The power of archetypes cannot be overstated. Framing a character as a new version of a storytelling trope everyone understands inherently conveys more than a million lines of dialogue ever could. Quentin Tarantino is a filmmaker who prefers to work with all of film history as his palette. In his first feature-length western, Django Unchained, he uses the language of spaghetti Westerns to reintroduce the element of history they'd most like to avoid.
Tarantino is a complicated, controversial filmmaker. His cult appeal is legendary. He's every college-age film nerd's favorite talking point. His creative decisions are frequently questionable, while his interpersonal decisions are regularly indefensible. Django Unchained may not be his most famous creation, but it is one of his most intriguing.
What is Django Unchained about?
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The year is 1858. The Civil War is still three years away, and the slave trade remains active. A slave named Django is sold off and marched across Texas by a pair of cruel overseers. Dr. King Schultz, a German-born dentist who gave up his practice to become a bounty hunter, tracks down Django and makes an offer. Schultz needs Django's help identifying a trio of criminals on his hit list, and he'll offer him his freedom and a cut of the profit. When Django's owners refuse, Schultz kills one and maims the other. Django rides off into the night with his mysterious new ally.
On the long voyage from Texas to Tennessee, Schultz and Django have time to bond. Django, now adopting the last name Freeman, seeks to free his wife, Broomhilda von Shaft, from slavery. Dr. Schultz is enamored of Django's classically heroic motivation. They eliminate Schultz's targets and Django's former owners but decide not to part ways. He takes young Django under his wing, quickly discovering that he's a natural marksman and an excellent bounty hunter in the making. Together, they rack up thousands of dollars in bounties. Schultz and Django discover the location of Broomhilda and devise a plan to save Django's beloved bride.
Broomhilda is a house slave at Candyland, a massive plantation run by a wealthy narcissistic sociopath named Calvin J. Candie. Schultz and Django know they can't simply ride up to Candyland and offer to buy Broomhilda. Instead, they'll infiltrate Candie's precious "Mandingo fighting" league, in which slaves are forced to fight to the death for the amusement of their owners. Dr. Schultz and Django struggle to ingratiate themselves with the monstrous slave owners. It's a long con with everyone's lives on the line. Django Freeman will have to use his newfound skills as a bounty hunter to save his wife.
Is Django Unchained based on anything?
Historically, there's not a true story that inspired Django Unchained. The closest comparison would be Bass Reeves, who escaped slavery, lived among Native American tribes until the Thirteenth Amendment passed, and became a US Marshall. Tarantino has never mentioned Reeves as a specific source, but his story probably entered the mélange of history that eventually became Django Unchained. Instead, the film was inspired by Tarantino's love of Spaghetti Western films. He set out to create what he called a "Southern." Tarantino was working on a book on Sergio Corbucci when he realized that the genre would be the perfect place to tackle the evils of slavery. He borrowed the title from Corbucci's Django, giving that film's star, Franco Nero, a cameo in the feature. As always, Tarantino took elements from across decades and genres to add flavor to his creation. As a result, Django Unchained is an eclectic mashup that feels like nothing that's ever existed.
How does Django Unchained end?
The plot to buy Broomhilda from Candyland goes awry. Candie's lifelong house slave, Stephen, realizes Django's relationship with Broomhilda, forcing Candie to lose his temper. Candie demands $12,000 for Broomhilda. When Candie insists Dr. Schultz acquiesce to his demands by shaking his hand, Schultz puts a bullet in the slave driver's heart. A massive gunfight ensues, leaving Schultz and several of Candie's men dead. Django is captured and nearly sold off to a mining company. As he's being dragged away, he tricks a group of overseers into giving him back his guns and kills them. Now armed with dynamite, Django systematically shoots his way through the plantation to reach Candie's mansion. The mourners at Candie's funeral return, allowing Django to take them by surprise. He guns down Candie's sister and the rest of his hired enforcers. He kneecaps Stephen and leaves him to die as the mansion explodes. Django and Broomhilda ride off into the moonlight together.
Django Unchained is a fascinating story that comes from a place of genuine understanding of a genre's strengths and flaws. It's an instant classic that will forever inspire a series of fascinating conversations about its place in the history of cinema. A decade later, it remains surprising that it was released in theaters. Tarantino may never make anything like it again, but Django Unchained deserves to be discussed.