Django....part deux

  Sooooo I watched Django a few days ago and I gotta say, I liked it.  I can truly appreciate the story of a black slave being a hero.  Rising up from the ranks of being perceived as lower than a dog, getting educated, given a job, and being so in love that he's willing to risk his own life to save his wife.  After reading the reviews, and maybe I took them too literally, but I was really expecting NIGGER to be pretty much every other word.  But I refused to go into the movie with negative feelings about it, (not really me to judge something based on hearsay, anyway), and I watched the movie as I would watch any movie....as if it were a movie.  I enjoyed Christoph Waltz's character and loved that it was so different, unexpected and refreshing.  So he had me liking the movie right from the start, I got a kick out of how dramatic Jamie Foxx's Django was.  Knowing that this was a Quentin Tarantino film, I expected the movie to have the dramatic flair, over the top gun battles, etc, etc....  By the end of the movie I kept wondering about the "excessive use of NIGGER" that I kept hearing about.  I must be the only one I know who didn't think that this was the case.  I can honestly say that I did not pick up on it.  Perhaps I am desensitized?  Or perhaps I just don't care?  Or perhaps it just doesn't matter to me, especially since the movie is about slavery.  I wouldn't really expect anyone in the film to be referring to Django as sir or gentleman.  When I think about it, I can remember the women in "The Help" being called NIGRA more than all the NIGGERS being mentioned in Django.  

  Call me blind, call me oblivious, but I just can't find fault in a film where a black slave is a hero!  The word NIGGER holds only as much weight as people give it.  Do I think it is ok for people to go around calling black people NIGGER or NEGRO? No.  Have I been called a NIGGER? Yes.  Was it shocking and uncalled for?  Of course.  In the grand scheme of things...does it really matter how many times the word is said...in...a movie?  Not really.  At the end of the day, all the buzz centered around this whole NIGGER debacle has just increased sales for the movie,  because that's how the entertainment industry works.  You don't get ahead by playing it safe or catering to the sensitive crowd, you make strides by making waves.  It just seems that sometimes people try so hard to find fault in something that they refuse to see the point, which can be good.  How many black heros do we have in the movies?  Not many.  I'm not a movie critic and I never could be or would want to be, because you have to be critical and I could never spend all my time constantly wanting or having to be critical of everything I watch all the time.  

  I suppose I just choose my battles with a little more caution.  The movie was good, I enjoyed all of it, perhaps we should stop putting so much stock in words and concentrate on actual actions, actions by real live people, in real life, and stop worrying so much about things like movies that aren't real, just a thought.  Put all that energy into things that really matter.

My what an unusual name you have...

  So as most everyone knows, Quentin Tarantino has recently put out a movie called Django Unchained.  I want to see the movie, but have not as of yet.  If you have not heard of the movie, here is the synopsis from Rotten Tomatoes: "Set in the South two years before the Civil War, Django Unchained stars Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. Honing vital hunting skills, Django remains focused on one goal: finding and rescuing Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), the wife he lost to the slave trade long ago. Django and Schultz's search ultimately leads them to Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), the proprietor of "Candyland," an infamous plantation. Exploring the compound under false pretenses, Django and Schultz arouse the suspicion of Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson), Candie's trusted house slave. -- (C) Weinstein"   If you've ever seen a Tarantino movie, then you should be well aware that he is not afraid of dropping the "n" bomb freely.  For me, a movie is a movie is a movie, and that's all it is, unless otherwise stated it is based on true events. For this reason, I am very rarely offended by them.  I have learned that others do not take certain things so lightly.

  I have seen a few articles regarding Spike Lee's reaction to this movie, that he hasn't seen.  Spike Lee has made it very clear that he does not appreciate what Quentin Tarantino has done with this movie, or any of his previous movies regarding the "n" bomb.  Spike Lee has also criticized Tyler Perry and his portrayal of black people within his movies.  I have an issue with Spike Lee's objections for a few reasons.  One reason I have an issue with his negativeness is because of just that, the negativity.... for what?  If one was so inclined to be such a voice regarding the black community, then I would think that one would be more supportive in regards to those who are contributing to the black community in different ways.  Quentin Tarantino has given many black actors and actresses roles, which I have heard is not the easiest thing to acquire in Hollywood.  I am also inclined to believe had this movie been made by anyone else, it might not have gathered the attention that it has, therefore creating a more broader audience. 

  Tyler Perry has created jobs for black actors as well as created movies and plays that a lot of black people can identify with in one way or another and what's wrong with that?  I cannot for the life of me understand why Spike Lee would go so far as to try to tear down what someone else is creating instead of trying to build them up.  Why create division in such a small community like that of sucessful black figures in Hollywood?  Don't get me wrong, when it comes to Tyler Perry's network shows, you probably won't catch me rushing home to catch it on TV, neither am I devoted follower of Quentin Tarantino's work, but I can appreciate what they are doing nonetheless.

  With so much going on within the black community, why get all riled up about a movie?!  There are so many more important issues that deserve attention.  Understanding and encouragement go much further than sour feelings and angry words.  With all of that being said, I hope that when I see the movie, my feelings aren't contradicted.....