Django Unchained (2012)

Loved it loved it loved it. There was a false ending and then some more scenes, but I liked them. This is no Lincoln! I loved everything! From the cheesy scenery in the opening scenes of slaves being chain-walked in front of false boulders to the hilarious dialog and the sight gags, and of course the great acting, this movie is Tarantino having fun. The fact that he is having fun with a shitty subject may leave some people conflicted, but personally, I loved watching the creepy, nasty, it's-ok-to-have-slaves plantation owners get blown away.

And oh my god! They get blown away. It is very satisfying to watch, as is any revisionist history where the bad guy gets taken to task (with guns or whatever) by a righteous individual and his posse. Hence the Western. This doesn't change the fact that slavery occurred, and many people wonder - what would I have done? What would I have done in Nazi Germany, or in Mississippi during slavery, or - is there something now I should be concerned about?  What am I missing that is occurring right now in our world?

Well, this movie is what Tarantino, and a lot of white people (based on the demographic of the theater I was in) would like to have seen happen. Or, perhaps, sitting in our comfortable homes now, this is what we like to see.

And it's good film-making. How, in such a violent and serious film, does Tarantino manage to make some scenes so light?  A few examples - watch for the sight gags. First, the giant tooth on the top of Dr. King Schultz's (Christopher Waltz's) wagon is ridiculous and funny every time it's seen. It squeaks. Django's first suit - straight out of a cartoon. But it works. The scene with Don Johnson and Jonah Hill (as Bag Head #2) is allowed to develop and run, and it's wonderful. They are buffoons, but haven't you ever looked at the Klan and thought - Why do they wear those stupid cone hats?  What buffoons. 

There is a family of hillbillies (don't know how to describe them) on Candie's (Leo's) property who are unintelligible. They have dialog, but it is gibberish. How Leo kept a straight face in these scenes is a testament to his ability to straighten up and fly right. And this hick family is one of the most evil things you'll see in the film. You didn't have to be rich to go along with slavery.

Anyway, I need to see it again. I know I missed a lot - and I don't want to miss any of this film. Go go go. Skip Lincoln and watch this.