did in the movie.
As with all Tarantino movies, the background music garners as much attention as the movie itself. You definitely get the western feel from the musical landscape laid. There are not as many memorable compositions that demand replay as there were in Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, but it is suitable. However, I think he missteps when he included a Rick Ross song during one scene. Rick Ross is alright as a rapper, but it was just out of place.
Perhaps someone with more experience would be better reviewing this movie, but it was nice to give it a try. I will say that Django Unchained will be part of my DVD collection once it is released. Quentin Tarantino has given us another classic film, and his catalogue just keeps getting better. In all fairness, as a black man, I get a lot of pleasure watching a former slave taking vengeance on slave masters by killing them on their own plantations. After learning about the atrocities that my ancestors endured, I always imagined what it would be like if anyone approached these plantation owners and started blasting. It’s a movie that could AND should have been made a long time ago. In fact, it’s a movie Spike Lee COULD have made a long time ago. If Spike wanted to tone down the violence and add more social commentary to it, he could have. Still, why did he just complain about everything and let Tarantino take this idea from under his nose? I hope Spike will use this as motivation to make something better because his complaints, despite their validity in some cases, are falling on deaf ears. He is better off using his talent to make his point, and if he comes with something as intriguing as Django Unchained, the people will listen.
