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.
