FILM REVIEW: DJANGO UNCHAINED

In Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino tips his hat to the world of Sergio Leone, and along with his signature violence and humour, creates a daring film about slavery in racist southern America. Set in 1858, and influenced by spaghetti westerns, Django Unchained begins much like Inglourious Basterds, with a cracker opening that showcases the superb talent of Christoph Waltz. As the cheery, well-spoken German bounty hunter Schultz, Waltz plays a man who kills for a living, yet feels compassion for the slaves. He releases Django (played by Jamie Foxx) from his captors, promising to free him in exchange for help. But after discovering Django is a natural at bounty hunting, they team up and Schultz vows to help his partner free his wife (played by Kerry Washington) from her new owner Calvin Candie (played by Leonardo DiCaprio). It's refreshing to see DiCaprio in a thoroughly wicked role as the racist, bloodthirsty plantation owner. A wealthy, bored heir, he delights in watching slaves fight each other to death for sport, while Samuel L Jackson is just as sinister as his elderly servant. The issue is that Django Unchained is too long and drags toward the end. Whether that's because of the western genre it's influenced by, or because Tarantino's editor died before this film was made, is unclear, but it could have been more snappy. The shocking part about the film is seeing the brutality against the slaves. When a man is ripped apart by dogs, or a woman is whipped, it's much harder to stomach than the Tarantino's usual stylised blood-soaked gun fights. His trademark use of humour is never far off to lighten the mood, and a scene about an early form of KKK is a standout. With Django Unchained, Tarantino has done it again, making a entertaining, funny, and bloody piece of cinema, which bravely highlights a period of American history others might prefer to ignore