Director:
Quentin TarantinoWriter:
Quentin TarantinoProducers:
Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin, Pilar SavoneCinematographer:
Robert RichardsonEditor:
Fred RaskinProduction Designer:
J. Michael RivaProduction Companies:
A Band Apart Productions, Columbia Pictures
In a 19 Dec 2012 Village Voice interview, writer-director Quentin Tarantino stated that he wrote the first scene of Django Unchained in 2009, while promoting the release of his film Inglourious Basterds (2009, see entry) in Japan. At the time, Tarantino was working on a book about Sergio Corbucci, an Italian film director known for “Spaghetti Westerns,” a subgenre of Westerns generally associated with Italian directors working in the 1960s and 1970s. At a Japanese record store, Tarantino found numerous soundtracks for Spaghetti Western films that had been reissued, and between writing the book and listening to the soundtracks, his screenplay for Django Unchained was heavily influenced by the Spaghetti Western genre.
According to production notes from AMPAS library files, actor Christoph Waltz read the script frequently throughout its development, visiting Tarantino’s home to read various drafts aloud to the writer-director. In keeping with Tarantino’s desire to create a slave story in the style of a Spaghetti Western, the film’s lead character “Django” was named after the main character in the seminal 1966 Spaghetti Western film, Django. Franco Nero, who played the title role in Django, made a cameo appearance in Django Unchained.
The script was finished in late Apr 2011. A 9 May 2011 DV item stated that Will Smith was Tarantino’s first choice to play “Django” and the writer-director had written the role “with Smith in mind,” although the actor would have to waive his usual rate of $20 million to take part in the project. Smith eventually passed on the role, as stated in a 23 Jun 2011 DV ...
In a 19 Dec 2012 Village Voice interview, writer-director Quentin Tarantino stated that he wrote the first scene of Django Unchained in 2009, while promoting the release of his film Inglourious Basterds (2009, see entry) in Japan. At the time, Tarantino was working on a book about Sergio Corbucci, an Italian film director known for “Spaghetti Westerns,” a subgenre of Westerns generally associated with Italian directors working in the 1960s and 1970s. At a Japanese record store, Tarantino found numerous soundtracks for Spaghetti Western films that had been reissued, and between writing the book and listening to the soundtracks, his screenplay for Django Unchained was heavily influenced by the Spaghetti Western genre.
According to production notes from AMPAS library files, actor Christoph Waltz read the script frequently throughout its development, visiting Tarantino’s home to read various drafts aloud to the writer-director. In keeping with Tarantino’s desire to create a slave story in the style of a Spaghetti Western, the film’s lead character “Django” was named after the main character in the seminal 1966 Spaghetti Western film, Django. Franco Nero, who played the title role in Django, made a cameo appearance in Django Unchained.
The script was finished in late Apr 2011. A 9 May 2011 DV item stated that Will Smith was Tarantino’s first choice to play “Django” and the writer-director had written the role “with Smith in mind,” although the actor would have to waive his usual rate of $20 million to take part in the project. Smith eventually passed on the role, as stated in a 23 Jun 2011 DV brief, and Jamie Foxx was cast in his place. Other actors who were mentioned as possible cast members but who did not appear in the film included: RZA, the composer for Tarantino’s Kill Bill – Vol. 1 (2003, see entry), who was set to play a slave as stated in a 3 Nov 2011 DV item; Joseph Gordon-Levitt, rumored to be joining the cast in a 24 Oct 2011 DV item; and Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell, who were both mentioned in connection to the same role by a 4 Oct 2011 DV brief. Additionally, a 14 Nov 2011 DV news item stated that Tarantino had written a character named “Scotty” for actor Sacha Baron Cohen; however, neither Cohen nor the character made it into the final version.
Principal photography began 28 Nov 2011. As stated in production notes, Melody Ranch in Santa Clarita, CA, which was once owned by Gene Autry and a popular filming site for Westerns such as the television series Gunsmoke and High Noon (1952, see entry), served as a location. Filming also took place at Simi Valley, CA’s Big Sky Ranch, and outside Long Pine, CA. When shooting in Mammoth, CA, was cancelled due to lack of snow, the production moved to Jackson, WY, to capture winter scenes. The location that doubled as the plantation owned by Don Johnson’s character, “Spencer ‘Big Daddy’ Bennett,” was Evergreen Plantation outside New Orleans, LA. Evergreen also served as the filming site for the slave quarters shown in the film, while the interior of “Calvin Candie’s” plantation home was built on a soundstage at Second Line Studio in New Orleans. After a final portion of filming in Los Angeles, CA, production ended 24 Jul 2012.
According to the 19 Dec 2012 Village Voice article, the production budget exceeded $80 million. During principal photography, Tarantino agreed to forgo some of his profit participation in exchange for three extra weeks of shooting. Due to the extended production period, post-production was shortened to a four-month schedule. Adding to the difficulty, Tarantino was forced to work for the first time without his longtime editor, Sally Menke, who died in Sep 2010. Having collaborated with Menke on each of his previous films, Tarantino likened her contribution to “that of a co-writer.”
Critical reception was mixed. In his 25 Dec 2012 Chicago Tribune review, Michael Phillips complained about the film’s two-hour-forty-five-minute length and erratic pacing. Betsy Sharkey in the 24 Dec 2012 LAT acknowledged that some scenes went on too long; however, she claimed the film was Tarantino’s “most articulate, intriguing, provoking, appalling…and downright entertaining film yet.” In his 25 Dec 2012 NYT review, A. O. Scott called the film “a troubling and important movie about slavery and racism.”
A 7 Jan 2013 LAT article announced that Django Unchained had taken in $106.4 million in box-office receipts to date.
The film was named as one of AFI’s Movies of the Year and received the following Academy Awards: Writing (Original Screenplay), and Actor in a Supporting Role (Christoph Waltz). The film was also nominated for Academy Awards in the following categories: Best Picture; Cinematography; and Sound Editing. Django Unchained was also honored with two Golden Globe Awards: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Christoph Waltz); and Best Screenplay - Motion Picture. Additional Golden Globe nominations included: Best Motion Picture – Drama; Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Leonardo DiCaprio); and Best Director – Motion Picture.
Production designer J. Michael Riva passed away 7 Jun 2012 during filming in New Orleans, LA, as stated in production notes.
The end credits include the following written acknowledgements: "The filmmakers would like to thank all of the talented crew that supported this film in California and Wyoming"; "Special thanks to Jane Boddie; Dr. Joseph Horrigan; Union Pacific Railroad; St. John the Pabtist Parish, Natalie Robottom, President"; and "This product was partially filmed in Wyoming, Special thanks to the Wyoming Film Office and Wyoming's film industry financial incentive, www.FilmWyoming.com."
A Film by Quentin Tarantino
In 1858 Southern United States, Dr. King Schultz drives his dentist carriage through the woods in search of an African-American slave named Django. He stops two brothers, Dicky and Ace Speck, who are transporting five slaves, and determines which slave is Django. King interrogates Django, asking if he would recognize the Brittle brothers, and the slave confirms that he knows Big John, Lil Raj, and Ellis Brittle, as they were overseers at the Carrucan plantation where he used to work. King offers to buy Django from the Specks, but they refuse. When Ace draws his gun, King shoots him dead, then shoots Dicky’s horse so that it falls and pins Dicky to the ground. King throws money at Dicky, draws up a bill of sale for Django, and frees him from the iron shackles around his ankles. King then instructs Django to take the coat from Ace’s corpse and mount Ace’s horse. Before King and Django ride away, King suggests to the remaining four slaves that they kill Dicky and follow the North Star so they can start their lives anew in a Northern town. Soon after, in Daughtrey, Texas, townspeople gawk as King and Django ride through town, disturbed by the sight of an African-American man on a horse. King and Django go to a bar, where King threatens the bartender and tells him to fetch the sheriff. Drinking a beer, King explains to Django that he no longer practices dentistry and is now a bounty hunter. He plans to kill the Brittle brothers for a sizeable bounty and asks Django to enter into an agreement with him wherein Django identifies the men and King pays a portion ...
In 1858 Southern United States, Dr. King Schultz drives his dentist carriage through the woods in search of an African-American slave named Django. He stops two brothers, Dicky and Ace Speck, who are transporting five slaves, and determines which slave is Django. King interrogates Django, asking if he would recognize the Brittle brothers, and the slave confirms that he knows Big John, Lil Raj, and Ellis Brittle, as they were overseers at the Carrucan plantation where he used to work. King offers to buy Django from the Specks, but they refuse. When Ace draws his gun, King shoots him dead, then shoots Dicky’s horse so that it falls and pins Dicky to the ground. King throws money at Dicky, draws up a bill of sale for Django, and frees him from the iron shackles around his ankles. King then instructs Django to take the coat from Ace’s corpse and mount Ace’s horse. Before King and Django ride away, King suggests to the remaining four slaves that they kill Dicky and follow the North Star so they can start their lives anew in a Northern town. Soon after, in Daughtrey, Texas, townspeople gawk as King and Django ride through town, disturbed by the sight of an African-American man on a horse. King and Django go to a bar, where King threatens the bartender and tells him to fetch the sheriff. Drinking a beer, King explains to Django that he no longer practices dentistry and is now a bounty hunter. He plans to kill the Brittle brothers for a sizeable bounty and asks Django to enter into an agreement with him wherein Django identifies the men and King pays a portion of the earnings to him. Afterward, King will allow Django to go free. As Sheriff Bill Sharp arrives, King shoots him dead and provides documentation to the town’s Marshall, Gill Tatum, to prove that Sharp was actually a fugitive named Willard Peck and King is owed two-hundred dollars for his capture. That night, King asks Django what he will do once he is free, and Django says he will find his wife, Broomhilda, and buy her freedom. King, who is from Germany, is astonished to learn that Broomhilda, though an African-American slave, was originally owned by a German family and speaks German. He is further shocked that Django and Broomhilda are husband and wife, as slaves are not legally allowed to marry. At a clothing shop, King tells Django that they will be traveling to several Tennessee plantations in search of the Brittle brothers, with Django pretending to be King’s valet. Allowed to pick out a new outfit for himself, Django selects a flamboyant blue coat with matching breeches and wears the ensemble with a large, white ribbon around his neck as the men enter “Big Daddy” Bennett’s plantation. There, King distracts Bennett, saying he plans to buy one of the African-American females on the plantation, while Django tours the grounds in search of the Brittle brothers. After spotting Ellis Brittle in the cotton fields, Django sees Big John and Lil Raj preparing to whip a female slave and recalls the time that the Brittles whipped Broomhilda when he and his wife tried to escape the Carrucan plantation. Angered by the memory, Django shoots Big John and Lil Raj despite King’s plans to kill the men himself. Once King arrives, Django points to Ellis in the fields and the bounty hunter shoots their final target with a long range rifle. Although King explains to Bennett that the Brittles were wanted criminals, Bennett orders King and Django to leave. That night, Bennett tracks down King and Django’s campsite and attacks it with a mob of men wearing white sacks over their heads; however, King foresaw the attack and rigged his carriage with dynamite. From a perch above the campsite, King and Django shoot at Bennett’s mob and the carriage, causing an explosion. Django uses the long range rifle to shoot Bennett as he flees, and King determines that he is a natural marksman. Later, King tells Django the classic German legend about a princess named Broomhilda, who was placed atop a mountain after disobeying her father. Although she was surrounded by a dragon and a circle of fire, a man named Siegfried saved her because he was not afraid. King offers to help Django find his Broomhilda, suggesting that they work together as a bounty hunting team over the winter. In the spring, King promises they will travel to Greenville, Mississippi, the slave-trading town where Broomhilda was sold at auction, to discover where she was sent. Django agrees and, throughout the winter, he practices target shooting and kills several wanted men alongside King. By springtime, King and Django arrive in Greenville and locate the sale ledger stating that Broomhilda was purchased by Calvin Candie, a young heir who runs the Candyland plantation. Because Broomhilda would not be worth enough money for Candie to bother selling her to King, he devises a scheme to gain access to Candyland, telling Django they must pretend to be a duo interested in “Mandingo fighting,” a brutal sport in which African-American slaves are forced to fight to the death. As Candie is a Mandingo enthusiast, King proposes that he approach Candie to buy one of his Mandingos, with Django posing as the “Mandingo expert” who will help King choose the best fighter. After King contacts Candie’s lawyer, they meet Candie at the Cleopatra Club, where he is overseeing a Mandingo fight. The brawl ends when the winning Mandingo, “Big Fred,” gouges out his opponent’s eyes and kills him with a hammer. Candie rewards Big Fred with a beer then joins King and Django at the bar. Baffled by the fact that Django, an African-American man, is treated as an equal by King, Candie interrogates him, but Django evades his questions. Although King makes excuses for his companion, Candie is intrigued by Django’s rebelliousness. The following day, King and Django travel to Candyland, along with Candie’s entourage, to check out Candie’s fighters. Riding onto the large estate, they come upon a Mandingo trying to escape. Candie reprimands the man, telling him that he has two more fights before he can quit, and although King tries to dissuade him from tormenting the slave, Candie orders an overseer to sic two dogs on him. The dogs kill the Mandingo before everyone’s eyes as Candie confronts Django, suggesting that King is not indifferent enough to participate in Mandingo fighting. However, Django assures Candie that King is simply unaccustomed to seeing humans killed by dogs and pretends to be unmoved by the sadistic display. As they arrive at Candie’s mansion, King requests to see Candie’s German-speaking slave before dinner, and Candie obliges, asking his head slave, Stephen, to fetch Broomhilda. Unbeknownst to Candie, Broomhilda tried to run away the previous night, so she is in a “hot box” in the yard. Wincing at the sight of his abused wife, Django watches the overseers take the naked Broomhilda from the hot box and deposit her in a wheelbarrow. That evening, Broomhilda is delivered to King’s room, where he speaks to her in German and explains that he and a mutual friend have come to rescue her. After she promises not to scream, King signals for Django to enter the room and Broomhilda faints upon seeing him. At dinner, Broomhilda serves Candie and his guests as King discusses “Eskimo Joe,” the Mandingo he wants to buy, agreeing to pay $12,000 for him. King promises to return in four days with his lawyer and mentions that he would also like to purchase Broomhilda. Meanwhile, Stephen detects Broomhilda’s familiarity with Django and pulls Candie aside to tell him that King and Django are lying. Stephen insists they only came to buy Broomhilda, not a Mandingo, and that she and Django must be in love. Candie returns to the dining room with a human skull, explaining that it belonged to Ben, Stephen’s father, a longtime slave at Candyland. Discussing phrenology, Candie asserts that African Americans are naturally submissive due to the anatomy of their brains. Suddenly, Candie’s guard, Butch Pooch, appears with a gun aimed at King and Django, and Candie tells King he has sussed out their plan. At gunpoint, Candie forces King to hand over $12,000 for Broomhilda. Soon after, Candie signs a bill of sale and presents King with Broomhilda’s freedom papers. The three attempt to leave, but Candie insists that King shakes his hand first. Infuriated, King produces a gun from inside his sleeve and shoots Candie dead. Pooch responds by shooting and killing King, and Django takes up arms, firing at the overseers as they flood the mansion. Out of ammunition, Django surrenders when Billy Crash, the head overseer, holds Broomhilda hostage. The next day, Django is sold to the LeQuint Dickey Mining Company. On the way there, Django gets the attention of the LeQuint Dickey employees who are transporting him, lying that there is a gang of wanted fugitives back at Candyland with a bounty of $11,500 on their heads. Django presents them with an old wanted poster and says that if they go back to Candyland, he will point out the fugitives and help kill them for the fee of $500. When the men confirm with three other slaves in tow that Django is a bounty hunter who arrived at Candyland the day before, they unshackle him and provide him with a horse and gun. Django quickly turns on the men, shooting them dead, and returns to Candyland to retrieve Broomhilda. While Candie’s funeral is being conducted, Django kills a group of Candyland overseers and reunites with Broomhilda. That evening, he ambushes Candie’s funeral party as they return home, killing Crash, and Candie’s sister, Lara Lee, and shooting Stephen in the kneecaps. As he leaves the house, Django lights a long fuse and walks away as the mansion explodes, joining Broomhilda on horseback as they ride into the distance.
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award