S.E. DVD Release
When it comes to the Spaghetti Western sub-genre most casual fans would probably name Sergio Leone as its main innovator and to be certain the man really made it mainstream and “cool” for American viewing audiences but cult cinema geeks around the world will tell you, Leone is fantastic but there are some greats out there just waiting to be discovered. Do a little digging and you’ll come across some wonderful films. Sure, many were made in the wake of Leone’s classics but that’s Italian cinema for you…love it or leave it. That’s just how exploitation works.
In the last few months I’ve been on a Corbucci / Fulci Spaghetti Western kick and, while I certainly have a soft spot for Leone’s “Man With No Name” trilogy, I just can’t get enough Corbucci. Now, I won’t make any grand proclamations as to which of his films I feel is the best because they’ve all got their strengths and weaknesses but I’m partial to Django. I absolutely love it. I’m not sure whether I enjoy it more than Leone’s The Good, The Bad & The Ugly but it’s awful close!
Django is the dirtiest, dreariest western I have ever laid eyes on. The grimy look isn’t a new thing to Spaghetti Westerns but Django just seems to be…dirtier. The entire film is just one big muddy hole of despair and it’s phenomenal. I sometimes wonder whether the film would have worked as well had it not been so scuzzy.
Anyhow, Django is a mysterious coffin pullin’ gunslinger that happens upon a group of Mexicans whipping a beautiful young woman. Before the beating can continue, the Mexicans are mowed down by a new group of white soldiers sporting red scarfs. They free the woman only to prepare her for a horrific death by burning! Just as the Mexicans were interrupted, so are the white soldiers only this time the interruption comes from Django and the coffin he pulls. The soldiers, mistaking him for a gravedigger, continue about their task but are all leveled by Django’s superior marksmanship. Taking Django up on his offer of safety, the couple makes their way to a desolate little ghost town. The only functioning establishment is a tavern run by Nathaniel and staffed by his stable of hoes.
Seems the town has died since the racist Major Jackson and his men have been at war with the Mexicans, specifically a group of revolutionary’s intent on bringing the Mexican government to its knees. All the fighting between the factions has pretty much turned the town into a graveyard. The only business Nathaniel sees comes from the two groups.
Not any more than a few hours in town, Django makes a bitter enemy of Major Jackson and his men and, after shooting a few, challenges Jackson to return with all forty of his men. Naturally, everybody thinks Django will end up in his own coffin but he’s got somethin’ for Jackson’s ass and his forty men won’t soon forget it! Not only does Django slaughter a large portion of Jackson’s men but he also whips up a plan with the Mexicans to rob the local military fort and steal their gold!
When the heist goes off without a hitch, Django decides to take his share of the gold and be on his way but his Mexican co-conspirators aren’t all that interested in allowing him to leave with anything and he’s forced to come up with a new plan that’ll either get him killed or make him a very very rich man. Will Django get the gold and his revenge on Major Jackson and the Mexican revolutionaries?
What an insanely entertaining Spaghetti Western! I could just watch this flick over and over again and it never gets old. Being able to watch such a beautiful transfer of this classic from Blue Underground is extremely cool. There was some noticeable wear and tear on the film but BU warns viewers ahead of time that some parts of the original negative were damaged. I’d have to say considering the quality of many of the Spaghetti Westerns currently on DVD today, Django is definitely one of the better releases I’ve seen. My ass is still clenched after attempting to watch Lee Van Cleef in Death Rides a Horse!
One awesome feature that many Spaghetti Westerns released on the cheap don’t feature is the original Italian audio with optional English subtitles. God, the dubbing on this flick was just killing me. The voice actors weren’t horrible but there were definitely some script translation issues so the dialogue came off super goofy at times. After watching the entire film dubbed, I went back and watched it in Italian with the English subs and it worked so much better. Those of you that dislike reading subtitles, I suppose the dubbing will do just fine but if you’d rather catch some of Bruno & Sergio Corbucci’s black humor you’ll need to use the subs.
Italian exploitation junkies may find the brief documentary interesting as it features interviews with Franco Nero and Ruggero (Cannibal Holocaust) Deodato! Deodato pulled 2nd unit director duty on this film and he and Nero give us some great little anecdotes about the late great Corbucci.
I cannot recommend this film enough. If you’re a Western fan this is a “must see” classic!
