Django Unchained

           This past week, I had the opportunity to see Quentin Tarantino film, Django Unchained. While it was extremely long, Tarantino did not fail to provide another powerful plot. Django is the story of a black slave in search of his and his wife's freedom. In doing so, he must kill he two slave owners that are holding his wife captive. While there are many twists and turns that I cannot get into, I highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a thrilling storyline. Among the many controversial aspects of this movie is Tarantino's use of the "N" word. Many film critics disagree with the 110 mentions of this word, saying that it is excessive. What they fail to realize is that Tarantino tried to stay true to the historic context of the movie. As we all know from reading the book, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, that word was widely used and accepted throughout America during the 1800's.
         As film critic, David Litner, says: "We forget that the origin of the word was meant to be used in order to describe an inferior being. Someone who did not deserve the royalties of the average human. It is a vile, disgusting, horrific word that describes centuries of agony and injustice. And Tarantino uses it right. 110 times, and it still felt the same every time I heard it. Shock, pain, and a lack of comfort came to me with each use". I agree with him in regard to the use of this word throughout the movie. We have become desensitized to the true meaning of this word. Throughout the day, I hear this word multiple times in the music I listen to, and occasionally in conversation. It has become everyday slang.  The word has lost all of the meaning that existed during times of slavery. The difference here though, is that Tarantino uses it seriously in its true original form. Hopefully people will come away from this film with a deeper meaning for this word and will use it less in everyday speech.