DJANGO UNCHAINED - archive from 30th January 2013.

Saw 'DJANGO UNCHAINED' last night at the local independent picture house. There is no doubt that QT has done it again, this time with a gritty slave trading western that punches well above its weight with a no holds barred perspective of the late 1850's southern slave trade, those who perpetuated it and those who rebelled against it. 

Jamie Foxx is expertly cast as our Hero, Christophe Waltz as his friend, mentor and saviour Dr. King Shultz and Leo DiCaprio as the deliciously diabolical Calvin Candie, whilst not forgetting one of QT's favourites - one Samuel L. Jackson cast as ageing butler and man servant to Candie, Stephen. There are a host of other names in this film that your will instantly recognise, including Bruce Dern, Jonah Hill, his favourite NZ stunt woman Zoe Bell, and our very own John Jarratt. The dialogue is trademark QT, the soundtrack eclectic and pitched perfectly, the cast nail it (except a QT cameo as an Aussie cowboy. . . forgiven already!), the climatic bullet ballet bloodbath is deftly handled, violent and the claret flows in bucketloads and there is well placed humour to provide relief from the underlying violence, abuse and treachery that has left its indelible mark on American history. 

This is up there as one of QT's best and a must see if you follow his filmography and those that have influenced him, the genre, the Oscar nominees on this cast list, or a balls out revenge flick! 

Subsequently this film garnered five Academy Award nominations in 2013, and walked away with two - for Christoph Waltz as Best Supporting Actor and for Quentin Tarrantino himself for Best Original Screenplay. Both the Golden Globes and the BAFTA's that same year were in agreement with the Academy and awarded both their statues similarly. Along the way this filmed picked up a global haul of 48 award wins and 69 nominations.

Enjoy, as I did.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-