MovieChat Forums > Django Unchained (2012) Discussion > Why the silly clothes?

Why the silly clothes?

posted 5 years ago by Heisenberg (6277)
10 replies | jump to latest

This movie is ok, average Tarantino minor film where he goes all over the map, from very great moments to questionable ones. One questionable moment is: Django picks stupid clothes for himself.
So, at that point in the story Django is almost a cool man, working with Hans and managing to do a great job when, given the opportunity to choose his attire, picks up something out of a clown shop.

I didn't get the point he's trying to make, and Tarantino too. Is he supposed to be too ignorant to find something classy/matching/appropriate? That's the idea I got, like get a savage in a food store and he'll try to guzzle as much as he can.
Or did I miss something?

If that's the point Tarantino was trying to make, I find it quite inappropriate and off mark: like I said at that point Django was quite erudite and educated. So he wouldn't have done that, unless he was intentionally trying to come off as a clown to spite everybody (white people) watching him in such ridicolous clothes. But was that his intention?
I'm confused (or disappointed).

[–] Ticket41 (68) 5 years ago

Are you talking about the first time he got to pick an outfit? When he shows up at Big Daddy's house? I took it as him not ever having the chance to actually buy clothes, so he just went with the flashy eye popping stuff. It was done for laughs.

His outfits after that scene are normal, he even gets to wear sunglasses when riding out to Calvin's. So he went from lame to cool pretty fast.

[–] Bootselectric (165) 2 years ago

You’re confused, nothing questionable about the scene. For starters, both Django’s and Tarantino’s intentions were perfectly clear. Django was instructed to play the character of the valet in their first bounty together. The eccentricity of the character is stressed by the good Dr. when he says, “it’s a fancy word for servant.” A running theme within Django Unchained is Django playing his character roles to their fullest, “then play him that way, give me your black slaver....”
Another running theme throughout the film is demonstrated by continually showing white characters being both caught off guard as well as being in awe of Django doing things that are atypical of people of color during this time/place, riding a horse, talking sass to white people, dressing like a fashionable well todo cowboy or in the instance you brought up, playing the eccentric role of the valet dressed in the most outlandish costume he could find, and owing it.

Outside of this, it was funny as hell.

[–] Heisenberg (6277) 2 years ago

Great reply, but I'm still confused.
Is he trying to ridicule the role of the servant?
I did not get that.
Also in that same scene he acts cool and dignified and requests respect from everybody in the plantation. Why would he try to ridicule his own position and at the same time expect respect?

[–] ak47wong (473) 2 years ago

The costume was also a reference to the Blue Boy painting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Boy

Side by side: https://i.redd.it/mcwrkgegnq151.png

[–] Heisenberg (6277) 2 years ago

Why would that be the case?
Was Django a student of the arts?
Is the Blue Boy in any way connected to the far west or to cowboys or slavery or America???

[–] Druff (1446) 2 years ago

"Erudite and educated"? He was as far from that as one can get. Did you fall asleep early on when Schultz had to teach him to READ? Django was a sheltered slave who knew nothing of the world and had no concept of fashion.

[–] Heisenberg (6277) 2 years ago

It sounds to me that you felt asleep as the story unfolded and he was able to read and understand all about being cultured and civilized.
Anyway, so your idea is that he picks those clothes out of ignorance of the world and fashion?

[–] Druff (1446) 2 years ago

At the beginning of the story, when he knows nothing, he chooses the ridiculous outfit. Later on, after he's lived and learned for a while as Schultz's partner, he dresses completely differently, as a total badass. This was right in every viewers face, literally impossible to miss. Yet, some people apparently managed.

[–] Ace_Spade (9334) 2 years ago

There's an interview with Jamie Foxx where he talks about this, and he connects it to Django's African roots. He said that, given that African style has a lot of emphasis on bright colours and flashy elements of clothing, Django - given complete freedom to pick anything he wanted - would connect with that style. So his costume choice was rooted in his heritage. I thought that was really cool that Foxx put that thought into it; my understanding is that he picked the outfit, or had a say in selecting the outfit, that Django wore. I'll try and track down the interview...

EDIT: found it! Cued up and everything!
https://youtu.be/TXFkIRCB9Ss?t=418

[–] Heisenberg (6277) 2 years ago

Hey Ace, thanks for the explanation and link.
So it is an acting choice.
I can go with that choice, it makes sense. Maybe I could have used some clearer exposition of it in the movie itself, but it's ok anyway.