Django Unchained

[polkablues]

The problem is that Will Smith is not an actor, he's a personality.  Unless QT's vision for his Old South slave revenge story requires that the slave be a likeable, charismatic charmer, he's the wrong damn choice.  And if that is what QT is envisioning, I don't want to spend my ten bucks on it.

[Gold Trumpet]

It's a personality role. If Smith can adequately hover over it, I don't see how he is any worse than most actors in QT movies. They all hype up their performances.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Will Smith would basically have to make a Barry Egan scale transformation for this to work at all. I guess it could happen. He would have to suppress almost everything.

Also, he seems too skinny.

[Mr. Merrill Lehrl]

Part of me has become perversely attracted to the idea, despite my initial repulsion.  In large part because discussions of his potential casting, that I've been exposed to, outside of Xixax, typically involve the kind of lame, easy casting alternatives that typified the Playlist article.  There's a strange parallel between Django and Will Smith that's surely not lost on QT, something to do with how some (most) people in Django's world are opposed to the idea of a free black bounty hunter, and some (most) people are opposed to Smith in a serious, dangerous role (and would the role even feel dangerous if any other actor was cast?).  The character in the movie has to overcome the prejudices and assumptions of his world, and it's kind of interesting that QT chose an actor who'll have to overcome a different type of stereotyping.

Unfortunately it may not benefit the movie, because I truly agree with what polkablues is saying, and I'd really rather a better actor land the role.  But I do see the charms of casting Will Smith (!?).  I remain skeptical, but no longer repulsed.

[P Heat]

Lol that the will smith news. Shits going down hill now . chances of this turning to a good QT film are slimmer 

[Reelist]

does anyone else see this when you think about him in the role?

[Jeremy Blackman]

Remember that Samuel L. Jackson turned down the part of Buck Swope in Boogie Nights because he knew he was wrong for it?

Perhaps Will Smith should do this movie a favor and do the same.

[Mr. Merrill Lehrl]

I just realized how similar my recent post is to The Gold Trumpet's at the bottom of the previous page.  Even eerily similar final sentences.  Must have been an unconscious echo.

[Pozer]

yeah it's doomed. shoulda resurrected this guy  

[Reelist]

That guy, yes! He seems like a wimp tho. I'd be watching the whole movie thinking its a mad tv parody.

[matt35mm]

The problem is that Will Smith is not an actor, he's a personality.  Unless QT's vision for his Old South slave revenge story requires that the slave be a likeable, charismatic charmer, he's the wrong damn choice.  And if that is what QT is envisioning, I don't want to spend my ten bucks on it.

Isn't this what Tarantino always does, though? I don't know why anyone's surprised. Tarantino is clearly interested in casting "personalities" and letting that be a weird element in his films. That seems to be the case in practically of his movies.

I don't exactly know what you mean by Smith not being an actor. He's an actor as much as anybody's an actor. He brings a certain baggage to the role, which is what Tarantino often wants. He's all about putting MOVIE STARS into his movies.

Tarantino also likes to turn the personality on its head, so Smith is probably being considered because the role is exactly what you wouldn't expect to see Will Smith do in a movie.

[Mr. Merrill Lehrl]

But I don't think matt35mm read either The Gold Trumpet's post or mine

[matt35mm]

No, I didn't. Whoops.

But I think I said something a little different from what you were saying, which is that Tarantino always does this. This is his pattern, not something out of left-field. I don't understand why anybody is surprised. When the script was first leaked, the speculation should have just started with "which famous personality will play this part?" and not "which great actor will play this part?"

Then, when Will Smith's name came up, we could all say, "Oh. Right. That is what QT would do. Makes sense."

I wouldn't really go so far as to say that Will Smith has to overcome anything to play this role. Who cares what people's expectations of Will Smith are? What are your expectations of Tarantino? It should be exactly this, because of everything he's done before. As far as your expectations of Will Smith in a Tarantino film, well, just look at Tarantino's other films, and you probably won't be surprised when the movie finally comes out (if Smith indeed ends up playing the part).

I will probably enjoy the movie, but I don't expect to be surprised by it. I'm not skeptical nor am I disgusted. I'm not even terribly interested, which is why I only skimmed this thread and missed your post. I guess I only chimed in to say that I don't see what the big whoop is about Will Smith maybe doing this movie. Probably a dumb reason to chime in, but people have chimed in for less.

[Mr. Merrill Lehrl]

Jacky Ido?  He's African French.  Ideal for the Basterds role, but he'd have to be a really great actor to pull off this Django.  Another handicap is that he isn't well-known or bankable.  Seems unlikely.  I don't think QT will cast an unknown, but like always an unexpected.

I quote myself from an earlier page to suggest that I did expect something like this, but I still thought that Will Smith was a bad choice.  And on this page you can see me reconciling to the fact that it happened and it's (maybe) Will Smith.  So I don't think your chiming in was dumb (I was just like, man, he skimmed over me for sure); you realized immediately what it took me a day or so to realize, and that's probably because I read the script and had personal expectations in mind.

I disagree there's nothing Will Smith has to overcome though, and point to this thread as evidence, and chatter about his (potential) casting in general.

[Reelist]

Jonah Hill, Danny McBride? WHAT THE CRAP? No, no, a thousand times no. Is this a list of people who should be kept out of the movie at all costs?

Jonah Hill would be great as Sonny. All that's required of him is to play a fat, goofy virgin. He'd be HILARIOUS in it!

As for Danny Mcbride, I think Michael Madsen fits the sadistic side of Ace Woody a lot better, but this being 'A Southern', Danny certainly has the look and accent of someone who would train slaves that brutally fight to the death. As much as I'd want to see his face, I don't want him to be funny in this.


I just finished reading and it's his most violent, action-packed movie to date. Not a dull moment in it. It says 'Nigger' more than every Tupac album combined, and Spike Lee's not gonna say SHIT ( his only comeback would be to do a Holocaust movie where they say 'kike' even more times   )