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So I debated whether or not to write something about Django
Unchained. I had considered writing about the movie before I had seen it,
because what I was planning on writing didn't have so much to do with the movie
itself, but the reaction to it. However, because of laziness, and also because
of a certain uneasiness with writing about movies that I haven’t seen, I decided
to hold off.
Well I saw Django Unchained over the weekend, and while I’m
still digesting the film, I think I’m at least comfortable writing a post about
it.
Let me begin by saying that while Spike Lee is an
intelligent man (or seemingly so), a creative filmmaker, and an undisputed
maven in black cinema (an American cinema in general), I question his criticism
of Django before even seeing the film. I can’t say that no one will find this
movie racist (I personally did not, but more on that later), because it is
subjective, after all, and that means that what I took away from it is not
necessarily what someone else will take away from it. But I can’t help but
accuse Spike Lee of bias, as he has a history of criticizing Quentin Tarantino
(don’t get me wrong, I’m no Tarantino apologist) for being a racist; so the
context of a white filmmaker – especially Quentin Tarantino – making a glib
film about slavery naturally would rub him the wrong way. But as a filmmaker –
especially a filmmaker that deals with racial issues – should at least give
Tarantino a chance to make his argument before completely debasing the film, and
calling it racist.
That being said, had Spike Lee seen the film, he still might
have come to the same conclusion. And to be fair, I’ll agree with Spike Lee in
saying that Tarantino’s use of the “N” word in his movies seems more about his
potential desire for using a controversial word freely than to create
authenticity in his characters and movies. In my reality – and my reality in no
way reflects anybody else’s – people don’t just throw around the “N” word,
whether that be in the company of black people or not. The “N” word is a taboo
word, and just because a white person is friendly or comfortable with an
individual or group of black people, doesn't mean that the word becomes
standard nomenclature. In the black community it could be different, and I
understand that, but I think Lee’s criticism is more of Tarantino’s white
characters’ flippant use of the word, rather than his black characters.
Sorry, I trailed off a bit there. So while I understand Lee’s
issues with Tarantino’s use of the “N” word, and the “N” word was used A LOT –
I repeat A LOT – in Django Unchained, the use actually seemed very apropos to
the film, and actually added a certain authenticity that Tarantino sometimes
lacks in his historic pieces. If you read my blog, you might have stumbled upon
a piece where I talk about the “N” word, so you know that I’m no fan; but as I
said, it’s use in Django Unchained, while very liberal, actually seemed quite
realistic. The use of the word itself, I hope at least, didn't solely create
the impression in some people’s minds that this movie, or Tarantino himself, is
racist.
Now to the film itself. I personally did not find the film
racist. It is true that a filmmaker ought to be sensitive when addressing a
topic such as slavery; but Quentin Tarantino is not a sensitive filmmaker, so
while should doesn't equate to is, that doesn't mean he was being racist with
his insensitivity. The film, similar to his efforts in Inglorious Basterds, is
essentially a revenge movie where Tarantino rewrites history to make oppressed
people beat their oppressors. While people may question why Tarantino made the
movie, if I was to venture a guess I would say that it’s because he’s a
filmmaker who is interested in the idea of oppression and social injustice, and
therefore wanted to make a bloody farce based upon what would happen if history
were fair.
That’s my take on the movie, but I’m interested in knowing
what others thought of the movie. Did you find it racist? Did you think there
was a point in Tarantino making the movie? Is it fair for Spike Lee to disavow
the movie without ever seeing it?
