Django (1966)

Django (Franco Nero) a mysterious figure appears in a small town controlled by two warring factions. He says little and drags a coffin behind him. When he rescues a prostitute from being murdered he arouses the interests of both a sadistic Major and a group of outlaw Mexicans. Yet Django has his own reasons for being in town.

The films enigmatic hero speaks little yet carries a lot of emotional baggage from his past. Though Django is an avenging anti hero he is not invincible and both he and Maria (Loredana Nusciak) are somewhat robotic, it's been suggested that this is because both have been overexposed to violence. The film is bleak, the town is frigid and sinking in mud and the dark colours are contrasted dramatically by the red hoods of the majors men and the bright blood. The film makes extensive use of the 'imagery of death' including, blood, coffin's and crucifixes.

Sergio Corbucci's film remains one of the most influential Spaghetti Westerns of all time; it spawned several sequels, remakes, and a lot of films that simply used the name Django in the title to draw people in. Initially however the film was greatly criticised for its use of violence. Still it became one of the most famous and successful of the Spaghetti's, along with Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy.
Django remains a unique visual Western that plays upon more common tropes and creates its own, it critiques violence, greed and racist imagery and gave cinema a fascinating anti hero.

4/5
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