I caught up to Django Unchained (2012) last night courtesy of Netflix. It was exactly what I'd expected. I was not bored. I did not pause the DVD once during its 165 minute running time. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, it pales in comparison to his best work, Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Jackie Brown (1997), films that revealed the mindset of the characters and raised existential questions as well as provided excitement. The thinking here is obvious, simplistic: an ex-slave’s understandable vengeance on the perpetrators of the abomination, and the chilling evil and shallowness of its practitioners. There is a ton of visceral satisfaction, a high body count and plenty of splashing blood reminiscent of Sam Peckinpaugh’s ground-breaking depiction of the dying old west, The Wild Bunch (1969). This is not quite a spaghetti western, but there are many similarities. In fact, the original Django, Franco Nero (1965), has a small role as someone who enjoys watching slaves fight to the death. The story is often way over the top, but that is the case with several of Tarantino’s works, Kill Bill (2003), Pulp Fiction (1994), Inglourious Basterds (2009). In fact, the fantasy finish, catharsis of the latter, wherein the entire Nazi hierarchy is killed, is at work throughout Django Unchained. Is it a parable? Does it have greater meaning than a standard shoot-em-up? I don’t think so. The sound track features modern music, including hip hop, and it is interesting for the most part. The cast is a movie buff’s dream: Bruce Dern, Lee Horsley, James Russo, Don Stroud, Russ Tamblyn, Don Johnson, Jonah Hill and Robert Carradine appear in small roles. The real strength of the film is the performance of Christoph Waitz as the smooth, cold-blooded bounty hunter who hires the hero. Waitz, Austrian, attended Lee Strassberg’s academy stateside but had trouble landing roles in English language films until Tarantino cast him as a Nazi in Inglourious Basterds, for which he won the Oscar as Best Supporting Actor, as he did for Django Unchained. Leonardo DiCaprio brings his usual expertise to the proceedings as the chief villain, a plantation owner. I was unmoved by Jamie Foxx’s performance, and baffled by Samuel L. Jackson’s turn as a vile traitor to his race, the human race, really. Kerry Washington, called on to suffer abuse and degradation, was wasted as the wife who is rescued. On a scale of five, three. Those who rated it at IMDb are much more enthusiastic, rating it 8.5 of ten.
I am a fan of the British-produced mysteries that air on local PBS stations in NYC. This morning I chuckled when a new one was mentioned in the Drama Mama column in the NY Post. Commenting on the plethora of crime shows, she called it: “The BBC’s anti-tourism campaign.” How about Detectives Unchained?
Mother nature provided a rainless window today for the floating book shop. While business wasn't nearly as good as yesterday, I thank the six people who bought books. Given the forecast, I'd expected nothing.
All Things That Matter Press and Amazon have unchained my short story, The Bat, offering it for free the next week. A Kindle is not necessary. One can download an app that will serve as a reader for any electronic work available at those venues. To check it out, click on the last link below.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
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