From “Tarantino Unchained” by Jelani Cobb

“The film’s premise alone was enough to spark controversy. Spike Lee—a longtime critic of Tarantino—took the unwieldy position that he refused to see the film but knew that it would be disrespectful to his ancestors. …The film’s defenders are quick to point out that “Django” is not about history. But that’s almost like arguing that fiction is not reality—it isn’t, but the entire appeal of the former is its capacity to shed light on how we understand the latter.”

Questions for Consideration

Reviews for Django Unchained have been both positive and negative, why do you think it’s so polarized? How accurately can people of one race tell stories about people of a different race? Why is there so much controversy surrounding the usage of the n-word in this movie?

Want to learn more?

• Quentin Tarantino creates an exceptional slave
• Why “Django Unchained” stirs race debate
• 10 Things You Should Know About Slavery That You Won’t Learn at ‘Django’
• Django Unchained is a great movie that will change you as an African American Man.
• Spike Lee’s Dissing of “Django Unchained” Earns Both Ire and Indifference
• Black Audiences, White Stars, and “Django Unchained”
• Samuel L. Jackson’s Brilliant Answer to the Question that Never Was
• Is ‘Django Unchained’: A Postracial Epic?