Django Unchained

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Overview

A former slave and a German bounty hunter become unlikely allies in the battle against a tyrannical plantation owner in this western from visionary director Quentin Tarantino. Two years before the Civil War pits brother-against-brother, German-born fugitive hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award-winner Christoph Waltz) arrives in America determined to capture the outlaw Brittle brothers dead or alive. In the midst of his search, Dr. Schultz crosses paths with Django (Academy Award-winner Jamie Foxx), a freed slave and skilled tracker who seeks to rescue his beloved wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from ruthless plantation owner Calvin Candie (Academy Award-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio). Once Django has aided Dr. Schultz in coralling the Brittle brothers, the two team up to capture some of the most wanted men in the South. Meanwhile, Django never loses sight of his mission to free Broomhilda from the treacherous slave trade before it's too late. Upon arriving at Candie's nefarious plantation, dubbed Candyland, Django and Dr. Schultz discover that slaves are being groomed for gladiator-like competitions by Candie's malevolent right-hand man Billy Crash (Walton Goggins), and together they skillfully work their way onto the compound for a closer look. But just as Django and his partner locate Broomhilda and plot a daring escape, Candie's house slave Stephen (Academy Award-nominee Samuel L. Jackson) catches wind of their plan, and informs his master of the betrayal. Now, as a clandestine organization attempts to back them into a corner, Django and Dr. Schultz will have to come out with pistols blazing if they ever hope to free Broomhilda from Candyland and the clutches of its vile proprietor.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/16/2013
UPC:	0013132597256
Original Release:	2012
Rating:	R
Source:	Twc
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen, Color]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Time:	2:46:00
Sales rank:	362

Special Features

Remembering J. Michael Riva: the production design of Django Unchained; 20 years in the making: the Tarantino XX blu-ray collection; Django Unchained soundtrack spot

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Jamie Foxx	Django
Leonardo DiCaprio	Calvin Candie
Christoph Waltz	Dr. King Schultz
Samuel L. Jackson	Stephen
Walton Goggins	Billy Crash
Kerry Washington	Broomhilda
Dennis Christopher	Leonide Moguy
Laura Cayouette	Lara Lee Candie-Fitzwilly
M.C. Gainey	Big John Brittle
Don Johnson	Big Daddy
Todd Allen	Dollar Bill
Misty Upham	Minnie
James Remar	Ace Speck
James Russo	Dicky Speck
Tom Wopat	U.S. Marshal Gill Tatum
Jonah Hill	Bag Head #2
David Steen	Mr. Stonesipher
Dana Gourrier	Cora
Nichole Galicia	Sheba
Bruce Dern	Old Man Carrucan
Don Stroud	Sheriff Bill Sharp
Russ Tamblyn	Son of a Gunfighter
Amber Tamblyn	Daughter of Son of a Gunfighter
Cooper Huckabee	Lil Raj Brittle
Doc Duhame	Ellis Brittle
Lee Horsley	Sheriff Gus
Ato Essandoh	d'Artagnan
Sammi Rotibi	Rodney
Clay Donahue Fontenot	Actor
Escalante Lundy	Big Fred
Miriam F. Glover	Betina
Zoe Bell	Tracker
Michael Bowen	Tracker
Robert Carradine	Tracker
Jake Garber	Tracker
Ted Neeley	Tracker
James Parks	Tracker
Tom Savini	Tracker
Michael Parks	LeQuint Dickey Mining Co. Employee
John Jarratt	LeQuint Dickey Mining Co. Employee
Quentin Tarantino	LeQuint Dickey Mining Co. Employee

Technical Credits

Quentin Tarantino	Director,Screenwriter
Luis Enriquez Bacalov	Score Composer
Page Buckner	Art Director
William Paul Clark	Associate Producer,Asst. Director
Gino Crognale	Makeup Special Effects
Sharen Davis	Costumes/Costume Designer
KNB EFX	Makeup Special Effects
Reginald Hudlin	Producer
Shannon McIntosh	Executive Producer
Molly Mikula	Set Decoration/Design
Ennio Morricone	Score Composer
Gregory Nicotero	Makeup Special Effects
Mary Ramos	Musical Direction/Supervision
Fred Raskin	Editor
Nicole Reed	Set Decoration/Design
Robert Richardson	Cinematographer
J. Michael Riva	Production Designer
Kellie Robinson	Makeup
Pilar Savone	Producer
Mara Schloop	Art Director
Michael Shamberg	Executive Producer
Stacey Sher	Producer
John Skotchdopole	Executive Producer
Aimee Stuit	Makeup
Victoria Thomas	Casting
Elisa Toffoli	Songwriter
Harvey Weinstein	Executive Producer
Bob Weinstein	Executive Producer

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Django Unchained
1. Django Unchained
2. 1858 - Somewhere in Texas
3. Daughtrey, TX
4. Sheriff Bill Sharp
5. Tennessee
6. "You Mean You Wanna Dress Like That?"
7. It's a Raid
8. The Legend of Broomhilda
9. Smitty Bacall
10. Mississippi
11. One-Eyed Charlie
12. The Ride to Candieland
13. The Trackers
14. Candieland
15. Dr. Schultz Meets Broomhilda
16. "You Knows What I Like"
17. Eskimo Joe
18. "You Scarin' Me"
19. Old Ben
20. "Please Stop Playing Beethoven"
21. "Broomhilda Von Shaft, Consider Yourself a Free Woman"
22. "Django, We Got Your Woman"
23. Castration Scene
24. LeQuint Dickey Mining Company
25. "He Weren't No Slave"
26. Django Says Goodbye to Dr. Schultz
27. "In the Sweet By and By"
28. "They Will Call You the Fastest Gun in the South"

Menu

Disc #1 -- Django Unchained
   Play
   Set-Up
      Audio Options
         English 5.1 Dolby Digital
         Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
      Captions & Subtitles
         English for the Hearing Impaired
         Spanish
         Captions & Subtitles: None
   Scenes
      Django Unchained Scene Selection
      Django Unchained Music Selection
         "Django Theme Song (English Version)" by Luis Bacalov & Rocky Roberts
         "The Braying Mule" by Ennio Morricone from Two Mules for Sister Sara
         "Rito Finale" by Ennio Morricone from Violent City
         "The Braying Mule" by Ennio Morricone from Two Mules for Sister Sara
         "Main Titles Theme Song" ("Lo Chiamavano King") by Luis Bacalov from His Name is King
         "Norme Con Ironie" by Ennio Morricone from Violent City
         "Town of Silence (2nd Version)" by Luis Bacalov from Django
         "Main Titles Theme Song" ("Lo Chiamavano King") by Luis Bacalov from His Name Is King
         "Gavotte" Performed by Grace Collins
         "Town of Silence" by Luis Bacalov from Django
         "Freedom" Performed by Anthony Hamilton & Elayna Boynton
         "La Corsa (2nd Version)" by Luis Bacalov from Django
         "Requiem" (Verdi) - Prologue by Masamichi Amano, from Battle Royale
         "Town of Silence (2nd Version)" by Luis Bacalov from Django
         "I Got a Name" Performed by Jim Croce
         "I Giorni Dell'ira" by Riziero Ortolani from Day of Anger
         "The Big Risk" by Ennio Morricone from Hornet's Nest
         "Minacciosamente Lotano" by Ennio Morricone from The Hellbenders
         "100 Black Coffins" Performed by Rick Ross
         "Trackers Chant" by Ted Neeley
         "Nicaragua" by Jerry Goldsmith Feat. Soloist Pat Metheny from Under Fire
         "Sister Sara's Theme" by Ennio Morricone from Two Mules for Sister Sara
         "Ancora Qui" by Ennio Morricone and Elisa Toffoli
         "Blue Dark Waltz" by Luis Bacalov from Django
         "Fur Elise" Performed by Ashley Toman
         "Unchained" (Mash-Up: The Payback/Untouchable) Performed by James Brown and 2PAC
         "Freedom" by Richie Havens
         "Ain't No Grave (Black Opium ReMix)" by Johnny Cash
         "Who Did That To You?" Performed by John Legend
         "Too Old To Die" by Brother Dege
         "Un Monumento" by Ennio Morricone from The Hellbenders
         "In the Sweet By and By" Performed by Samuel L. Jackson
         "Dopo La Congiura" by Ennio Morricone from The Hellbenders
         "Trinity: Titoli" Performed by Annibale E I Cantori Moderni from They Call Me Trinity
         "Ode to Django" (The D is Silent) Instruments by RZA & Trú Jame: Dialogue by RZA & Rev. William Burks
   Bonus
      Remembering J. Michael Riva: The Production Design of Django Unchained
      Tarantino XX Blu-Ray Collection Promo
      Django Unchained Soundtrack Promo

Editorial Reviews

At long last, the director so often accused of "borrowing" from others to build his own career makes his influences as clear as Franco Nero's icy blue eyes in Django Unchained. Sure, you could say that Quentin Tarantino was already wearing his inspirations proudly on his title card with Inglourious Basterds, but while that film merely paid lip service to the forgotten 1978 Enzo G. Castellari action opus starring Bo Svenson and Fred Williamson, Django Unchained could easily be taken as a belated installment of the raggedy, unofficial Western series that spawned somewhere between 30 and 100 installments depending on who's counting. Alas, while Django Unchained arguably displays much more of a grind-house sensibility than Death Proof, here as in that film, Tarantino proves his own worst enemy by not knowing when to reign himself in. Two years before the Civil War pits brother against brother, German-born fugitive hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz) arrives in America determined to capture the outlaw Brittle brothers dead or alive. In the midst of his search, Dr. Schultz crosses paths with Django (Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx), a freed slave and skilled tracker who seeks to rescue his beloved wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from ruthless plantation owner Calvin Candie (Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio). Once Django has aided Dr. Schultz in coralling the Brittle brothers, the two team up to capture some of the most wanted men in the South. Meanwhile, Django never loses sight of his mission to free Broomhilda from the treacherous slave trade before it's too late. Upon arriving at Candie's nefarious plantation, dubbed Candyland, Django and Dr. Schultz discover that slaves are being groomed for gladiator-like competitions by Candie's malevolent right-hand man Billy Crash (Walton Goggins), and together they skillfully work their way onto the compound for a closer look. But just as the two men locate Broomhilda and plot a daring escape, Candie's house slave Stephen (QT regular Samuel L. Jackson) catches wind of their plan and informs his master of the betrayal. Now, as a clandestine organization attempts to back them into a corner, Django and Dr. Schultz will have to come out with pistols blazing if they ever hope to free Broomhilda from Candyland and the clutches of its vile proprietor. Ever since Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino has had an unusual knack for appropriating the works of his heroes. Whether he's being flamboyant about it (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill Vol. 1) or a bit more veiled (Pulp Fiction), his unique gift for molding the familiar into something exciting and new has resonated with legions of adoring cinephiles. And with the late Sally Menke as his editor, Tarantino always had a collaborator who was willing to break out the shears when he got a bit too self-enamored. Sadly for both film lovers and the director himself, Menke is no longer with us. An experienced editor in his own right, Fred Raskin has boldly stepped in to fill Menke's empty chair at the editing bay. He can no doubt cut a solid action scene (as evidenced most tangibly in an explosive gunfight near the end of the movie) and has a knack for comic timing, but by allowing a rather simple story to run 166 minutes, Raskin isn't doing Tarantino any favors when it comes to building narrative momentum. Whereas the 152-minute running time of Inglourious Basterds was arguably justified by a richly complex story that juggled multiple characters in a run-up to a world-changing payoff, Django Unchained is a small-scale tale of two men with a very clear mission, and it sports so much fat that it appears to be in danger of getting diabetes. Make no mistake, there's quite a lot to love about Django Unchained -- the gunfights are some of the juiciest ever committed to film; the performances by Waltz, Foxx, Jackson, and DiCaprio are all to be savored, while Washington and Dennis Christopher are fine supporting players; and an argument over ill-fitting proto-KKK masks might be some of the finest comic dialogue Tarantino has ever written -- but here he allows his story to meander much too far off course to really maintain dramatic momentum. Of course, it's fun to watch as the oddly benevolent bounty hunter and Django escape into the mountains for the winter to solidify their alliance, and few would contest that their eventful day trip with Candie works well to highlight the growing tensions that will soon erupt into violence, but in filmmaking there are always sacrifices to be made, and here Tarantino stubbornly refuses to acknowledge that his strengths can quickly become his shortcomings when left unchecked. In Menke he had a collaborator with the ability to hone his talents to a fine point; in Raskin he has an editor who can assemble a movie with style, yet doesn't seem certain of how to make it work as a whole. At the same time, frequent Tarantino cinematographer Robert Richardson makes everything look positively sumptuous by bathing the flashback scenes in high contrast and using sunlight to striking advantage, ensuring that our pupils remain dilated even as our posteriors grow numb. Somewhere in this overlong cut of Django Unchained exists a great movie. If only Tarantino were willing to admit that not all of his ideas sparkle like gold, it might have been the one that we actually got. Instead, we're left with an overindulgent shadow of what could have been a much better film.

All Movie Guide - Jason Buchanan