How Is Django Unchained Post Modern?

How is Django Unchained Post Modern?

Django Unchained, a Post Modern film brought to us by controversial director Quentin Tarantino raises many debates surrounding its projection of race and violence. However, no critic can deny the post-modernity of this film from its vast use of inter-textual references, bricolage and parody. Even in the title of the film we see examples of intertextuality from the combined use of 1966 Django, Hercules Unchained and Angel Unchained to create the new title for Tarintino's exploitation cinema production. The film parodies that of a conventional Spaghetti Western, using techniques and ideas which would not be expected in that of a 1960's traditional film of the genre. A traditional Western would typically contain slow paced editing, diegetic sound and consist of a brooding & isolated main character. This character would act as the 'good guy' and only kill for good reason and have a strict moral code. Immediately, we can see a deviation from this generic convention, with Dr Schultz being a vibrant and comedic character and Django a vengeful individual who kills without reason. Furthermore, a generic soundtrack of the Western genre would consist of cowboy Country music, soft and gentle, often acoustic. The soundtrack in Django contains a bricolage of material from different genres and time periods which seems mis-matched considering the time period and historical context in which Django is set.

Django and his accomplice Dr Shultz represent features of post modernity in Tarintino's film. For example the mise en scene and their styling and costume choices bear heavy references of pre-existing cinema and art works. Django's blue suit mimics that of The Blue Boy, a 1770 painting by Thomas Gainsborough. This in itself is post modern as the painting is a portrait of a typical young boy and his attire from the 17th century. However, the film is set in the 19th century, thus showing that the stylistic choices of the characters do not match the period of time in which they are set.

This conscious reference to an existing master piece also reinforces the Post Modern idea that nothing is original, everything is a bricolage and copy of existing materials. Furthermore, the characters, their nationalities, race and persona's are not conventional of Spaghetti Western's. The two supposed heroes of the movie include a German Dentist and an African American slave. Firstly, in most Spaghetti Western's, African American's and the topic of slavery are not usually included. The hero would typically be a White American male. This twists the conventions of the genre and allows the production to distance itself from typical narratives. Tarintino places these characters into a film which conventions would not typically expect them. Modernism was an idea that favoured the rich. Especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, rich White American's would exploit African American's, those they viewed as weak and inferior. Post-modernism is an exploration of possibilities, which is reflected in Django's uprise which makes a mockery of Modernist ideas. Furthermore, the extreme close ups of Django are used to increase tension, they also emphasis the seriousness of Django, suggesting that he means business and that he is no longer going to be the victim of slavery.

Moreover, the soundtrack featured in Tarantino’s production reflects the post modernity of the film. The tracklisting consists of a bricolage of music from several time periods and genres. Many are songs taken from pre-existing sitcoms and films which Tarantino has used to make reference to existing media. A prime example of post modernism is the use of the song 100 Black Coffins, a Hip-Hop track by Rick Ross. Hip Hop does not fit the narrative of Django Unchained. This reflects historical deafness, a term introduced by Fredric Jameson. This raises the idea that we are not reflecting the factual historical context of the era in cinematic works. This is a criticism of post modernism. However some identify that historical deafness should not always be used in a derogatory way. For example, it can allow us to re-evaluate our interpretation of history and it allows us to create works of novelty. 

Other songs such as Rito Finale are taken from films of a completely contrasting genre. This track is taken from the 1970 Action, thriller & crime movie 'The Family'. Dies Irae is taken from a Japanese, Action Thriller, therefore not only including music from movies of different genres but also films produced for the audience of different nationalities. These intertextual references pay homage to pre-existing musical and cinematic works.

The fine attention to detail of Tarantino's work can be seen in the use of the intertextual reference of Mr Ed in Dr Schultz's horse. Mr Ed was an American Sitcom produced in the 1960's and features a talking, human-like horse. Mr Shultz's horse portrays characteristics similar to Mister Ed, from his amusing movements which mirror human behaviours. This pays homage to a pre-existing Television sitcom. In this scene, there is also significance to the camera shots. The white, ranch owner stands on the decking, with a low angle shot looking up towards him. Dr Shlutz and Django on the other hand are shown with a high angle shot, looking down on them and suggesting that they are the inferior. This reflects some of the historical context of 1800’s America. However, it almost becomes paradoxical as Dr Shlutz makes clear that Django is a ‘free man’ who ‘does not walk’ but instead rides proud on his horse. This seems to contradict the camera angling in this scene.

Furthermore, the incorporation of wintery backdrop scenery is mimicked from the 1968 Corbucci film, The Big Silence, as is Dr Schultz's sliding gun contraption taken from Bickle in the 1977 film Taxi Driver. This wide variety of intertextual references pays homage and respect to these existing works. However, again here, Tarantino is using a non-generic convention. In Westerns, the scenery is usually in the Old West from the inset and throughout. A wintery background is not something we expect to see, again challenging the conventions of the Western genre.

All these examples provide an insight into the fine detail that Tarintino has used to refer to pre existing media in his production. Not only does Tarintino use this material, but significantly much of this material bears no relevance to the Spaghetti Western genre and is a bricolage of materials taken to create something that differs from the expected narrative of the genre, reflecting the post modernity of the film. Buckingham suggests that genres are ‘in a constant process of negotiation and change’ & O’sullivan that the same text can belong to different genres, which is what Tarantino’s production seems to work on the principle of. Django is undoubtedly postmodern and is expertly created to pay homage to existing works through its vast use of intertextual references; use of bricolage through its combination of different music genres and eras; and the creation of novelty and a questionable view on social principles and history.