I had the pleasure of viewing DJANGO UNCHAINED last night and absolutely loved it. It is Tarantino at his best and is a hell of a lot of fun, whether you like westerns or not. The great thing about it is that it works both as a movie for the general movie-goer and a pop culture reference filled homage to cult classic films for the film buff.
There are two main controversies with DJANGO UNCHAINED: the violence and the language. The violence is completely over the top most of the time, much like the old spaghetti westerns, which is an intentional move by Tarantino. The language, specifically the use of the N-word, is causing discomfort for many, including director Spike Lee who refuses to see the movie, calling it racist.
The use of the word is excessive, but does not seem to be gratuitous. Obviously the mid-1800s were a different place than today and that word was very commonplace. While that does not make it okay, could Tarantino had made a movie that takes place before the Civil War and not use that word?
In a recent interview with Houston film critic Jake Hamilton, Samuel L. Jackson was asked a question regarding the N-word specifically. Jackson refused to answer the question unless Hamilton, who is white, said the word out loud. What followed is both funny and uncomfortable, a clear example of how much power that word still holds in American society.
The video is about 15 minutes long and very good, but skip ahead to 13:50 to see the showdown with Samuel L. Jackson.
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