Have you ever seen a movie and just wondered where the reviews and opinions were coming from? Before I saw Django Unchained, I thought I had heard it was okay. I didn't hear anything overly positive about it, but I hadn't heard that it was bad. I heard it was solid, maybe four out of five. Granted, I don't go looking for reviews before I see a film. Regardless, I wanted to see Django Unchained.
I didn't particularly feel that the film was amazing, rather it felt like more of the same. Tarantino makes interesting movies. To me, it seems like he picks a genre and does his own take on it. Often, it feels like he's paying homage, but he usually makes it his own. With Django Unchained, he tackles the western.
Perhaps his greatest strength is his ability to create interesting characters. Sometimes, it is just plain fun to watch them, to take in the dialogue. He's pretty well known for that. Django Unchained is no different. I wanted more of Dr. King Schultz. I found Calvin Candie to be a joy to watch, but that could have just been DiCaprio's performance. Either way, Tarantino created these characters and pulled these actors together to create this film.
He also brings his brand of violence to the piece,with one particular scene being hard to watch. To clarify, I grew up watching things like Predator and any other number of violent action movies. I am no squeamish, nor do I feel violence has no place in movies, but I was incredibly uncomfortable during a particular scene. For this bit, Tarantino actually let go of his love of blood spray to just let two men fight. Perhaps it is the reactions of those around them that caused such discomfort. It goes to show that he knows how to put together a scene, how to elicit a response from the audience. He knows what people like about his films, but he also knows how to manipulate you. It's the mark of a good film-maker.
I have watched Django Unchained, and I must say that one viewing was enough for me. I'm glad to have watched it, and I recognize it as a quality film. Unfortunately, it is not the type of movie I would pop in to watch over and over again. He does a great job creating a western that feels new and old at the same time. Visually, he captures the feel of those old movies while making the story seem a bit more modern.
The only moment that really pulled me out of the film was when Mr. Tarantino showed up. I know he can act, as I've seen him do it in the past. For whatever reason, I just couldn't take him seriously in this film. I'm sure it is my own fault, but I just couldn't buy him in his role. I just kept thinking that it was Quentin Tarantino, not whomever I was supposed to be seeing. Once again, I'm not making a comment on his acting. I'm simply stating that I couldn't get out of my own head, in that regard.
Since seeing the movie, I've read a few things, seeing what others thought. Apparently, they saw a whole lot more in the film than I did. One person was mentioning all the deep social commentary, which I didn't see. I saw the obvious message, but I didn't find a deeper tone to the film. I'm not saying it doesn't exist; I'm just questioning my ability to see it. I'm usually pretty good, but I don't know if it is really there. There are a lot of people that love Tarantino's movies, that will attribute much to his abilities. I felt Django Unchained was more of the same from him. That's not a bad thing, as his style is interesting, and I enjoy seeing his movies. I just don't know how deep they really are. Perhaps I shall watch it again.
No comments:
Post a Comment