If there were awards for controversy handed out at the Oscars, ‘Django Unchained’
would’ve won hands down. Quentin Tarentino’s film has gotten a lot of debates started,
a lot of verbal fisticuffs thrown and most of all, a lot of people thinking. The temptation is
to start immediately dissecting all of the talk and controversy around it, but that will come
later throughout this article.
‘Django Unchained’, to begin, is a GREAT film. I had my skepticisms, but once sitting down
to catch the screener, I immediately got pulled into the film’s energy. For nearly three
hours, which with some films these days can be hit or miss. Jamie Foxx as Django gives
a measured, stoic performance throughout. Christoph Waltz shines brightly as Dr.King
Schultz, the German bounty hunter who emancipates, then trains Django to be a bounty
hunter and his partner. Leonardo DiCaprio alternatively intrigues and disgusts as the
genteel sociopathic plantatation owner, Calvin J. Candie. But Samuel L. Jackson as the
cloying house slave Stephen? Wickedly genius. Tarantino’s knack for being a cultural
remixer in film is secured with ‘Django’ being that near-perfect blend of blaxploitation and
spaghetti western. There’s odes to both genres galore in the film. Look at the soundtrack
featuring songs by John Legend and music maestro Ennio Morricone. The scene where
Django and Schultz ride off to the mountains? You’ll find that influenced by a set scene
from ‘Red Sun’ featuring another Western with an unlikely duo, gunslinger and robber
Charles Bronson and noble samurai Toshiro Mifune. The mandingo fight harkens back to
former heavyweight champion Ken Norton’s acting debuts in ‘Mandingo’ and its sequel,
‘Drum’. The scene where Schultz shoots one of the overseers on Big Daddy’s plantation
and you glimpse the blood upon the cotton? An ode to Chang Cheh’s violent cutscenes
for his films at the Shaw Brothers studios we all know and love. Even the supporting cast
is a who’s who of TV and film fame. Don Johnson as Big Daddy? Even having Franco Nero,
the original Django appear and in subtle fashion hand the mantle off to Jamie Foxx? Pretty
damn masterful.
That doesn’t mean ‘Django Unchained’ doesn’t have it’s flaws. For one, I would have
liked to see Kerry Washington’s Broomhilda Von Shaft a little bit more outside of the
flashbacks prior to her showing up in full later in the film. Also, the scene with the
LeQuint Dickey Mining Company could’ve been chopped down a bit; I know Quentin
likes his cameos, but he could’ve taken a cue from Hitchcock in this case. Outside of
that, ‘Django’ is quality. It’s also a study in acting, where you have four actors at
different stages in their careers all pushing each other and enriching the dialogue. For
example, Waltz’s Schultz is at once charming, crafty and in the later stages of the film,
so conflicted by what he experiences with Django that it is worthy of all of the accolades
he can get. Jamie’s Django is cool, methodical with just enough fortitude and attitude
to represent the new Black man in a South - and an America - on the brink of major
change. Both DiCaprio and Jackson’s roles are so skillfully played that they make you
squirm at the depths of depravity both exude. And yet, you know two things due to
their roles. One, that actors really bring out the best in their craft when playing the
role of the villain. Up to this point Leo had never played a villain outright (no, J.Edgar
doesn’t count; blame Eastwood for that) with such venom. And Sam Jackson’s role
is probably one of his top ten roles EVER. The second thing is, no matter what they
portrayed on the screen, the reality was and is ten times worse.
Which brings me to all of the exterior issues clouding ‘Django Unchained’. First up, the
violence. To put it plainly, the criticisms concerning that are a bit overwrought. The
old pistols and rifles back then in the mid-1800’s caused that extreme amount of
damage. Look into any Civil War battle and note the amputation rates. With regards
to the trials of slavery, Tarantino and his team have to be commended for accuracy
with the portrayals of the tortures, the chains and the mandingo fighting. I had a talk
with a dear friend of mine who saw the film and she remarked that there would be
some white audience members who felt that it never happened. To them I say, ‘this
is the history they DON’T show you. Welcome to the dark side of America.’ Now, this
also leads me right to Spike Lee’s criticism. Spike’s entitled to his opinion. And we’re
entitled to disagree. But some of the flack he caught was unnecessary, disrespectful
and also reveals that some of us have a little bit more self-hate and misguided sense
of self than we let on. 
To Spike’s inference that a movie about slavery in the United States is offensive and
shouldn’t have comedic elements, his words ignore what has taken place before. For
example, ‘Skin Game’, shot in 1971 featuring James Garner and Lou Gossett Jr., can
be considered the archetype for ‘Django Unchained’. Seven years before ‘Roots’ and
three years before Mel Brooks’ iconic ‘Blazing Saddles’, this film portrayed Garner and
Gossett as two con men running game on unwary slave traders and ranchers before
one hustle goes awry and Gossett REALLY becomes enslaved. It balanced out the
themes of buddy film, drama and comedy all in the setting of the slavery era. Even
had a John Brown appearance. Look at ‘Blazing Saddles’. Without the work of Cleavon
Little AND Richard Pryor’s screenwriting, that movie wouldn’t be the classic it is. Now,
is Spike upset at the ease of which this film was made? I would wager so. Here’s a man
who had to get outside funding for ‘Malcolm X’, & still needs that help for other projects
because he’s not a ‘Hollywood’ director. He’s going to make movies and documentaries
for people of color because that’s the audience that nurtured him. Ask Uncle Luke what
he’s nutured outside of underaged strippers. To one or two of you out there who claim
and I quote, ‘this is the movie Spike wished he had the balls to make’, stop being jackasses.
The Hollywood movie structure is far too complicated and does not bow to tell stories we
want to see. Look at George Lucas’ struggles with ‘Red Tails’. ‘Django’ is a moneymaker;
cross-promotion with ‘Roots’ on BET, and the MECO figures is all about profit and more
profit for the studio, crummy and exploitative as it is. All the ire for a man who many
praised not more than a couple of weeks prior for the ‘BAD25’ documentary about Michael
Jackson reeks. Another thing is, Reginald Hudlin should be getting more publicity than he
is being an executive producer and assisting in the screenwriting. But that doesn’t work
well on the front page of Variety.
‘Django Unchained’ is a magnetic film, one that will get you talking and thinking. And
art, at it’s most basic, is supposed to do that. It’s not a ‘Black’ film in the sense some
think it is. It is, an American spaghetti western that should sit up there with the efforts of
John Ford and others. And we should recognize it as such…and maybe encourage another
filmmaker to top it.