5/5 stars

Quentin Tarantino has never been one to shy away sensitive subject matter, and long before Django Unchained hit cinemas, it was dogged by questions and scepticism regarding its portrayal of slavery. However, this is not a film that can be defined by the historical atrocity it depicts; rather Django Unchained, like so many of Tarantino’s other films, is a character-driven story, epic in proportions and a prime example of why Tarantino has a reputations as a master storyteller. The 163 minute runtime might be intimidating, but it’s impossible to be bored watching this film, and its ability to get people talking works completely in its favour.

Already earning a Golden Globe for Best Original Screenplay, it is the script that drives the film, brought to life absolutely by the stellar cast of Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kerry Washington to name but a few. Samuel L. Jackson is particularly brilliant as the conniving butler to DiCaprio’s unhinged plantation owner, but the film belongs to Foxx and Waltz’s incredible performances. The unlikely partnership of a freed slave and a German dentist-turned-bounty-hunter is a classic example of Tarantino’s vision that brings ideas that might sound absurd coming from anyone else to the big screen.

As for what the film has to say, it’s clear who the good guys and the bad guys are, yet the moral ambiguity of Dr. King Schultz (Waltz) is intriguing. There is no apology made for the actions of the white slavers, but more often than not they meet their comeuppance in classic ultra-violent fashion. In the vein of Sergio Leone’s classic spaghetti westerns, Django’s revenge on those that have taken everything from him is explosive and bloody, brilliantly set to an original score by Ennio Morricone, best known for his iconic work on Leone’s Dollars Triology. This is interspersed with original tracks from artists such as Rick Ross and John Legend; Legend’s song Who Did That To You? stands out as the film’s anthem, surely more deserving of an Academy Award nomination than the song from Ted, but that’s another story.

This film has been three years in the making, but it’s definitely worth it. Django Unchained is a worthy addition to Tarantino’s filmography, and will appeal to anyone looking for an entirely different story about slavery from the one Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln has to offer.

                                                                                                                                                                  Hannah Woodhead