Exactly ten years have passed since the premiere of “Django Unchained”. On December 25, 2012, the extraordinary film directed by Quentin Tarantino was released in American cinemas, certainly one of the most popular among cinephiles. A great homage to spaghetti westerns – one of the Knoxville filmmaker’s favorite genres – particularly 1966’s ‘Django’ directed by Sergio Corbucci and starring Franco Nero.
An extraordinary message of love through an impeccable work, with a perfect cinematic screenplay and thick interpretations: from Jamie Foxx to Christoph Waltz, past Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson. And there are many oddities surrounding Django Unchained, here are the seven most interesting ones.
Cameo by Franco Nero
“He knows every line of my films by heart. I didn’t believe it, and instead he just repeated it on set!”: so Franco Nero Remember your relationship with Quentin Tarantino. The Italian actor appears in Django Unchained in a cameo as Amerigo Vassepi, a slave trader who meets the protagonist and asks his name. To the answer “Django” Amerigo Vassepi replies with a profound: “I know”.
The injury
The result is remarkable, but there were obstacles on the set. One of the most iconic sequences hides a real injury: Leonardo DiCaprio accidentally hit a glass by slamming his hand on the table. The blow caused a visible wound, but despite the copious blood, the sequence was not stopped. Extraordinary result according to Tarantino, to see is to believe.
Also Christopher Walz he had to deal with a serious injury. In one scene, the actor fell from his horse: a violent blow that broke his pelvis. Jamie Foxx decided to give him a present: a saddle with a seat belt.
The tribute to Giorgio Ferroni
Quentin Tarantino incorporated numerous spaghetti western homages into Django Unchained. One of them is dedicated to the director Giorgio Ferroni, who also signed the trilogy with Giuliano Gemma, consisting of A Dollar Pierced, For A Few Dollars More and Wanted. The character of Calvin J. Candie – played by DiCaprio – refers to the Ferroni pen names for the three works mentioned above: Calvin J. Padget, Calvin Jackson Padget and Calvin Jakson Padget.
The Oscar… a record
“Django Unchained” received five nominations Oscars 2013and won two: Best Original Screenplay for Quentin Tarantino and Best Supporting Actor for Christoph Waltz. Second recognition for the Austrian actor after “Inglourious Basterds”, but the oddity is linked to a special record: At one hour, six minutes and seventeen seconds, it is the longest appearance that has been awarded the “Oscar for Best Supporting Actor”. .
The problem with racist jokes
Leonardo DiCaprio needed more than one take to realize the dinner sequence. The reason? The actor’s difficulty in pronouncing many racist comments. A deep uneasiness that was managed thanks to the support of colleague Samuel L. Jackson and the support of Quentin Tarantino. The result is extraordinary, the best way to depict the terror of the time.
The tension between Morricone and Tarantino
Ennio Morricone In 2015 he received his first Oscar with “The Hateful Eight”, but relations with Quentin Tarantino were not always peaceful. After filming “Django Unchained”, Morricone declared that he would no longer work with the American director: the composer did not like the way Tarantino inserted music into films at all.
Jamie Foxx and the Horse Friend
Jamie Foxx shows off his horse skills in Django Unchained. No wonder: the ridden horse belonged to him cheetahgotten as a birthday present four years earlier.