Django: Rebirth of the Cowboy.

"I like the way you die, boy." Those are the iconic lines said by Jamie Foxx as Django Freeman, the main protagonist of Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, a Slavery Era Western. Django, as a character, is a former slave turned bounty hunter, who with the help of his mentor, Dr. King Shcultz, tries to save his wife from a sadistic plantation owner. In my opinion, Django is one of the best interpretations of the cowboy and here's why?

Quentin Tarantino, the famed director, is known for his homeages to other films. If you watch any number of film's directed and written by him, there might be one of two scenes taken from other movies. His characters however, are both a homage and a new character. The same could be said about Django.

The homage part starts with Django's own name, which references the 1966 Italian Western, Django starring Franco Nemo, who cameos in the film. As for the character of Django Freeman, he is a cowboy through and through. Cool, determined, plays by his own rules, and is the quickest shooter in the west. Django as a character is like a reimagine of Eastwood's Man with no Name or any number of characters John Wayne played. However, he doesn't start that way.

When we meet Django, he is slave, nearly broken down by his life. After being freed amd trained by Dr. King Schultz, we begin to see a different Django. Motivated by his love for his wife, Bloomhilda, and his desire to save her, he becomes a true western hero. This is here where Taratino separates Django from other Cowboys. Instead of being a mysterious loner, who comes into town and kills the other guy before leaving, we see Django become the cowboy. This not only separates him from other western Cowboys, but gives him an added depth. It is a great comparison to see the Diango from the beginning to the one we see at the end.

Foxx and Taratino give us an amazing character, by paying respects to what came before, while adding something new to better this character, make Django one of the best western heroes in recent memory.