Django UnchainedBy Sam Bettany

How is this episode postmodern?Intertextual references – Blue Boy, Shaft, A Fist Full Of Dollars…Historical Narrative – A take on the Wild West during 1859Hybrid – Western, Spaghetti Western, BlaxploitationFlattening of Affect – Stephan lacks sympathy/empathyStyle over Substance – Lacks realism in terms of character appearance and the treatment of African-American’s during that era.Historical Deafness – Soundtrack has modern and past eraHigh/Low Culture – Soundtrack artists (Rick Ross and Beethoven)

Applying Baurillard’s Theory:- Constructed around slavery almost to a point of hyper-reality. It’s prolific use of the ‘N word’ and larger-than-life characters exist in a post-modern vacuum that eliminates the chance for a sensitive dissection of an ugly part of American history- Certain elements are so hyper-real any and all fallout seems fitting. In Django, it’s the inhumane slave-on-slave battles royal known in the films as “Mandingo fighting” (Mandingo, 1975)

Applying Foucault’s Theory:- In Django Unchained, Django is always watched

upon because in the narrative, it is unusual for black person to be free and ride horses.

- This therefore generates a reaction from people that include anger as well as fear.

- Anger is shown through a reaction provided from Stephen when the audience are first introduced to him, but also fear is shown as when Django and Schultz ride through Mississippi, people avoided the two because they are interpreted as trouble.

Differ or challenge other media:- Extreme racism – n-word used 116 which is a

motion picture record. Word used less cautiously by Tarantino.

- Black empowerment during era – brainwashes Django and the audience about the misinterpretation of black passivity.

- Morally, Stephen should not be a character that is humorous. Yet, the audience constantly finds themselves laughing at a man who has managed to crack under the pressure of slavery.

Similar to other media:Intertextual References that have been included in the text: - Schultz’s gun = Taxi Driver reference - Django’s green cowboy suit = Little Joe Bonanza costume- KKK raid scene – Birth of a Nation

Multiple texts feature narratives that base a character trying to save their partner or family from evil, similar to Django as he tries to free his wife from a slave plantation owner. Other western films show similar characteristics to Django such as the treatment towards black people. Also, small elements such as the bar fights, types of characters are similar as well. For example, Django’s stern attitude is similar to The Man With No Name in A Fistful Of Dollars (1964)

Audience – Impact of Tarantino:- Viewers of the certified age for the film can view this text without

being fans of the Blaxploitation genre because the implication of historical deafness allows for any viewer to be able to enjoy the aesthetics that make the film appeal to the audience.

- The impact that Quentin Tarantino has on the viewer is to show the effects of slavery.

- Tarantino says "What happened during slavery times is a thousand times worse than [what] I show," he says. "So if I were to show it a thousand times worse, to me, that wouldn't be exploitative, that would just be how it is. If you can't take it, you can't take it.”

- “There's two types of violence in this film, there's the brutal reality that slaves lived under for ... 245 years, and then there's the violence of Django's retribution. And that's movie violence, and that's fun and that's cool, and that's really enjoyable and kind of what you're waiting for."

Technologies and Themes:In Django Unchained, technology has been used to portray references that have been taken or influenced by past media texts.

Media themes:- Slavery narrative – Django began as a slave, slaves shown

throughout - ‘Getting what you want’ – Django wanting to free his wife

from being a slave - ‘Cowboy’ – Django acts and dresses like a ‘cowboy’ later

in the narrative - Capitalist oppression – Django and Schultz try to free

Broomhilda from Calvin Candie

Concept of Narrative:- The narrative to Django Unchained is Fairly linear as it shows

Django and Schultz’s journey through the bounty hunting job to free Broomhilda Although.

- The narrative is also non-linear because there are multiple inclusions of flashbacks of Broomhilda’s capture and visual representation of her pain which does hinder the progression of the narrative.

- The narrative in the film reinforces to common conventions in film because the film follows the linear style of narrative to show the journey of Django and Schultz trying to search for and rescue Broomhilda from the plantation.

- Though the short flashbacks reverse the narrative to allow the audience to learn of Broomhilda’s past, the narrative is secured by seeing the journey take place and see the result of what happens when she is ‘bought’ by Schultz.