tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776031415427663302.post4063258200907094846..comments2024-03-27T00:27:04.726-04:00Comments on Net-flixation: Django Douple DipThaddeushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17414047155226211676noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776031415427663302.post-40577057478264089272014-05-24T04:14:17.508-04:002014-05-24T04:14:17.508-04:00I love this discussion of Candie's sister'...I love this discussion of Candie's sister's demise. That moment (and much of the end of the movie) is of a mind with the heightened violence in some of the scenes in Death Proof and Inglourious Basterds where the "fantasy" part of revenge fantasy takes over. Part of Tarantino's artistry is how he manipulates the violence in his movies to shift between realistic violence, cinematic violence, and ridiculous violence.<br /><br />The end of the movie probably works best if you imagine that everything after and including the LeQuint Dickey speech is a fantasy or a dream that happens as Django bleeds out from Walton Goggins's botched castration attempt.DJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10901649394069002585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776031415427663302.post-56347118929584192812014-05-23T11:25:52.283-04:002014-05-23T11:25:52.283-04:00Thank you! I worked on this entry piecemeal for a ...Thank you! I worked on this entry piecemeal for a long time, as I had so much to say - as well as lots of other posts to prepare. <br /><br />I agree that Tarantino uses humor to offset the brutality on display, I believe that DU and IB stand apart from the standard revenge trope that he's been playing with since Kill Bill. However, I agree with you most that we're seeing what we would like to see happen - a slave gets freed, empowered, and shoves his foot right up slavery's backside, so to speak.<br /><br />And yet it's harder here to find some cathartic release with his alternate-timeline films - and given how Django struck me, I want to put it in the same sub-sub-genre as Inglorious. I must admit, tho, that watching it again may cure some of my qualms right quick.<br /><br />As to Brumhilda (or Brunhilda, or Hildy, what have you), it's not so much expecting her to fight as expecting her to have more to do and say. It would be weird to have her role talking back or fighting back, but she barely even gets to say anything.<br /><br />I am hardly well-versed in American westerns, but I suspect it's a call back to the mid-50's fare. Cute horse tricks were popular at the time... At the most, it might convey that Django has been learning something other than murder for profit - which is good. Yet I believe that's the part of the movie that I'm least likely to understand/accept.<br /><br />Thank you so much For chiming in! I have some new reviews and double dips coming up soon, and I hope you find them as interesting or thoughtful as this one...Thaddeushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17414047155226211676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776031415427663302.post-39842731990428542672014-05-22T10:38:08.443-04:002014-05-22T10:38:08.443-04:00I had some similar issues the first time I saw DU ...I had some similar issues the first time I saw DU but I think upon repeated viewings, it becomes a more enjoyable film.<br /><br />First of all, the mixture of brutality and the "fun" stuff. I think what Tarantino does is that he takes these awful periods of history like here and in IB and gives us a fantasy of what would have happened if there were movie badasses like Django and Schultz or the Basterds there to exact revenge. I think once you embrace this vision of his, you can watch a woman being catapulted across the room at an unbelievable angle or have "100 Black Coffins" playing while slavers take slaves to their farm and truly enjoy it. It's like basic storytelling tropes where the bad people are REALLY BAD and we see that through the monstrosities they commit (which I'm sure they really did do. Perhaps QT brings a lot of it together in one place which is why it seemed so extreme) and then we have these proper hero-types tackle them and it's nice to see that happening at least on film even if it didn't happen in real life. I think that's why we can come away from this movie calling it awesome or whatever.<br /><br />As for Stephen, I'm fully convinced he's the true bad guy in this film. He was just evil to the core. Candie is hilarious next to him.<br /><br />About Brumhilda, I was kinda underwhelmed with her too the first time I saw the film, especially seeing QT's track record with really strong female characters but I did end up appreciating her role in it too. She couldn't fight back because of that time period. I mean, a black guy going against white slavers is one thing, a black woman attacking white slavers is taking it to a whole another level. I think of her more as a Sansa Stark type, quietly resilient, inherently pure.<br /><br />And lastly that horse trick. I was a bit pissed off with it too but it seems that it's some kind of a reference and its point is to show just how far has Django has come in becoming his own man and the true hero of the story.<br /><br />The movie in itself is not perfect but I cannot help but love it. It does so much right that the little problems don't really stand a chance.<br /><br />Nice post :)Nikhathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10379713171889712078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776031415427663302.post-91842754160834465052014-05-21T14:57:56.093-04:002014-05-21T14:57:56.093-04:00Thank you! Django was actually quite beautiful, an...Thank you! Django was actually quite beautiful, and made for great viewing on a big screen. Honestly, the look of the film silenced a lot of potential complaints on my part.<br /><br />It's not surprising that the film generated controversy. These days, news announcers reporting on racism are not allowed to quote the words that people used, and this is really the most appropriate use of epithets - to shame the idiots who use them (with the intent of a slur, of course).<br /><br />I hadn't thought of the Huck Finn angle, so thank you for that! I could see it as a possible inspiration, even though it doesn't quite seem right for *this* story, especially as a revenge film.<br /><br />Clearly, QT is drawn to the levels of goofiness and violence and drama that are conjured up by the whole "wronged person" trope. I had always hoped that he might try his hand at comedy or drama, yet he obviously just wants to make "fun" films, and I guess I'm fine with that.<br /><br />I love Ejiofor, but haven't seen both movies - so, much as I wanted Chiwetel to win, I can't really provide an informed opinion. But I'll try to see everything - and Basterds - and weigh in later.<br /><br />Thanks again for all your thoughts, lady t!Thaddeushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17414047155226211676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8776031415427663302.post-76714973850978951902014-05-21T12:24:08.252-04:002014-05-21T12:24:08.252-04:00I understand your point about the seemingly needle... I understand your point about the seemingly needless plan to save Brunhilda but I suspect that bit of the plot was somewhat inspired by the latter half of Huck Finn,where Tom Sawyer knows full well that Jim is a free man but can't resist making an elaborate scheme of escape for him anyway(which is a dick move but one that rings true with his character). I could be wrong and it may have been a simple choice to extend the story line.<br /><br /> I saw DU on DVD and appreciate the Spaghetti Western style of the film(particularly in those long scenic shots during Django's training with King). Tarantino has been creating a series of revenge themed films for some time now,starting with Kill Bill 1 & 2, Inglorious Basterds(which you really must see,Thaddeus!) and Django, each one using familiar cinematic exploitation tropes to subtly slip in some depth into the material such as Stephen's character arch in this film.<br /><br />In my opinion, DU hit too close to home for some people which is why it caused more outrage than IB(which did have some detractors but not as prominently featured in the media) and while the film could have used some editing for the sake of story and running time, I give QT credit for daring to bring some of the harsh truths about that time period to the forefront.<br /><br /> I recently saw 12 Years a Slave, which deals with this subject in a more dramatic and heartfelt way than DU( Chiwetel Ejiofer was robbed at the Oscars in my opinion and yes, I saw MMC in Dallas Buyers Club but he was just good not great) and ruffled quite a few feathers as well. American society needs to be more open about this topic in all areas and art is as good of a place to start as any. lady thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16287907577241697874noreply@blogger.com