I finally saw Django Unchained

and my gut is telling me that I liked the movie. Maybe it's because it reminded me of the house Negro field Negro dichotomy here in America, or maybe it's because I kept making comparisons to Stephen and Clarence Thomas in my head throughout the entire flick. It was long, but I didn't really notice and that's always a good sign. The acting, as is to be expected with A-list actors, was also good.

I watched it with Mrs. Field, who didn't like it quite as much as I did. Girlfriend, you must understand, is from the South, and members of her father's family were share croppers not that long ago. Watching movies about slavery and pre-civil rights America always sets her off. She also had issues with all the blood and over the top gore. I guess I should have warned her about Tarantino and his heavy hand with the ketchup.

I could also understand why some other black folks had problems with it. (Not you Spike.Reginald Hudlin produced the damn film and the last time I checked he was a brotha.) You didn't know quite what to make of what Tarentino was trying to say about  racism and its stain on America's history. It wasn't over the top funny and satirical like Blazing Saddles (although I found some scenes to be close)and it didn't take a serious historical look at slavery like Amistad and Roots. It was just a spaghetti western about a very dark time in our country's history.

The over the top use of the N-word bothered Mrs. Field a bit, but I wasn't as bothered by it. I understand that the word can be used as a form of artistic expression ("Sucka Nigga" is still one of my favorite hip hop songs of all time), or to stay true to a formula in a play or a movie. Although I am not naive enough to think that many white folks who went to see the movie didn't get some form of satisfaction from the word being used so often in such a public and open forum. Surprisingly, though, even though there might have been two other black folks in the entire theater, there was no laughter after every N-word as some of my friends told me that they experienced.  

So three out of five stars for Django Unchained. Although, sorry Quentin, I am not holding my breath while I wait in anticipation for the sequel.