Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Django 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 18, 2024

Sergio Corbucci's "Django" (1966) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Cult Flms. The supplemental features on the release include Luca Rea's documentary "Django & Django"; recent program with Ruggero Deodato; archival program with Franco Nero; and more. In English or Italian, with optional English and English SDH subitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

There are a number of reasons why this legendary spaghetti western directed by Sergio Corbucci became so influential. For example, its main protagonist, Django, played by a young and very handsome Franco Nero, is the type of antihero that prior to Corbucci’s film was simply non-existent in classic westerns. The many memorable characters from John Ford’s westerns, for instance, are all rough but good-natured men that never failed to earn the audience’s sympathy. Django was different. He was somewhat selfish, sadistic, and unpredictable character that caught everyone off-guard. While watching him killing his opponents, one felt like he did not really care whether he would be liked.

The atmosphere in Corbucci’s film was also different. The lyrical beauty and calmness of Sergio Leone’s classic westerns was what one would have expected to see in Django, but Corbucci surprised everyone with dark and gloomy visuals that gave his film a type of grittiness that was also missing in classic westerns. When Nero enters the muddy border town, one immediately gets the feeling that this is a film in which anything could happen.

The uncompromising violence, however, is arguably the biggest reason why Django earned its cult status. When Nero attacks and kills his opponents, he does it with such enthusiasm that one begins to feel uncomfortable. I remember Corbucci once said that for Django killing was as important as inflicting pain on those who challenged him. And this is so true, because in his film the two are indeed inseparable, thus transforming the act of killing into something of a bizarre ritual.

After Django the western genre changed dramatically. Suddenly, violence became a lot more important for a lot of different directors and new boundaries were drawn. By the mid-1970s, there were already films that had gone even further than Django (see Lucio Fulci’s Four of the Apocalypse) and new subgenres in Italian cinema had flourished precisely because of the acceptance of violence by mainstream audiences (see the crime films of Fernando Di Leo, Michele Massimo Tarantini, Sergio Sollima, and Enzo Castellari).

From a purely technical point of view, Django is a somewhat uneven film. It is obvious, for example, that different sequences were filmed at different times and then edited and re-edited for the film’s final version. Unsurprisingly, there are some rough transitions that clearly affect the pacing of the film. Its style, however, is consistent. The attitude and uncompromising tone that elevated Django above every other genre film that was made prior to it never stutter.

Finally, Django also earned a lot of admirers with Luis Bacalov’s terrific soundtrack. (The simple but catchy theme that introduced Nero’s character would inspire endless copycats). After Django, Bacalov went on to compose soundtracks for such cult films as Maurizio Lucidi’s The Designated Victim (1971), Fernando Di Leo’s The Seduction (1973) and Shoot First, Die Later (1974), and Federico Fellini’s City of Women(1980). In 1994, Bacalov also won an Academy Award for the soundtrack he composed for Michael Radford's Il Postino

*Because of the uncharacteristic violence, Django was not officially released in the United Kingdom until 1993. In the United States, Django was released unrated.

Django 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

This brand new 4K Blu-ray release of Django introduces the recent 4K restoration of the film that was carried out at L'Immagine Ritrovata in Italy. The 4K restoration can be viewed only on 4K Blu-ray. If you need a Blu-ray release that offers you a 1080p presentation of the 4K restoration, you will need to acquire the Cult Spaghetti Westerns three-disc set.

Please note that all screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc.

More than a decade ago, in 2013, we reviewed this Region-B release of Django from Argent Films, which was quite disappointing. The 4K makeover that this 4K Blu-ray release presents is an enormous upgrade in quality. In fact, the discrepancy in visual quality that I observed while comparing the previous release and this release is so big that addressing particular areas is utterly pointless. Delineation, clarity, depth, stability, fluidity, and color reproduction are superior in every possible way, so even on a relatively small screen the improvements range from very big to dramatic. Also, the new 4K makeover is much, much healthier, so the visuals now have a far more attractive appearance. (As Django first appears, you will see a few tiny vertical lines and small traces of fading around the edges of the frame. A few more inherited optical limitations remain, too. All of this is fine because this segment has always looked slightly rougher).

The native 4K presentation cannot be viewed with Dolby Vision or HDR grades, but I do not think that this is a problem. On my system, color reproduction was enormously satisfying and the dynamic range of the visuals was terrific. I know that Arrow Video's 4K Blu-ray release has Dolby Vision and HDR grades on its presentation of the film, but I cannot see how the overall quality of it can be dramatically better. As it is treated by this release, the film looks outstanding.

Django 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English LPCM 2.0 and Italian LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH (for the English track) and English subtitles (for the Italian track) are provided.

I viewed the entire film with the English track. This track is very healthy. This being said, it does have some inherited limitations. For example, the overdubbing creates small yet noticeable unevenness, and in some the synchronization is not always perfect. But these are limitations that have always been around. The crucial detail here is that now this track is very healthy.

Django 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Django & Django - this recent documentary about the life and legacy of Sergio Corbucci was produced by Luca Rea in 2021. The documentary mixes recent material with Quentin Tarantino, Ruggero Deodato, and Franco Nero and archival material with Corbucci. In English, Italian and French, with English subtitles where necessary. (81 min).

• A Conversation with Franco Nero - in this archival program, the legendary Italian actor recalls how he was chosen to play Django and discusses the film's production history and success. In English, not subtitled. (13 min).

• Django and Me - Interview with Ruggero Deodato - in this exclusive new program, Ruggero Deodato discusses the great directors that inspired him and had a lasting impact on his work -- like Roberto Rossellini, Federico Fellini, and Mauro Bolognini -- and Sergio Corbucci's Django, one of his favorite films. At the end of the program, Mr. Deodato also describes a hilarious experience he had with Corbucci in Athens. In Italian, with English subtitles. (21 min).

• Introduction by Alex Cox - an archival introduction to Django by Alex Cox. In English, not subtitled. (13 min).

• Collectible Card - collectible art card for Django and Django & Django.

• Book - 64-page illustrated book, "Django The Western Cranked-up!" by Kevin Grant, with exclusive foreword by Franco Nero. Courtesy of FAB Press.

Django 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I like this recent 4K Blu-ray release of Django a lot. It introduces the excellent 4K restoration of the film that was completed in 2018 and adds several very good bonus features, one of which is Luca Rea's recent documentary Django & Django. The 4K restoration can be viewed only on 4K Blu-ray. If you need a Blu-ray release that offers you a 1080p presentation of the 4K restoration, you will need to acquire the Cult Spaghetti Westerns three-disc set. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.