7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Django is a lone stranger who roams the West dragging a coffin filled with chaos towards a destiny ruled by vengeance.
Starring: Franco Nero, José Bódalo, Loredana Nusciak, Ángel Álvarez, Simón ArriagaForeign | 100% |
Western | 37% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Both are (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
What cemetery spat you out?
Think of the Spaghetti Western, and four things probably spring to mind: Clint Eastwood, Sergio
Leone, Italy, and garlic bread. OK, maybe not the latter, but definitely the three former, all key
ingredients to the founding of what would become the most unique and, quite possibly, the most
famous of all
sub-genres.
After the glory days of John Wayne, John Ford, and Howard Hawks rode into the sunset, Italian
filmmakers -- mostly following in Leone's footsteps -- picked up the slack, reshaped the Western
genre, and recreated the
American
West in various locales around Italy and Spain throughout the 1960s, all with
minimal budgets, generic plots, and, generally, no-name actors. Clint Eastwood's appearances
in Leone's "Dollars" Trilogy (A
Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad, and the
Ugly) helped shape his career, and in 1966, the same year that The Good, the Bad,
and the Ugly -- the final film in the "Dollars" trilogy -- was released, Itlalian Actor Franco
Nero starred in his own career-defining role in what would become one of the preeminent
Spaghetti
Westerns, Sergio Corbucci's Django. A violent affair that in several ways resembles A
Fistful of Dollars, Django spawned many sequels and copycats, none of which have
proven to be as memorable and, indeed, as defining of the Spaghetti Western as Corbucci's tale of
a
coffin-dragging antihero in search of vengeance.
Django: First Blood Part II.
Before Django begins, Blue Underground advises viewers that the print used for this Blu- ray release was "transferred from its original camera negative, which contained some intermittent age-related damage." Nevertheless, this 1080p transfer, housed within its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio -- placing slight black bars on either side of the 1.78:1 high definition display -- looks marvelous, all things considered. Django most predominantly retains a fairly thick layer of grain that gives the picture a gritty, rough texture, and underneath lies a fair sense of depth and plenty of striking details. Dirt, sweat, blood, grime, pores, and stubble on faces; the wear-and-tear on leather bandoliers, belts, and holsters; and other assorted objects throughout often look downright fantastic. Colors are well-rendered, too, though Django sports a generally brown and gray tone about it. The interior of the brothel generally sees the most vibrant colors in the girls' makeup and bright clothes, with each hue -- from bright red to the dusty, scratched, and worn brown wooden floors -- looking splendid. For the most part, blacks and flesh tones appear stable and honest. Still, the image features some problem spots. Several shots look terribly out of focus and there's plenty of flickering and odd jitters, but beyond these -- and they're absent far more than they're present -- Django looks excellent. Blue Underground has done a great job with this one, even through some intermittent warts that don't too terribly degrade from the viewing experience.
Django shoots up Blu-ray with a pair of paltry DTS-HD MA 1.0 soundtracks, one in Italian, the other in dubbed-over English. Of note is that watching Django in Italian with English subtitles and re-watching it with the English audio track can yield a slightly different experience; randomly switching between the two tracks throughout the movie, it becomes clear that the English subtitles often fail to say the same thing as the voiceover, and sometimes to such a degree that the entire feel of a line or scene can be altered. Nevertheless, neither track proves to be all that spectacular, but the English track seems to offer a slightly fuller, richer, and louder experience when compared to the Italian track at the same reference volume level. Still, most purists will likely choose the Italian track with English subtitles in tow, and whatever slight improvements the English track might feature are negligible at best. The fact of the matter is that both tracks demonstrate a lack of range, power, and clarity, but considering that this is a budget 44-year-old Spaghetti Western, either mix works well enough and they even add a bit of old-time charm to the experience. Still, gunshots are downright puny, whether single shots from revolvers or the rapid-fire expenditure of rounds from the film's famed Gatling gun. Music is cramped and environmental sounds are limited to the center, par for the course for an aging mono track. Fortunately, dialogue reproduction is fine. Django would probably benefit from a more aggressive multichannel track, but kudos to Blue Underground for leaving it alone and allowing fans to hear it as it was intended.
Django drags a decent selection of extras behind it. 'Django:' The One and Only -- Interviews With Star Franco Nero and Assistant Director Ruggero Deodato (480p, 13:27) features two of the key ingredients in making Django a success speaking on various subjects. Nero discusses his stage name, the film's similarities to Samurai pictures, casting, makeup and costuming, working with Director Sergio Corbucci, the picture's legacy, and his love for the Western genre. Meanwhile, Deodato speaks on his involvement with the project, the picture's style, costumes and sets, the picture's score, Sergio Corbucci's style, and more. 'The Last Pistolero' -- Starring Franco Nero (480p, 9:39) is a short film featuring the Django star. Western, Italian Style -- A 1968 Documentary About the Spaghetti Western Phenomenon Containing Interviews With Directors Enzo G. Castellari, Sergio Sollima, and Sergio Corbucci (480p, 38:01) is an aging but still engaging Documentary that looks at the history of the sub-genre, beginning with the success of the trendsetting "Dollars" trilogy and its influence on Italian cinema and the Western genre. The piece also takes a look at the firearms of the Spaghetti Western; the usual traits of the heroes, villains, and girls found in the typical Spaghetti Western; the influence of the genre across Italy; the challenges and advantages of shooting in Italy and Spain; and several other fascinating tidbits. The piece also features numerous clips from films, backstage footage, and staged behind-the-scenes interviews with the aforementioned directors who discuss the themes and styles of their pictures. For genre fans, this piece is almost worth the price of admission alone. Rounding out this collection of extras are the Django international (1080p, 2:55) and Italian (1080p, 3:46) trailers.
Movies don't just become classics for no reason; while Django doesn't resonate the same way a John Wayne Western does, it's a fine example of the Spaghetti Western -- maybe the best of any of them not starring Clint Eastwood -- and evidence of what a good story and a bit of technical know-how can achieve on a slim budget. An involved plot, fine acting, and excellent direction headline the picture, but it's got plenty more, including enough gunfire to satisfy any action fan, a high body count, memorable characters, and even some girl-on-girl mud wrestling outside the whorehouse for good measure. Django is a legitimate classic and a picture that's influenced dozens, if not hundreds, of movies that followed; cinephiles owe it to themselves to see Django at least once. Blue Underground's Blu-ray release is the perfect way to experience this must-see Spaghetti Western. Though the transfer has its flaws -- Blue Underground admits as much -- the movie looks gorgeous for a picture well into its 40s. The mono soundtracks are admittedly flat but serviceable, and the supplements are worth watching. Django comes strongly recommended.
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