In this paper Tarantino’s movie "Django Unchained" will be analyzed in respect of the genres that can be applied to it in order to figure out whether it is a genre hybrid and what effects this hybridity has. Due to the limited scope this term paper will focus on the two genres that have probably been the most controversial ones with regard to this movie, the spaghetti Western and the Blaxploitation Movie, and furthermore touch upon the Buddy Movie genre.
"What kind of film do you want to see?" is a question that often arises before people turn towards a movie,be it in cinema or elsewhere. But what do they mean with "a kind of film"? One could paraphrase this expression with one single word: genre. Genres help people to classify movies and affect their expectations towards the movie they are going to see. Someone watching a "romance" will be expecting something different than somebody watching a "horror film". Furthermore many movies cannot be specified to be of only one genre but show properties of several different genres.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Genre and Genre Hybrid
2.1 Genre
2.2 Genre Hybridity
3. The Genres in Django Unchained
3.1 Defintition of Blaxploitation
3.2 The Blaxploitation Elements in Django Unchained
3.3 Definition of spaghetti Western
3.4 The spaghetti Western elements in Django Unchained
3.5 Definition of Buddy Movie
3.6 The Buddy Movie Genre in Django Unchained
4. Conclusion
5. Works Cited
Research Objectives and Topics
This paper examines Quentin Tarantino's film Django Unchained to determine if it functions as a genre hybrid and to analyze the implications of this hybridity. The study focuses on the intersection of the Spaghetti Western, Blaxploitation, and Buddy Movie genres within the film's narrative and aesthetic structure.
- Analysis of genre theory and the concept of genre hybridity.
- Investigation of Blaxploitation tropes and their manifestation in the film.
- Exploration of Spaghetti Western conventions and their application to the movie.
- Evaluation of the Buddy Movie relationship between Django and Dr. King Schultz.
- Assessment of how genre blending contributes to the film's narrative unpredictability.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 The Blaxploitation Elements in Django Unchained
When applying the aforementioned formula to the movie Django Unchained it is revealed that it could certainly be regarded as a Blaxploitation movie. With Django as the main protagonist being black, strong, violent and victorious all criteria for being a Blaxploitation movie are fulfilled which will be demonstrated with respect to specific scenes and characters.
The Shootout scene at ‘Candyland’ (Tarantino, 2013, 02:06:25–02:08:38) functions as a prototype for Django Unchained being a Blaxploitation movie. Django shows his ‘badass’ character and kills over a dozen of white cowboys who might be seen as representatives of the authority i.e. the plantation owner Calvin Candy. Besides the factor ‘violence’ which is one of the criteria for the Blaxploitation genre is fulfilled since the shootout is either very bloody and many people are killed in it. Thus it can be regarded as violent. The visual impressions of the scene are strongly supported by the background song ‘Unchained’(Tarantino, 2013, 02:07:57), a mash-up of Tupac Shakur’s Untouchable and James Brown’s The Payback, the latter of which was originally created to become the soundtrack of the Blaxploitation movie Hell Up in Harlem. The lyrics of the song emphasize the song’s connection to the Blaxploitation genre in so far as it deals with revenge, payback (as the name reads) and fighting the authorities or the ones that govern you (e.g. “Held me down”).
Returning to the idea of revenge in Blaxploitation movies one can also refer to the scene in which Django finds two of the three Brittle brothers on Big Daddy Bennet’s planation who are about to whip a female slave and kills them (Tarantino, 2013, 00:34:00-00:35:00) When he shoots John Brittle and says “I like the way you die boy” (Tarantino, 2013, 00:34:53) he refers to a sentence John Brittle said to him before when the Brittle Brothers whipped Django’s wife Broomhilda. Whereas Django used to beg in front of John Brittle while his wife was being whipped he then returns as strong revenge-seeking bounty hunter who is in the position to turn the table.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the research intent to analyze Django Unchained as a hybrid of the Spaghetti Western, Blaxploitation, and Buddy Movie genres.
2. Genre and Genre Hybrid: Provides the theoretical foundation by defining the concepts of genre classification and genre hybridity.
3. The Genres in Django Unchained: Examines specific generic elements, defining Blaxploitation, the Spaghetti Western, and the Buddy Movie, and identifying how they manifest in the film.
4. Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, confirming that the film's genre hybridity creates narrative tension and unpredictability.
5. Works Cited: Lists the academic and media sources utilized throughout the paper.
Keywords
Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino, Genre Hybridity, Blaxploitation, Spaghetti Western, Buddy Movie, Film Theory, Slavery, Revenge, Cinema, Narrative Structure, Representation, Cultural Conventions, African American History, Violence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper examines Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained to investigate whether the film can be classified as a genre hybrid and what effects this hybridization has on the movie.
Which three genres are central to this analysis?
The study focuses on the Blaxploitation genre, the Spaghetti Western, and the Buddy Movie.
What is the main research objective?
The objective is to demonstrate how these distinct genres interact and how their combination influences the thematic and structural elements of the film.
What methodological approach does the author take?
The author defines each genre using academic theory and then applies these definitions to specific characters and scenes within the film for analysis.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
It covers theoretical definitions, the analysis of Blaxploitation tropes, the Spaghetti Western elements, and the development of the buddy relationship between the characters Django and Schultz.
How are the core themes represented in the keywords?
The keywords highlight the film's intersection of specific genres, its historical context (slavery/African American history), and its aesthetic qualities (violence, revenge, narrative structure).
Why is the "Shootout at Candyland" scene significant for the Blaxploitation argument?
It exemplifies the Blaxploitation protagonist's traits of strength, violence, and victory over oppressive white authority, supported by specifically chosen musical cues.
How does the "Buddy Movie" genre impact the film's tone?
The buddy movie elements act as a contrast to the film's darker revenge-driven narrative, providing lighter, more human moments that increase the film's complexity and unpredictability.
- Citar trabajo
- Stephan Jaskolla (Autor), 2014, Genre Unchained. Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained" as Genre Hybrid, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/494928
