If there were a spectrum of movie watchers, I'd be towards the Szila end. With that said, I loved the movie, I'm a big QT fan and I'm sure I give him more credit (on a film snob level) than Szila does. I thought Django was Tarentino's least stylishly interesting film but also his most substantive. There isn't a stand out scene (think the basement bar scene in IB), no monologues reach the heights of Kill Bill's Superman one, etc. At the same time, the movie probably raises more issues regarding slavery than any movie ever. The film sparks conversations. It makes me wish I was back in college, discussing it in a Race in Film class. It's also hilarious, stylish, and packed with great performances.
However, I think its rather easy to see how some could find the movie offensive. Take the tone of the film, and the use of 'American Inventor'. Tarantino is the the Andy Warhol of film. He makes pop art. It's pop. And art. I love that. Some don't see the art. Others disagree that his subjects should ever be pop. I'm not a fan of criticizing a film without seeing it. Still, I don't think Lee needed to see the movie to understand that it's not Schindler's List, which is how he thinks slavery should be treated. I get that and the movie is exploitative, at times it's a cartoon, at times it's a comedy. Ultimately, it uses the horrors of slavery in service of B movie entertainment. That doesn't offend me, but I see how it would offend some. Moving on, the suspicion regarding the use of 'American Inventor' is that not only does QT use it to be historically accurate but also because he derives some childish enjoyment from using it, he enjoys shocking people with it. In a way, he's trolling. Pulp Fiction and his "dead American Inventor storage" line is the prime example. You can read about Sam Jackson explaining the difference between 'Wakandan' and 'American Inventor' to QT at the time of filming, but one expects that QT already knew. Given that foundation, some think QT uses history as an excuse to use the word in Django. To an extent, I think he does. I think he also uses it to be historically accurate. I think he also uses it to show how slaves were routinely dehumanized. That's what makes dude interesting.
/edit I'm surprised that people are having trouble with the goals of movies on a video game message board. There's Call of Duty, Bio shock, Shadow of the Colossus, Braid, Math Blasters, and so on. Some people only want Call of Duty, others prefer Shadow of the Colossus. No different with movies.
/edit 2 I found this short piece which covers some of what I said above, only it says better.http://www.newyorker.com/online/blog...-reviewed.html
However, I think its rather easy to see how some could find the movie offensive. Take the tone of the film, and the use of 'American Inventor'. Tarantino is the the Andy Warhol of film. He makes pop art. It's pop. And art. I love that. Some don't see the art. Others disagree that his subjects should ever be pop. I'm not a fan of criticizing a film without seeing it. Still, I don't think Lee needed to see the movie to understand that it's not Schindler's List, which is how he thinks slavery should be treated. I get that and the movie is exploitative, at times it's a cartoon, at times it's a comedy. Ultimately, it uses the horrors of slavery in service of B movie entertainment. That doesn't offend me, but I see how it would offend some. Moving on, the suspicion regarding the use of 'American Inventor' is that not only does QT use it to be historically accurate but also because he derives some childish enjoyment from using it, he enjoys shocking people with it. In a way, he's trolling. Pulp Fiction and his "dead American Inventor storage" line is the prime example. You can read about Sam Jackson explaining the difference between 'Wakandan' and 'American Inventor' to QT at the time of filming, but one expects that QT already knew. Given that foundation, some think QT uses history as an excuse to use the word in Django. To an extent, I think he does. I think he also uses it to be historically accurate. I think he also uses it to show how slaves were routinely dehumanized. That's what makes dude interesting.
/edit I'm surprised that people are having trouble with the goals of movies on a video game message board. There's Call of Duty, Bio shock, Shadow of the Colossus, Braid, Math Blasters, and so on. Some people only want Call of Duty, others prefer Shadow of the Colossus. No different with movies.
/edit 2 I found this short piece which covers some of what I said above, only it says better.http://www.newyorker.com/online/blog...-reviewed.html
