Director – Sergio Corbucci (Super Fuzz, Atrocious Tales of Love and Death)
Starring – Franco Nero (John Wick: Chapter 2, Django Unchained), Jose Bodalo (Black Jack, It’s Your Move), and Loredana Nusciak (Superargo vs. Diabolicus, Something Creeping in the Dark)
Release Date – 1966
Rating – 4/5
UHD Release – 4.5/5
When I was growing up my dad was a huge western fan. He constantly kept westerns on the television and it got to the point that I resented them. I couldn’t stand the thought of even watching a western. In fact, I went years without watching a single western. However, when I left for college and became homesick I found myself watching westerns a little more than normal. Tombstone was my go to film but I found myself checking out several over the years and now I somewhat like them.
When I saw that Arrow was releasing the classic Django on UHD I was extremely curious about it so when MVD sent over Giants and Toys to review they included Django as well. I want to take a moment to thank MVD and Arrow for sending this one over!
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows the battle hardened Django (Franco) is roaming south dragging a coffin when he saves a woman from a group of red-hooded goons who are sure to kill her. He escorts her back to town with his coffin in tow where he meets the evil Major Jackson who leads the group of red-hooded white supremacist who get off on killing Mexicans. After killing most of the gang and letting Major Jackson live he helps the Mexican’s rally against the racist but he has another game at play with only and endgame for himself in sight. **Spoiler Alert**
As I stated earlier, I’m not that versed in westerns and for most of my life I was never interested in them. However, I have crossed paths with several that would leave me speechless. Django is just one of those films. I feel so dumb for waiting so long and I can’t wait until my second viewing. Regardless if you are a fan of westerns or not this is a must see movie for everyone.
The acting in this one is brilliant. The supporting cast really get into characters and it’s these characters that move the story around the protagonist. With that being said, Franco is front and center. He is Django and his performance here is amazing. This role was written for him and does one hell of a job. I couldn’t imagine anyone else in this role. Franco is Django.
The story for this one is not your straight forward western that your grandparents watch. It has that spaghetti western look and feel that was popular in the mid-60s but there is a lot of thought put into what will happen next. This causes a few twists that the viewer doesn’t see coming. Also, the film is not afraid to throw some action at the viewer. We get some seriously fun gun fight and fist fights that really pull the viewer in. My biggest complaint about the film is that it’s a bit too short. Some movies overstay their welcome but this one could have went on further.
Finally, the film has plenty of death scenes with almost all of them being from guns. With that being said, the ending is a bloody good mess that I truly enjoyed. The bright red blood mixed with that gummy practical effects that Italian films were known for through the 70s and 80s was absolutely fantastic to see in a western. Overall, Django is one of the entertaining films I’ve seen in years. I don’t know why I never checked it out but watching it on UHD was a fantastic experience. I would highly recommend grabbing this release regardless if you’ve seen this before or not.
Special Features:
DISC 1 DJANGO [4K UHD BLU-RAY]
Audio commentary by film critic, historian and theorist Stephen Prince
Django Never Dies, an interview with star Franco Nero
Cannibal of the Wild West, an interview with assistant director Ruggero Deodato
Sergio, My Husband, an interview with Sergio Corbucci s wife Nori Corbucci
That s My Life: Part 1, an archival interview with co-writer Franco Rossetti
A Rock n Roll Scriptwriter, an archival interview with co-writer Piero Vivarelli
A Punch in the Face, an archival interview with stuntman and actor Gilberto Galimberti
Discovering Django, an appreciation by spaghetti westerns scholar Austin Fisher
An Introduction to Django by Alex Cox, an archival featurette with the acclaimed director
Gallery of original promotional images from the Mike Siegel archive
Original trailers
DISC 2 TEXAS ADIOS [BLU-RAY]
Audio commentary by spaghetti western experts C. Courtney Joyner and Henry C. Parke
The Sheriff is in Town, an interview with star Franco Nero
Jump into the West, an interview with co-star Alberto Dell Acqua
That s My Life: Part 2, an archival interview with co-writer Franco Rossetti
Hello Texas!, an appreciation by spaghetti western scholar Austin Fisher
Gallery of original promotional images from the Mike Siegel archive
Original trailers
