'Django Unchained' Synopsis Explains Tarantino's Latest For The Spoiler-Averse
The PR reps for Quentin Tarantino's new film, Django Unchained, have sent out the official synopsis for the film. There isn't any new detail in there, but I thought we'd pass it along for those who have only seen the barest recap of what the story is about, and would like to know a little bit more without having to worry about big story spoilers. Don't be worried by the length of the synopsis; having read the script I'll assure readers that there isn't anything crucial revealed in what follows.
The synopsis is interesting for two other points. The first is that it made me realize that this is only the second Quentin Tarantino film not produced by the director's long-time collaborator Lawrence Bender. (The other being Death Proof/Grindhouse.) That's more an interesting trivia point than anything else; I doubt that most casual viewers will be able to note Bender's absence based on the end result.
The other point is a reminder to see who is cutting the film for Tarantino, whose films were all previously edited by the late Sally Menke. Fred Raskin is cutting Django Unchained; he assisted Menke on the Kill Bill films, and worked on Punch-Drunk Love and Boogie Nights, and Insomnia. So that's a track record with three impressive directors. He has also edited the last three films in the Fast and the Furious series.
Hit the jump to get the film's full synopsis.
Before we get to the story rundown, while we're talking about the tech and crew aspects of Django Unchained this is a good time for one other reminder. Cinematographer Robert Richardson specified earlier this year that he is shooting the film on 35mm film with anamorphic lenses. The takeaway from that? The film should have the ultra-cinematic look that one might expect from Tarantino's overt homage to the spaghetti western, and the climactic violence could be visually stunning.
Here's the synopsis:
Set in the South two years before the Civil War, DJANGO UNCHAINED stars Academy Award®-winner 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 (Academy Award®-winner Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. The unorthodox Schultz acquires Django with a promise to free him upon the capture of the Brittles – dead or alive.
Success leads Schultz to free Django, though the two men choose not to go their separate ways. Instead, Schultz seeks out the South's most wanted criminals with Django by his side. 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 (Academy Award®-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio), the proprietor of "Candyland," an infamous plantation where slaves are groomed by trainer Ace Woody (Kurt Russell) to battle each other for sport. Exploring the compound under false pretenses, Django and Schultz arouse the suspicion of Stephen (Academy Award®-nominee Samuel L. Jackson), Candie's trusted house slave. Their moves are marked, and a treacherous organization closes in on them. If Django and Schultz are to escape with Broomhilda, they must choose between independence and solidarity, between sacrifice and survival...
Written and directed by Academy Award®-winner Quentin Tarantino, DJANGO UNCHAINED is produced by Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone. The executive producers are Harvey and Bob Weinstein, Michael Shamberg, Shannon McIntosh, and James Skotchdopole. DJANGO UNCHAINED will be released in the U.S. on December 25, 2012, and internationally by Sony Pictures.