Django Unchained
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
2012
Genre: Western/drama
Themes: Family, racism, race, slavery, crime, death, escape, money
Mise-en-scene: The costumes were used throughout the entire film to show Django's gradual change from being a slave with nearly no valuable skills to the world and no education to a top class bounty hunter with survival smarts and a lot of money. For example when he had his first official partnership with Dr. King Schultz and he was told to pick out his own clothing, he picked the most rich, extravagant looking dress possible.
The complete contrast to his previous slave rags. I think it's also important to address that when Django was first set free, one of the first shots was him casting off the cloak his master has placed upon him. So as we can see, clothing is used multiple times throughout this film as various metaphors, such as money, status, education, class and freedom. It also helped to differentiate what class each character belonged to. For example, every field slave was in chains and rags, however every house slave was much better dressed but nowhere near to the standard of the white men who owned the plantations. It was a perfect use of costume to create meaning, which is only one of the many aspects of Mise-en-scene. Just look at the comparison of Django when he was a slave and the previous picture when he was free.
Sound: The sound track was very appropriate to the setting of the film, especially time wise. When we think of Western movie's, we think of a certain type of music associated with it and I think Django Unchained hit the nail on the head with their soundtrack. The gun shots also seemed very realistic, as well as the hoof beats of the horses. But let's move on to one of the constant uses of dialogue that stirred up most of the controversy surrounding this film. The constant use of 'the n-word' which I do not feel comfortable typing out so I will be referring to it as 'that word' wherever possible. That word was never given a break throughout the movie. Some would say it was overused and demoralized the movie, giving the movie too much of a freedom pass just because of what it was about. The reason I think this was well used however is because I think that's exactly what Tarantino wanted. He wanted to make people question if it was really okay. He wanted people to stir up controversy to come see the movie. As for the movie itself, it also set the tone and kept bringing up one of Django's greatest obstacles in the movie. That word was like a label given to lower class humans. Not even seen as humans at all. So the fact that even when Django was a freeman and he was still given that label emphasizes how low black people were seen during that time period. This film gained a negative following because people viewed it as a too casual look upon racism as a whole but I think it's the opposite, using that contrast in serious and humorous scenes actually makes it an even more serious look upon slavery as a whole. Even Spike Lee said it was disrespectful to his ancestors but I can't help but disagree. After all the film is the story of a black man becoming free from slavery, saving his wife from slavery and killing immoral white slavers along the way.
2012
Genre: Western/drama
Themes: Family, racism, race, slavery, crime, death, escape, money
Mise-en-scene: The costumes were used throughout the entire film to show Django's gradual change from being a slave with nearly no valuable skills to the world and no education to a top class bounty hunter with survival smarts and a lot of money. For example when he had his first official partnership with Dr. King Schultz and he was told to pick out his own clothing, he picked the most rich, extravagant looking dress possible.
The complete contrast to his previous slave rags. I think it's also important to address that when Django was first set free, one of the first shots was him casting off the cloak his master has placed upon him. So as we can see, clothing is used multiple times throughout this film as various metaphors, such as money, status, education, class and freedom. It also helped to differentiate what class each character belonged to. For example, every field slave was in chains and rags, however every house slave was much better dressed but nowhere near to the standard of the white men who owned the plantations. It was a perfect use of costume to create meaning, which is only one of the many aspects of Mise-en-scene. Just look at the comparison of Django when he was a slave and the previous picture when he was free.
Sound: The sound track was very appropriate to the setting of the film, especially time wise. When we think of Western movie's, we think of a certain type of music associated with it and I think Django Unchained hit the nail on the head with their soundtrack. The gun shots also seemed very realistic, as well as the hoof beats of the horses. But let's move on to one of the constant uses of dialogue that stirred up most of the controversy surrounding this film. The constant use of 'the n-word' which I do not feel comfortable typing out so I will be referring to it as 'that word' wherever possible. That word was never given a break throughout the movie. Some would say it was overused and demoralized the movie, giving the movie too much of a freedom pass just because of what it was about. The reason I think this was well used however is because I think that's exactly what Tarantino wanted. He wanted to make people question if it was really okay. He wanted people to stir up controversy to come see the movie. As for the movie itself, it also set the tone and kept bringing up one of Django's greatest obstacles in the movie. That word was like a label given to lower class humans. Not even seen as humans at all. So the fact that even when Django was a freeman and he was still given that label emphasizes how low black people were seen during that time period. This film gained a negative following because people viewed it as a too casual look upon racism as a whole but I think it's the opposite, using that contrast in serious and humorous scenes actually makes it an even more serious look upon slavery as a whole. Even Spike Lee said it was disrespectful to his ancestors but I can't help but disagree. After all the film is the story of a black man becoming free from slavery, saving his wife from slavery and killing immoral white slavers along the way.
The latter part of this writing starts to show what you are capable and what is required for the higher grade range, the ability to discuss and debate the points! You may have considered added some contextuality and comparison by discuss the constant use of that word in Tarantino's other films, Does Spike Lee use it? Is it ok if he does? What was another film released around the time of Django that looked at this era in a very different light, could that have skewed the view on Django? Still the formatting, change that layout, add some pictures.
ReplyDeleteLet's pretend that a future employer, maybe from America found your blog, do you think that this is the perfect version of what you are capable of visually, show them what you are capable of with EVERY posting.
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