Based on his past films, that Quentin Tarentino’s new opus Django Unchained stirred up controversy and commentary in a number of quarters is not surprising. The supposedly injudicious use of the word ‘nigger’, the fact that he is white, that there were historical infelicities (like sunglasses), the “over-the -top” representation of violence and, additionally whatever it is that Spike Lee felt aggrieved about, fueled copious clattering on keyboards world wide—which you may or may not find interesting. Personally, I found all that stuff uninteresting.
Dr King Schultz as played by Christopher Waltz
What I did find both enjoyable and interesting was the compelling character, Dr.King Shultz,Austrian actor Christopher Waltz depicts in this film which has been talked about almost exclusively as a slave narrative. At least that’s the part of the critical noise that has filtered down to me. Like the diction in True Grit the language that the bounty hunter/dentist Shultz employs is specific and articulate.Unlike True Grit, where everyone seems to understand each other ,the Shultz’s linguistic acrobatics are not shared with his audience (which he full well knows and delights in). And I share his delight as he hornswoggles two slave traders from whom he retrieves the slave Django. Almost ever scene where Walt/Shultz appears in dialogue is a clever circumlocutious colloquy.
Based on his bravura performances in the last two Quentin Tarantino movies, Christopher Waltz has displayed characters by which the camera (and thus the viewer) is riveted. Even in conversation he is enthralling:
Currently reading Ratlines by Stuart Neville (Soho)
Typo “Waitz” (sic). He is truly a good German. Where’s my book?
On its way.What were the last 2 or 3 books you read?