Django Unchained

Django Unchained is Tarantino's first picture without his lifelong editor, Sally Menke, who died tragically in 2010. Unchained suffers from her absence, since the film is not as taut as Tarantino's previous work. This was Tarantino's longest picture to date, at 2 hours and 45 minutes. The film revels in the length of each shot and sequence, to the point that it loses its momentum.

Django Unchained is obsessed with what it takes to be "civilized," continually hammering away at assumed society conventions. Even the noble Dr. King Schultz (by Waltz) participates in brutal murder, but since it is approved by the state, he is not only allowed to do so, but also got lots of money for his actions.

Django (by Jamie Foxx) is a groundbreaking figure, because he lives outside of these constraints. He has been liberated from slavery and given the means necessary to recuse his wife Broomhilda (by Kerry Washington). Other characters flounder in the filth of American society, while Django is elevated to a legendary level. He understands that the best way to cope with such a dysfunctional society is to set it on fire.

Release year: 2012

Stars: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio

IMDB score: 8.5/10