Django analysis

Write a detailed 2000 word analysis of one clip or scene (10-15 minutes in length) from one of the films shown during the course.

Quentin Tarantino is a post-modernist filmmaker who is renowned in his presentation and at times glorification of violence. His interpretation of history is manipulated and at times unrealistic but he deploys a suspension of disbelief that overrides the implausibility of the narrative. His hallmark is his vast wealth of homages he makes to films that inspired him by remixing and referencing old genres and iconic films with a detail and creativity. Tarantino has made nine films so far which more or less cover different genres of historically popular areas of filmmaking.

Tarantino released ‘Django Unchained’ (2012) in 2012 with the aim of creating a Spaghetti Western film that portrays ‘everything that America has never dealt with because it's ashamed of it’(Hiscox. 2007). ‘Django Unchained’ (2012) has gained cult status from its topic and aesthetics.

Mathijs and Mendik propose the idea that cult films can be identified by a series of conventions or as they put it ‘The Anatomy’ (Mathijs and Mendik, 2007. P. 2). Cult films contain innovation either aesthetically or thematically to spark ‘shocks to the system’ (Mathijs and Mendik, 2007. P. 2) and changes to film history. Thematically ‘Django’ (2012) is subversive in its topic of extreme racial empowerment and reversal of racist dynamics. An example of how this is portrayed aesthetically is the transition in Django’s clothing.
He starts the film wearing only a piece of cloth around his waste but with help from Dr Shultz he works his way up the ranks going from slave to a comically blue suited valet to a smart and affluent Mandingo professional.

My chosen scene to analyse is the scene where Django and Dr Shultz enter Daughtrey. In this scene Django is dressed in very tattered clothing, dirty hat and has a poorly groomed beard. This combined with the shocked looks from bystanders solidifies Django’s position as an outcast.

It is only at the end of the film after all the white slaver men have been killed he is dressed in Calvin’s clothes smoking through his cigarette holder; he has physically and visually stolen Calvin’s position.

Typically Westerns made at the time of the racially segregated society which America and Europe consisted at the time of the westerns heyday seldom depicted African Americans even though they were ‘very visible in the real West’ (Loy, 2001. P. 1). This limited inclusion of blacks reflected the ‘current formula deemed acceptable to the public.’(Loy, 2001. P. 1 cited in Sarf. P. 224). When Westerns did reflect African Americans they did so only in the way that adhered to white stereotypes depiction:

‘blacks as loyal servants who want to be cared for by white people, blacks as pursuing menial occupations, blacks as naturally funny and cowardly, and blacks as dancers and entertainers.’(Loy. 2001, P.1)

Films like these had the motive of belittling blacks and maintain social order as they watched them, often in segregated cinema’s. With this topic in mind Tarantino also draws on another genre entirely; Blaxploitation; these films where popularised in the 1970’s which were made for the viewing of black people in the interest of racial empowerment.

‘If there were more than 5 black on a corner it would be considered a riot so they’d bring out the dogs, if your fought back you went straight to jail… the only way we could get away with it was on the screen’ (BadAssss Cinema. 2002)

They were often glorified violence and featured x-rated material. Cult cinema identified by Mathijs and Mendik is the inclusion of gore and uncomfortable material (Mathijs and Mendik, 2007. P. 2). ‘Django Unchained’ (2012) has bloody violence by the bucket load and uncomfortable torture scenes to boot especially in the Mandingo fighting scenes. The Blaxploitation film ‘Mandingo’ (1975) was one of the first to show the true horrors of black slavery and served as inspiration for Tarantino. In my chosen scene Dr Shultz murders the Sheriff quickly and gorily shooting him in the chest.

The black people with the exception of Steven; Calvin’s loyal head slave, hate being enslaved let alone enjoy caring for their owners. Stephen is Tarantino’s satirically comical interpretation of the black slave that previous westerns sought to represent. Just like how in previous Westerns ‘mythical Uncle Toms and sadistic whites collude to maintain slavery – a clever moral escape-hatch negate white guilt and guarantee crossover appeal’ (Speck .2014. P. 185).

Blaxploitation films featured soundtracks consisting of various musical styles including funk and soul music. ‘Django Unchained’ (2012) takes its own spin on a Blaxploitation soundtrack by including the song ‘Lo Chiamavano King’ which is fundamentally a soul song that sounds very similar to the theme song in ‘Boss Nigger’ (1975).

Mathijs and Mendik explain that Cult films will adhere to specific genres of films yet often they will mix genres together and carnivalise them by ‘mocking a genre’s unwritten rules satirically’ (Mathijs and Mendik, 2007. P. 2). ‘Django Unchained’ (2012) is a mix of genres including Spaghetti Western, Blaxploitation, slavesploitation and ozploitation.

In my chosen scene elements of Blaxploitation come through with the use of the N word and the portrayal of Django’s sexual prowess through his exchange with the lady in the window.

‘Django Unchained’ (2012) is very Spaghetti Western orientated, this genre is characterised by its use of close up camera work, antihero protagonist and music. Django takes a great deal from what is known as the ‘Dollar trilogy’ this being Sergio Leonies films ‘A Fistful of Dollars’(1964),  ‘For A Few Dollars More’(1965) and ‘The Good The Bad and The Ugly’(1966). Sergio Leone, employed a signature camera technique accidently breaking many of the previous rules that filmmakers thought necessary.

The music score played a big factor in making the ‘dollar trilogy’ iconic Ennio Morricone’s music was abnormal in its use of gunshots, cracking whips, whistles and voices. The music is considered an important score in movie history and is praised with its use of special effects to comically punctuate the action.

Tarantino made a decision to use Ennio Moricone for Django’s (2012) soundtrack, the song ‘The Braying Mule’ is played in my chosen scene as Django and Dr Shultz enters Daughtrey. This gives the film Nostalgia because the imagery and music is reminiscent of the scene in ‘A fistful of dollars’ when the man with no name enters the town. Ennio Moricone music is playing building suspense. There’s even some imagery that Tarantino takes from it with the hang mans rope hanging near the hero’s head denoting death. Nostalgia is one of Mathijs and Mendik codes for the Cult film Nostalgia in film is the films ability to trigger a sense of yearning for an idealized past (Mathijs and Mendik, 2007. P. 2).. Anyone who has seen the ‘A Fistful Of Dollars’(1964) will get a huge wave of nostalgia from just hearing its soundtrack.

The main elements of Spaghetti Westerns that are present in ‘Django Unchained’ (2012) is the direct referencing it makes to Sergio Corbucci’s 1968’s ‘Django’ (1966). Tarantino has said himself that he was directly ispired by Sergio Corbucci’s Django. It makes a few subtle nods to Corbucci by incorporating one the original’s actors Franco Nero.

Intertextuality is a renowned feature of cult films and of Tarantino’s style and is another one of Mathijs and Mendiks criteria for a cult film (Mathijs and Mendik, 2007. P. 2). ‘Django’ (2012) exemplifies Tarantino’s intertextuality with homages, references , quotes and inside jokes most probably reaching the triple figure mark.

When Django meets with one of Calvin Candies friends who’s played by the original Django; Franco Nero, he tells Franco that his name is Django ‘the d is silent’ with which Nero replies with ‘I know’. Movie trivia is rife in Tarantino films and which provide the keen eyed and cinematically informed a postmodern perspective.

The subtlest and perhaps most pleasure giving homages that Tarantino makes is Django’s blue suit scene. FW Murnau’s 1919 silent film ‘Knabe in Blau’(1919) was inspired by a 1770’s painting by Thomas Gainsborough called ‘The Blue Boy’. Murnau at the time was one of the most innovative film directors in his use of a camera technique which allowed filmmakers to move camera’s ad this techniques name was the ‘unchained camera technique’. This is testament to his range of references that changes the mainstream conventions of cinematic structure by toying with a bricolage of ‘high’ and ‘low’ art.
When viewing ‘Django’ (2012) with old spaghetti westerns in mind you can see the link between the ‘dollar trilogy’ in the way that camera frames into specific areas of the characters such as the eyes to emphasise a character looking or turning gaze and the hands or guns to show that the character is ready to draw his weapon. This technique Tarantino combines with his signature zoom in shot that he takes inspiration form 1970’s ‘kung fu’ movies.

This zoom shot can be seen in my chosen scene when Django and Dr Shultz enter the bar the barman is fixing the light and when he turns around spotting Django he shouts out with surprise ‘what the hell you think your doing boy, get that nigger out of here’ (Django Unchained, 2012). This is accompanied by one of Tarantino’s zoom shots which punctuate the surprise whilst also looking comically bad echoing the humorous way that the light swings and hits the barman’s head. A minute later the zoom shot is used again on Dr Shultz, this shows the versatility of the shot type as it can inform violence and humour.
Mathjis and Mendik propose that Cult films are meant to be bad, ‘aesthetically or morally’ attaining the status of otherness (Mathijs and Mendik, 2007. P. 2). ‘Django’s’ (2012) 70’s style zoom in’s and at times over the top blood effects and not to forget an awfully bad Australian accent from Tarantino himself are all examples of this concept. Cult films do however transgress these boundaries between good and bad at sometimes being very inventive and sometimes being very crude. Spike lee was one of the people who expressed concerns that the film mentions the ‘N’ word 110 times.

Loose ends define films as Cult according to Methijs and Mendik. It gives an open interpretation on moral dilemma’s philosophical points and of course it gives rise to debate within the cult film fan base community giving them ‘the freedom of speculating on the story’ (Mathijs and Mendik, 2007. P. 3). In ‘Django’ (2012) after the hero and his wife ride off victorious the question is begged if they will end up okay now.

Other things that I would like to talk about in my chosen scene is the way that classic western character and imagery is employed. We see Django ride next to Dr Shultz on a horse the silhouette is off a western classic ominous figure championed in ‘the dollars trilogy’. Dr Shultz is in his dentistry wagon and this makes us think of the infamous quack doctors that are so dominant in Western legend. The town is the stereotypical Western town verging on looking exactly like a classic Western movie set, even the bars swing doors ooze Hollywood fantasy.

The ‘dollar trilogy’ was one of the first western main protagonists to be an anti-hero, a man with good traits but who is ultimately morally ambiguous. In my chosen scene moral ambiguity is found in the character of Dr Shultz who explains over a pint to Django that not much is different to his profession to slavery; ‘like slavery it’s a flesh for cash business’ (Django Unchained. 2012). This darkness to the character is shown by the chiaroscuro lighting highlighting the duality of man.

Bill Shop looks aesthetically like the classic Sheriff with high authority, when Dr Shultz shoots him he immediately seems like an outlaw with no care for the system of authority. This concept is so unconventional and overwhelming to the bystanders and we even see a lady faint.

Inside the Bar the camera work consists of extreme close ups of the pint glasses and bar pumps accompanied by heightened sound effects. This contrasts at times with extreme long shots that define directors like Sergio Leone, this Tarantino offers as a nod to his inspirations.

In conclusion ‘Django Unchained’ (2012) is a masterful incarnation of cult film that ticks all of Mathijs and Mendik’s boxes. It combines unconventional inventiveness, provocative subject matter and stylistic decisions with a huge array of homages, references and general intertextuality. I chose the scene I did because I think it displays clearly all of these points but the greatness behind ‘Django Unchained’ (2012) is that if we look hard enough we can see all this in mostly all of its scenes.

Bibliography:

Loy, R. Philip. Westerns And American Culture, 1930-1955. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2001. Print.

Mathijs, Ernest, and Xavier Mendik. The Cult Film Reader. Maidenhead, Berkshire, England: Open

University Press/McGraw-Hill Education, 2008. Print.

Speck, Oliver C. Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained. Bloomsbury. 2014. Print.

Hiscock, John (April 27, 2007). "Quentin Tarantino: I'm proud of my flop". The Daily Telegraph

Baadasssss Cinema. 2002. Isaac Julien. Dir USA: Independent Film Channel.

Django Unchained. USA: Quentin Tarantino, 2012. Columbia Pictures. DVD.

Django. Spain: Sergio Corbucci, 1966.  Euro International Film. film.

Mandingo. USA: Kyle Onstott, 1876. Paramount Pictures. film.

Boss Nigger. USA: Jack Arnold, Dimension Pictures, 1975. film.

A Fistful Of Dollars. Spain: Sergio Leone, Unidis, 1964. film.

A Few Dollars More. Spain: Sergio Leone, Unidis, 1965. film.

The Good the Bad and the Ugly, Spain: Sergio Leone, Unidis. 1966. film