Django Unchained

Seananigans

Seananigans

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Did you miss the transformation of his character during the movie? For whatever reason, Django's plight brought something out in him, and at least in the short term, his life became about helping Django. I don't really think either situation is terribly OOC, particularly the money. The death was... unsatisfying, but still fit fairly well with what was going on with the character. Coming from a starting point of mild disgust but ultimately neutral with regard to slavery, logically coming to the conclusion that he should probably "enslave" Django for his own benefits temporarily, and then spending enough time immersed in Django's story to the point where he could barely stomach Leo's mistreatment of his slaves allows his snap decision to kill Leo with his derringer to fit. He just stands there because he had already quickly thought out the repercussions, and he was ok with it. He knew Butch would gun him down, he just couldn't abide Leo living for one more moment.
 
Kreugen

Kreugen

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You know, it's a shame they didn't get Will Smith for this. Smith would have insisted that Tarrantino cast his son, and the D'Artanigan part would have been a perfect fit.
 
Tuco

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Seananigans_sl said:
Did you miss the transformation of his character during the movie? For whatever reason, Django's plight brought something out in him, and at least in the short term, his life became about helping Django. I don't really think either situation is terribly OOC, particularly the money. The death was... unsatisfying, but still fit fairly well with what was going on with the character. Coming from a starting point of mild disgust but ultimately neutral with regard to slavery, logically coming to the conclusion that he should probably "enslave" Django for his own benefits temporarily, and then spending enough time immersed in Django's story to the point where he could barely stomach Leo's mistreatment of his slaves allows his snap decision to kill Leo with his derringer to fit. He just stands there because he had already quickly thought out the repercussions, and he was ok with it. He knew Butch would gun him down, he just couldn't abide Leo living for one more moment.
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Yeah I disagree. There's nothing about Waltz's character that would cause him to not only suicide in order to take out Leo, but likely damn his protege and their Brynhildr. I would have believe that Waltz's character would have shaken hands, given the money, and returned in 3 years time to massacre Leo and his family.

I don't really think that Tarantino needed to sell the plot-twist. I know when I was watching it (and this was completely intended by Tarantino and everyone involved in the movie) I was filled with a sense of dread and anticipation as the scene played out and I knew that things wouldn't end cleanly. I just didn't know how things would get derailed until Leo asked Waltz to shake his hand. I feel this was set up to bait the audience into hoping things would go smoothly and then fuck you audience no happy ending.

I probably would've enjoyed the movie if I was sold on the idea that Waltz's character had some incredible change of character that caused him to ruin the plan, but that just wasn't there. Since I watched it I tried to think of scenes that would cause the twist to make sense, ranging from him becoming more psychotic, to being violent and reckless while drunk to having some kind of personal history with Leo. I wonder if they filmed scenes like those and cut them because they decided it didn't need to make sense.
 
Angerz

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Deathwing_sl said:
Schultz's death was OOC. Also, I thought his response to losing 12K, or his pretty much lack thereof, was OOC. Dude's a bounty hunter, probably just lost years worth of pay, that shit ain't going to bother him? Nope, just gonna murder/suicide!
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Not shaking his hand and coming back later for revenge could be out of character I guess, but I didnt have a problem with him ponying up the cash. He did say in the movie it was his duty as a German to help a real life Siegfried rescue his Brunhilde. I don't really have a problem with his character doing what he did though, to allow the final act to focus on Django getting his revenge on all of Candie Land.
 
Kantern

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Angerz_sl said:
Not shaking his hand and coming back later for revenge could be out of character I guess, but I didnt have a problem with him ponying up the cash. He did say in the movie it was his duty as a German to help a real life Siegfried rescue his Brunhilde. I don't really have a problem with his character doing what he did though, to allow the final act to focus on Django getting his revenge on all of Candie Land.
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The only issue I have is the final act was so much weaker after Waltz was out. Needed more Jackson.
 
Tarrant

Tarrant

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I guess I'm the only person here that wasn't super impressed with Jackson. His character wasn't anything special...he was just Sam Jackson but old.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed his character, but I wasn't like "OMG!" impressed with him.
 
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Mir_sl

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Love the movie, but I have to agree in part with disliking Waltz shooting Leo. It has nothing to do with him dying, it's the logic of knowing that he's very likely doomed Django and Brunhilde too. Sure, that's not where it goes, but while I can believe he'd suicide himself, I just have a hard time buying that his character would have fucked them over too. Still, great movie.
 
Kreugen

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The hero of the story didn't have a mentor holding his hand. In order for the story to conclude properly, Django had to climb the mountain and walk through the fire and all that figurative stuff alone. It wasn't like Schultz acted on impulse - he wasn't simply sulking over being beaten in all those scenes, he was chewing over whether or not to kill Candie right then and there and what it would mean for Django - would he make it? Schultz couldn't live with the shit they had to let happen (negroid scooby snacks) and he couldn't know that he would ever be that close to Candie again.

My feeling was all that brooding was Schultz doing everything he could to talk himself out of it when he wanted it so badly. He had decided to let it go because of the risks - but then the handshake sealed it - the very act of extending his arm to shake Candie's hand was too close to the motion of whipping out his spring loaded Derringer. As he said, he simply couldn't resist.

I thought the entire scene did an excellent job showing that Schultz was having an intense internal dialog while Candie gleefully dug his own grave with his gloating. The tension was wonderful - Candie seemed to be the only one in the room who didn't realize the danger he was in.

And I liked how the final act required Django to use some wits and not just shoot everything in sight. And then he shot everything in sight.

This is my favorite Tarrantino movie by miles. Reservoir Dogs with a budget.
 
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Simas_sl

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I agree with Kreugen's insightful thoughts. I'll add that Django (student) had to ultimately surpass Schultz (master). It's a common trope in the movie's QT riffs on. Schultz's death makes sense in that context. It also makes sense as part of Schultz's progression from having a general dislike of slavery to personal disgust when confronted with the horrors of slavery directly. He started as anti-slavery but willing to use it to his benefit. He ended so disgusted that he would willingly sacrifice himself, almost only to make a point.

I believe that is also similar to the journey that QT wanted the audience to take.
 
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sike

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Angerz_sl said:
Not shaking his hand and coming back later for revenge could be out of character I guess, but I didnt have a problem with him ponying up the cash. He did say in the movie it was his duty as a German to help a real life Siegfried rescue his Brunhilde. I don't really have a problem with his character doing what he did though, to allow the final act to focus on Django getting his revenge on all of Candie Land.
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Saw the film last night - absolutely fantastic. The entire cast put out a nothing short of stellar performance.

I think you guys are missing a key element of Schultz's character that meant his death was in no way out of character. The man was an honourable, gentleman scholar to whom death was a more acceptable choice than that of allowing DiCaprio to come out on top. Schultz would rather die than allow Candie the satisfaction of the handshake.
 
Tuco

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You guys make some very good points but I still disagree on it being believable. Again, it's not a big deal to me and didn't detract much from the film.
 
Chukzombi

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The handshake thing you could sort of see coming, you just didnt expect him to do it then and there before django and broomhilda could get away. The part that was unbelievable was after that bloodbath django and wife's lives were spared. That bloodbath should have been the final scene of the movie. But tarentino needed to include the rape scene from coffey and the revenge scenes from other 70s blaxploitation flicks.
 
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The Ancient_sl

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You guys are also acting like Shultz wasn't ridiculously impulsive for the entire movie. Over and over in the film he showed he gave little regard to consequences. Nothing out of character about continuing that trend.
 
Tuco

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The Ancient_sl said:
You guys are also acting like Shultz wasn't ridiculously impulsive for the entire movie. Over and over in the film he showed he gave little regard to consequences. Nothing out of character about continuing that trend.
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Not sure what you're talking about he had a good plan for every scene in that movie until his end.
 
BrutulTM

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sike_sl said:
I think you guys are missing a key element of Schultz's character that meant his death was in no way out of character. The man was an honourable, gentleman scholar to whom death was a more acceptable choice than that of allowing DiCaprio to come out on top. Schultz would rather die than allow Candie the satisfaction of the handshake.
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This. I don't think he cared about the money, but no way was he going to let Candie make him leave the place like a bitch and when he found out that Candie was dead set on doing just that, there was only one option left. Didn't seem out of character to me at all.
 
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