Django Unchained

Ordinarily, I'd watch a movie only once. Movies get me bored if I rewatch them only to know what's coming next. It's particularly painful. Also, ordinarily I'd write a review of a movie once I've watched it. Sadly, I was busy. But I did manage to watch Django Unchained. Twice. It really is that good. Now, this movie's quite the whopper. It's 3 hours long. These long movies seem to be making a comeback, which I find to be quite enjoyable. But back to the show.

Django's about this black slave in the Civil War period, who gets his freedom and becomes a bounty hunter. His adventures are guided by a daring veteran bounty hunter with ice water for blood, and a very distinct stylishness to his violence. More importantly, the film is a Tarantino, with all the gratuitous blood and gore that implies. This comes together in a magical mix that makes the 3 hours of movie feel just like a normal 1.5 hour flick. Unless you're cursed with a small bladder.

The acting is rather good, and Dr Schultz the veteran bounty hunter is quite the unforgettable performer. He's the kind of guy who is generally highly refined, but can easily take out any threats without so much as batting an eyelid. He never attacks without a casus belli, and that is quite the refreshing change from the slew of cheap violence that we see in movies nowadays. The pair proceed on a rather grimly humorous warpath where Django grows from the slave awkwardly testing his newfound freedom to mature into a full blown bounty hunter.

Overall I am highly pleased with the film, and it has just the right mix of that unmistakable Wild West film style (ok more like South, but you get the idea) together with stylish acting, making a rather palatable brew of Hero's Journey where hilarity is punctuated with intense moments of gratuitous violence. 9/10.