Django Unchained [Quentin Tarantino] ★★★★☆

Movie master Quentin Tarentino has galloped back into the movie sphere with the gloriously gritty Django Unchained, due on DVD on May 20th. After three years since his revenge-fuelled, somewhat cut throat, take on Nazi Germany, Inglorious Basterds, the Tennessee born whiz has concocted a Spaghetti-Western spin-off that's only as ruthless as his utterly defiant standards could allow.

Set amongst the slaving monstrosities of Southern America in the mid 1800s, Tarentino tells the tale of an unconventional bounty hunter, Dr. Schultz (Christoph Waltz), who forms an unlikely relationship with an unfortunate slave, Django (Jamie Foxx). Of course, it can't be that simple, as in famous Tarentino style, the pair embark on a gruesome and nail biting journey into the lair of the aptly named Candyland, to seek their salvation. Not to forget the heart wrenching love story which dictates this tumultuous tale. Full of racial slurs, liberal use of the 'N' word and too many bullets to wave a feeble stick at, Tarentino is at his furious best.

Featuring a troupe of Hollywood's coolest names, including DiCaprio, Jackson and Washington; Tarentino has enlisted Hollywood's elite in-crowd of sub zero movie titans, managing to regurgitate familiar faces from the past.  On close inspection, as many a film fanatic may say, Django Unchained bears an uncanny, yet easy to miss, resemblance to his 2009 Nazi-destroying epic.  Both plots are complete with a larger than life villain, a band of dastardly sidekicks and of course, the suppressed victims who fight to seek their retribution, complete with a head exploding amount of romanticised violence and mutilating gore. 

Tarentino originally envisioned DiCaprio as Hans Landa in Inglorious Basterds but opted for  Waltz instead. If it isn't ironic enough that the Austrian actor played a Nazi villain, Waltz metamorphoses into a kind hearted, liberal hero in Django Unchained, a striking contrast which highlights Tarentino's alluring qualities.

Another feature of Django Unchained, which completes the success-bound formula, is the extensive soundtrack.  23 songs and excerpts make up the diverse compilation, including both original and pre-existing numbers. Tracks composed for the film include 100 Black Coffins by Rick Ross, John Legend's Who Did That To You and Ancora Qui by Ennio Morricone and Elisa Toffoli. It also features a remix of James Brown's The Payback and 2Pac's Untouchable as well as Too Old To Die Young by Brother Dege. Furthermore, the theme song Django was taken from the 1966 film simply named 'Django.' This constant marathon of music completes the high paced plot of the hectic film as well as manipulating those stubborn emotions as compassionate and brutal scenes roll by - like all effective film music should.

Tarentino is an expert at providing action laden, gutsy sagas which leave audiences grinning from ear to ear, or grimacing in fact. Either way, he knows how to cause a stir and he has certainly hit the mark with Django Unchained. 

Emma Storey.