Over Christmas break, a few long-awaited films hit theaters including “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and “Les Miserables.” These films stirred up excitement for people of all ages. Golden Globe nominated film “Django Unchained” may have garnered even more attention than the other films this season, however.  

And, if anyone makes the mistake of pronouncing the ‘D,’ Jamie Foxx will put a bounty on their head.

In the film directed by Quentin Tarantino, Foxx plays Django Freeman, a slave in the mid-1800s who has been separated from his fellow slave and wife, Broomhilda Von Shaaft. Django is purchased by the Speck brothers and while being transported to their plantation, the party runs into Dr. King Shultz, played by Christoph Waltz.     

Dr. Shultz is a whimsical German man who seems to be harmless enough, claiming to be a traveling dentist. After freeing Django, Shultz reveals that he is actually a bounty hunter in need of the freed slaves to help him find criminals.

Dr. Shultz teaches Django the ways of bounty hunting and together they take care of numerous criminals in the south for a reward. After a while, Django admits that he needs to rescue his wife, Broomhilda.

Dr. Shultz discovers that Broomhilda is working for Calvin Candie, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, on his plantation called Candyland.

Candie is a sickly sweet plantation owner with a nasty temper and a questionable romance with his sister, Lara Lee, portrayed by Laura Cayouette. Dr. Shultz and Django pretend to have other business with Candie while really planning to rescue Broomhilda.

Stephen, the head slave of the house, is played by Samuel L. Jackson. Stephen is a cantankerous old man with bad knees. This doesn’t stop him from being suspicious about Dr. Shultz and Django, and they have to tiptoe carefully under Stephen’s suspecting eye, as to not be caught.

The film is a painfully true depiction of racism and slavery in the 1800s, and at many times can be difficult to watch, sparing none of the hardships for the audience. Yet the film is still speckled with humor, both dark and light. Jonah Hill’s surprise cameo will be sure to please, as well as shock, fans of the actor during one of the earlier moments of the film.

Although movie-goers who are fond of light-hearted films may find “Django Unchained” difficult to stomach, every character in the film is played by well-seasoned actors that work together perfectly, and Tarantino blends all the scenes together as smoothly as ever. Foxx does a wonderful job at depicting a man who would walk through blood and fire to save his wife and truly become a free man.

4 out of 5 stars