Introduction
Such a concept as authorship can be critical for evaluating and analyzing various cinematographic works. In particular, this notion can be applied to discuss the film Django Unchained directed by Quentin Tarantino. This movie is set in antebellum America; it depicts the journey of a former slave named Django and the bounty hunter King Schultz. The formal elements of this film and its themes have been both praised and criticized by journalists. In this case, it is critical to focus on the role played by Quentin Tarantino. Much attention should be paid to the main ideas and cinematographic techniques that are typical of this director.
For instance, it is possible to speak about the aestheticization of violence and willingness to explore the factors that can prompt people to act cruelly or unethically. Nevertheless, it is also critical to examine the contributions that could be made by other people who took part in the creation of this movie. Overall, the concept of authorship is important for discussing the visual elements of this movie, its promotion, and the key ideas that are conveyed to the viewers. To a great extent, this analysis can be helpful for showing how this cinematographic work was created.
The stakeholders that act as the authors of a cinematographic work
On the whole, the concept of authorship cannot be easily applied to cinematographic works because there are many individuals who contribute to their creation. In this case, it is not permissible to speak only about creative choices made by directors since one can also mention the role of actors, camera operators, or scriptwriters who can dramatically influence the artistic elements involved in a movie. For instance, it is possible to recognize the work of Robert Richardson, who was responsible for lighting, the selection of costumes, the design of settings, framing, and so forth. He was able to create many captivating images of the Old West.
Additionally, it is critical to recognize the work of actors who masterfully impersonated the characters. For instance, one can mention Leonardo DiCaprio, who created a very convincing portrayal of the brutal slave- owner, Calvin Candie (Django Unchained 2012). Apart from that, the genre canons can also play a significant role. In particular, Django Unchained can be viewed as a spaghetti Western. This movie includes some elements that are typical of this genre. This argument is particularly relevant if one speaks about the depiction of Western towns, saloons, as well as landscapes. As a rule, such movies include protagonists who can act cruelly, even though they want to follow certain ethical principles. It should be mentioned that Tarantino’s directing style was strongly affected by spaghetti Westerns produced by Sergio Leone (Fisher 2014, p. 199).
Moreover, this director was able to revive interest in this genre. Furthermore, one should bear in mind that Tarantino was inspired by the film Django which was released in 1986. Overall, this discussion is important for showing that the authorship of a movie cannot be traced to a single source. So, one should not suppose that this movie is only the result of Tarantino’s work.
Furthermore, it should be mentioned that in many cases, production studios are able to shape the creative choices of film-makers. For instance, they can force directors to exclude some of the main themes or visual elements that may appear to be provocative and obscene. Such practices were particularly widespread in the middle of the twentieth century.
However, this argument is not applicable to Tarantino because he meticulously controls various aspects of production. For instance, in many cases, he writes scripts for his movies and chooses to cooperate with some actors on a regular basis. Moreover, he has been famous or even notorious for including the visual elements or themes that gave rise to various controversies. Many of such choices could endanger his career as a director. This is why it is critical to examine the roles played by this individual. In particular, it is vital to identify those cinematographic elements which are consistently used in various films directed by the author.
The concept of authorship and the themes of the film
There are several important themes that are explored in the film; to some degree, they can be found in other movies directed by Tarantino. In particular, this author shows that in many cases, people, who believe that they are struggling against evil, can resort to cruelty, violence, or even sadism. In this way, they can become comparable to their enemies. In part, this argument can be applied to Django, who is the protagonist of the film.
For instance, he willingly accepts the offer to become a bounty hunter, since he will have the opportunity to kill the whites (Django Unchained 2012). Admittedly, he has been the victim of oppression and cruelty, but he chooses to vent his spleen on many people who he does not even know. Furthermore, he sometimes acts in a sadistic way, especially when he whips the cruel caretaker of the plantation. This issue is explored in other films of this director, such as Kill Bill and Inglorious Basterds[1], which also show that the struggle against evil can sometimes turn people into monsters. So, Tarantino warns the audience against this pitfall, and one should not suppose that this author encourages this behavior. This is one of the points that can be made.
Overall, this director continuously explores such a theme as revenge. To some degree, Django enjoys the idea of revenge on people who subjected him and his wife to brutal oppression. However, this director is able to show that revenge can produce disastrous effects on a person because he/she can commit atrocious acts that can shock the audience. This argument can be applicable to Django and other characters depicted in such films as Kill Bill or Sin City. This theme can be distinguished because Tarantino openly admits that films about revenge greatly appeal to him (Bailey 2013). Furthermore, he tries to explore this issue in his own works by examining the experiences of different characters. In this way, this director is able to ask the audience many thought-provoking questions. This is one of the issues that should be taken into account.
Furthermore, this film explores such a topic as the dehumanization of a person. In this context, one should speak those situations when an individual has to abandon virtually every ethical norm in order to survive. This film offers various examples of such dehumanization, and they are made possible by the cruelty of slave-owners such as Calvin Candie. In this case, one should speak primarily about slaves who were forced to fight and kill one another (Django Unchained 2012).
This theme is explored in other films directed by Tarantino; for instance, one can refer to such a film as Sin City. Additionally, the owners of slaves tend to treat them like objects that do not have any thoughts or feelings of their own (Speck 2014). Moreover, these people do not even question their behavior from an ethical viewpoint. Admittedly, Tarantino’s films can dramatically differ in terms of setting, plot, or genre; however, this director continuously focuses on certain issues that seem to be of great importance to him. Moreover, one can argue that these thematic elements make these movies much more engaging because the viewers try to put themselves in the position of the main characters.
Visual elements and formal characteristic of the movie
The notion of authorship is also important for examining the stylistic elements included in the film. At first, it is necessary to mention the so-called trunk shots (Page 2005). In other words, the viewers often have to look at the scene through the eyes of a person who lies flat on the ground. This technique is adopted in various works of this director. For instance, one can mention Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, and so forth. Apart from that, this film includes bird’s-eye shots.
This technique is particularly useful for depicting the landscape of the Old West. Furthermore, one should speak about the frequent use of crash zooms; in other words, the distance between an object and an observer is reduced very rapidly (Conterio 2015). This method is beneficial for attracting people’s attention to a specific part of the scene. Additionally, this technique is useful for enhancing the sense of suspense. Crash zoom is applied to depict the faces of various characters such as Django and Calvin Candie. This method was applied in various Tarantino’s films, even though he cooperated with different camera operators. Overall, such films as Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction eloquently illustrate the use of this method.
Another distinct characteristic of this movie is the graphic depiction of violence. This attribute is a typical element of every film directed by Quentin Tarantino. So, many critics speak about the aestheticization of violence (Sanford 2014). On the whole, this notion is particularly applicable to those scenes when the protagonist effortlessly kills many of his enemies. One should keep in mind that Django becomes an excellent marksman, and he can masterfully use firearms against his enemies. This aestheticization of violence plays an important role in other films such as Kill Bill. The main problem is that many viewers can fail to recognize the atrociousness of murder (Gronstad 2008, p. 40).
Furthermore, they may not see the suffering caused by such acts of violence. This is one of the reasons why Tarantino has often been criticized by many journalists who state that his films distort people’s perception of violence, especially their ethical evaluation of such behavior (Gronstad 2008, p. 40). These are the main visual elements that should be taken into account.
One can mention other examples of the creative choices made by Tarantino. For instance, it is possible to speak about the use of the non-linear plot (Sickels 2013). This technique has become particularly famous after the release of such a film as Pulp Fiction. In turn, Django Unchained also incorporates this technique since there are many flashbacks showing Django’s recollections, especially his experiences of slavery. In this case, these elements of the plot are useful for explaining why the protagonist treats many slaveholders in a very ruthless way. Certainly, these scenes do not justify cruelty, but they show that this cruelty was provoked. Moreover, this approach to the narrative prompts the audience to empathize with the protagonist.
Additionally, it is important to speak about the casting decisions taken by this director. He prefers to cooperate with some actors on a regular basis. For instance, one can mention Samuel Jackson, who has been featured in various Tarantino films. Additionally, one can also mention Cristoph Waltz, who became famous due to his performances in Tarantino’s movies. To a great extent, these examples show that this film could be profoundly influenced by the decisions taken by this director. Overall, this approach is quite justified because these actors masterfully impersonated various characters.
It is possible to apply the so-called auteur theory, which is used to analyze cinematographic works. According to this theory, films usually reflect the personal vision of directors and their standards of creativity (Smith 2013, p. 96; Nelmes 2012). Admittedly, film-making can also be called an industrial process and commercial activity. One should note that movies can be evaluated from a financial viewpoint. So, the authors have to make sure that the box office covers the expenditures involved in the production of a movie. Therefore, their works have to reach the standards of popular culture. So, one should not suppose that the creative choices of film-makers are completely independent.
However, Tarantino is able to reconcile the need for commercial success and his creative vision. This is one of the details that can be singled out. Thus, the use of the auteur theory can be applicable to this film and other cinematographic works of Quentin Tarantino. Admittedly, his style also changes with time passing, and one cannot say that he always adheres to the same standards. However, these visual elements and plot structures greatly appeal to Tarantino. This is one of the details that can be singled out.
The role of the audience as one of the authors
It is also important to remember that films cannot be discussed only from the perspective of directors, scriptwriters, camera operators, or production studios. Much attention should also be paid to the role of the audience. In many cases, the viewers discover meanings that were not intended by film-makers (Smith 2013). For instance, in many cases, critics may play a critical role in showing how a movie can be interpreted. This detail is applicable to this film because many reviewers suggested several ways of understanding the messages that Tarantino could convey to the audience. However, one cannot argue that the authors of Django Unchained expected these interpretations. This is one of the issues that should not be overlooked while discussing the notion of authorship and this movie.
Authorship as a marketing tool
In this case, authorship can be an indicator of quality. One should keep in mind that many people preferred to watch this film because it was directed by Quentin Tarantino. Therefore, they set certain expectations for the quality of this movie. Additionally, the advertising posters of this film included the name of the director. Moreover, this poster includes a photograph of Leonardo DiCaprio.
To a great extent, these elements prompted many people to watch this film, even though they did not know much about its plot. These examples suggest that the identity of the author can be vital for the promotion of various cinematographic works and improving their financial performance. These are some of the details that can be distinguished.
Conclusion
On the whole, this discussion indicates that the concept of authorship can be important for analyzing various works of art. In particular, it is useful for examining the main themes of the film or its visual attributes. This analysis is based on the premise that the film has been largely shaped by the creative choices taken by Quentin Tarantino. One can say that this movie explores many of the issues that are typical of Tarantino’s films.
For instance, much attention should be paid to such themes as revenge, dehumanization of a person, and acts of cruelty that are often motivated by the desire to struggle against evil. Additionally, one should consider the use of various cinematographic techniques such as crash zoom, trunk shots, non-linear plot, and so forth. Furthermore, the concept of authorship is helpful for discussing people’s responses to the movie as well as the expectations that they could set for this film. Authorship is also vital for explaining the commercial success of this movie because it is often regarded as an indicator of quality. Apart from that, this analysis indicates that authorship cannot be traced to a single individual, because cinematographic works are created by various stakeholders such as actors, camera operators, or film-makers who developed the canons of a certain genre. These are the main details that can be distinguished.
References
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Speck, O 2014, Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained: The Continuation of Metacinema, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, New York. Web.