I wasn't really sure what to expect going into Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained. His previous film, 2009's Inglourious Basterds, left me pretty conflicted. It had some absolutely brilliant scenes, but there was such a massive disconnect between the stories of Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) and the titular Basterds (led by Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine) that I had trouble reconciling the film. I was fascinated by Shosanna's story, but outside of one or two great moments, I didn't enjoy the adventures of the Basterds and part of me wished it had been split into two films. I found its statements on the power of film and the question of what it means to enjoy violence in films fascinating, but it was blunt and gross to the point that it wasn't pleasant to watch. That's probably the point, but regardless, it left me with an unpleasant feeling, and I certainly wasn't cheering on the Basterds in their campaign.
2012's Django Unchained similarly sells itself as a revenge story about the power of violence, but does so in a far more graceful manner than Basterds managed. There is a split in tone halfway through the movie, but both halves complement each other in a way I feel the two narratives of Basterds failed to do. While the film isn't without issues, Django is incredibly dense and subtle while at the same time embracing over the top lunacy in a way that works perfectly, and is Tarantino's best film of his post-1990's career.
