The film starts with slave Django (Jamie Foxx) being bought and subsequently set free from German Dr Schultz (Christoph Waltz) somewhere in Texas. Dr Shultz is revealed to be a bounty hunter and employs Django to help identify three particular wanted men. Django agrees in hope of being able to find and rescue his wife.
Tarantino's distinct style is brought to life in this Western genre piece. He both wrote and directed the film and captures the harsh life of the era with a perfect balance of humour and action.
Waltz steals the show as the liberal "nigga lovin'" German bounty hunter surrounded by a sea of ignorant Southerns. Leonard DiCaprio stars in the delicious role of an ostentatious plantation owner.
Jamie Foxx plays our hero, though he is less of a hero and instead a man on a hunt for retribution. He is filled with rage for the entire film and we never see an emotional or softer side to his character. It was obviously Tarantino's decision to steer clear of a sentimental sappy story and play a straightforward, unforgiving, gritty drama- much like the lifestyles of the time.
Sitting down in the cinema, I had no idea what direction the story would take; something that Tarantino is very well at accomplishing. Act three is too overdrawn and seems less polished compared to the rest of the film, leaving us downhearted that Django will not have Tarantino taking the biggest gong at the Academy Awards.
