Django Unchained: The First Black Western?

Django Unchained

Django Unchained takes us back to an unforgiving and sensitive-of-a-subject time in America. This film thoroughly places us within the western US  during slavery into the life of a soon to be free black man. Django (“The D is silent”) is freed by a German Bounty Hunter Dr. King Schultz (played by Christoph Waltz) and hired to work for him and later becomes “the fastest gunman in the south”. Jamie Foxx delivers an incredible perfomance as he plays out his vengeful role as Django. As the plot unfolds, Django developes skills and shares his desire to save his wife out of slavery. Dr. Shultz has compassion on Django’s story and they prepare a plan to rescue her in this incredible deeply, emotional and action packed film.

Django Unchained opens up a conversation that in America is very difficult to speak of among many Americans. It is an incredible film which allows us to go back in time and see various aspects of this fundamental period which we have not been able to see so clearly before. While we are so far gone from slavery, Django presents us with a much deeper meaning of freedom as we see him rise not only with vengeance but also with ability and knowledge.

Django, as presented in the film, carries a more modern mindset of the time of believing in marriage. Having been married and in love carries Django through an unforgiving journey as he constantly grips himself from reacting to the mistreatment of other slaves.  While the film may come off as degrading, viewers have to keep in mind the reality of the time. As well as the reality of what Django was living. Though he may have come short of a hero, in the sense that he could have shared his understanding with the other slaves and brought them along with him to “freedom land”, it is necessary to understand that coming from a background of slavery, it was difficult to become emotionally attached.

The desire for freedom, as described by Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) was hard to understand being that there were so many more slaves than slave owners. Though his explenaition is “scientific”, in our current state, we can understand that freedom is a state of mind. Furthermore it is a spiritual desire.  Having learned from the broader minded German Dr. Shultz, Django is educated in many ways. Yet one thing that Django shows to have captured clearly is savyness. That savyness later leads him to free himself after being trapped into slavery again.

“I like the way you die boy!”