Ally Gorder APUSH Final Project Arboleda, Period 6 January 20, 2013 Django, Unrefined?

Straddling the line between cartoonish exaggeration and historical applicability, Django Unchained has received an equal amount of criticism and praise within the last few weeks since its release in December of 2012. Directed and written by the notably crude Quentin Tarantino, Django spans pre-Civil War 1858 in the Deep South and follows the story of a freed slave (Django), his bounty-hunting liberator (Dr. King Schultz), and their quest to ultimately unshackle Djangos wife (Broomhilda/Hildy) from the grasp of planation slavery. Depicted as an epic western complete with outrageous gore, vile language, and an exaggerated storyline, the film, while not always convincing in the historical accuracy department, provocatively covers the factual atrocities of slavery in the south while keeping its audience entertained, educated, and even a bit horrified. The beginning of the film features Dr. Schultz, a German immigrant, in search of three plantation owning brothers in hiding with heavy bounties on each of their heads. In comes Django, a slave previously owned by the three brothers until he and his wife were caught trying to run away, upon which she was brutally whipped and he was sold to new owners, illuminating the Uncle Toms Cabin (1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe) theme of family separation as a means of horrific punishment as well as the fact that African-American slaves strived to maintain family life in the worst of conditions. The novel was accepted almost immediately in abolitionist European countries, also bringing light to the fact that Dr. Schultz, as a German, is exceptionally

unprejudiced and trusting towards Django, allowing him to carry a gun, have his own horse, and adamant about not using derogatory racial slurs (the likes of which are unprecedentedly used throughout the movie). As they travel together in search of the three brothers, Django and Dr. Schultz come across many people wholly averse to the idea of a free slave, maintaining the historical fact that freed slaves were always regarded as a 3rd Race, whether they were in the North, which tended to be very prejudice, or South, which held little to no opportunity for the individual. Historically speaking, the film covers the year directly after 1857, in which the Dred Scott vs. Sandford trial was held and, based on the courts decision, unswervingly drew the line that anyone of African ancestry was not a citizen of the US, had no rights, and was ultimately just property. In the South, where this film takes place, the decision was met with immense pleasure from slave owners (who were only 1/4th of the population) and non-slave owners alike. After the brothers are caught and killed, Django and Schultz agree to continue their business-like partnership and work together to free Djangos still enslaved wife. The travel deeper into the south, finally arriving at Candyland, an enormous plantation owned by Calvin Candie, the powerful and current owner of Broomhilda, Djangos wife. Hes a man of control and influence, perpetuating the planters aristocracy ideal that rich, white plantation owners held an oligarchy of sorts in the South during this time period. Candie immediately displays his cruelty towards his slaves to the two men, who are now posing as perspective buyers of one of Candies large and expensive male slaves. Seeing as though slave owners at the time only saw their slaves as investments, Django and Schultz hope that the large amount of money they offer for the male slave will keep him interested and unperturbed when they ask to throw Broomhilda into the deal, then cancel payment and escape

with her forever. While touring the plantation, Candie initiates and orders for a troubling slave to be attacked by dogs in front of Schultz and Django, historically making the reference to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 which was also known by abolitionists as the Bloodhound Law for the use of dogs to track down, capture, and often attack runaway slaves. The Fugitive Slave Act permitted fugitive slaves, even in non-slavery states, to be captured and brought back to their owners and was regarded as a slave power conspiracy by Northerners, intensifying anxiety and contributing to build up to the Civil War (1861-1865). Candie discovers the true intentions of Django and Schultz through a meddling house slave, also bringing up the fact that there were many types of jobs for slaves at the time to do, and orders the men to pay a large sum of money for Broomhilda, which Schultz obliges to. Of course, Tarantinos real style then comes into play when Schultz, refusing to shake Candies hand, decides to shoot him instead, initiating one of the largest, bloodiest, and most comedic scenes in the movie. After a series of battles, captures, and more battles, Django succeeds in killing the Candie army and escapes with Broomhilda in an unreal and suspended reality. Despite the strange stylistic choices, gore, and insensitive dialogue, Django Unchained is one of the most entertaining and well-made films regarding slavery. It effectively and accurately shows the horrors of slavery and its effect on individuals in the system while conveying the ultimate theme that the atrocities that occurred cannot be forgotten as the images shown stick with audience members and remind them of Americas dark and ignored past. However, it maintains the feeling of an epic westernftgwr, often suspending reality and creating comedic moments to counterbalance the heaviness of the storyline, which ultimately makes it a composed, enjoyable, flawlessly acted, and remarkable movie.