I think the use in this style of film is acceptable, but some push back against it is also necessary, lest people start to think the use of the N word in modern conversation has become okay.
As a middle-aged white male, I have no valid opinion on the word.
Because the boys in the hood are always hard.
You go talkin' that trash, we're gonna pull yer card.
Wantin' nothin' in life, but to be legit.
Don't quote me, boy, 'cause I ain't said s**t.
Saw the film this afternoon, and if they hadn't plastered this story in every entertainment section throughout the land I wouldn't have even given the dialogue another thought. However, since this had been brought up before viewing the film, I listened to see if it was at all excessive or over-used just for the sake of it.
The answer? Not in my opinion. It all seemed appropriate to context and scene, and the only time it really became apparent was when the film wanted you to recognize it by the characters' overemphasizing it.
And for the record, I really enjoyed the film. Already recommended it in the movie thread, and I'll do the same here.
__________________ "It's a great day for hockey."
-'Badger' Bob Johnson (1931-1991)
"I see as much misery out of them moving to justify theirselves as them that set out to do harm." -Dr. Amos "Doc" Cochran
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"He's a walking contradiction," DiCaprio says. "He is this incredibly interesting, yet horrifically ... (DiCaprio again derails his train of thought) ... I mean, there was absolutely nothing about this character that I could identify with. I hated him. And it was one of the most narcissistic, self-indulgent, horrible, racist characters I have ever read in my entire life."
"And you had to do it," Jackson bellows.
"And I HAD to do it," DiCaprio agrees. "It was too good not too do."
But there was an awkward phase early in the process, especially around Foxx and Jackson. DiCaprio initially did not want to be so despicable, to use so many N-bombs, to act so violently.
"It was Sam and Jamie who both said: "Look man, if you sugarcoat this, people are going to resent the hell out of you! You've got to push this guy to the outer extreme. There were worse atrocities (in real history) and, by holding the character back, you're going to do an injustice to the film and people are going to feel that you're not telling the truth."
[URL]Haven't seen the movie yet but it seems clear that the use of the word is well within context for the movie and characters.
Well it is Tarantino still. The whole movie sits on the edge of what people would accept. You're supposed to squirm in your seat just a little bit. The dialog is chock full of anachronistic vocabulary so it's not like he's attempting to reflect the reality of the time. But they're trying to communicate to the audience what the characters think of slaves in a way the audience gets. I would say it works. Like Yamer, I wouldn't have given the use of the word a second thought if I hadn't ready this thread before seeing the movie.
In all honesty I don't see what Spike Lee's issue is. Tarantino has been making his own kind of movies for a long time now, the dialogue used makes his movies unique and the language he uses has been more in your face than most. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Django Unchained has language that may be offensive to some but it's full of what everyone has come to expect out of a Tarantino movie. This is Jackie Brown all over again...this is what Tarantino had to say in a Charlie Rose interview where they brought up the issues of racial epithets in Jackie Brown:
Quote:
As a writer, I demand the right to write any character in the world that I want to write. I demand the right to be them, I demand the right to think them and I demand the right to tell the truth as I see they are, all right? And to say that I can't do that because I'm white, but the Hughes brothers can do that because they're black, that is racist. That is the heart of racism, all right. And I do not accept that ... That is how a segment of the black community that lives in Compton, lives in Inglewood, where Jackie Brown takes place, that lives in Carson, that is how they talk. I'm telling the truth. It would not be questioned if I was black, and I resent the question because I'm white. I have the right to tell the truth. I do not have the right to lie.[49]
In all honesty I don't see what Spike Lee's issue is. Tarantino has been making his own kind of movies for a long time now, the dialogue used makes his movies unique and the language he uses has been more in your face than most. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Django Unchained has language that may be offensive to some but it's full of what everyone has come to expect out of a Tarantino movie. This is Jackie Brown all over again...this is what Tarantino had to say in a Charlie Rose interview where they brought up the issues of racial epithets in Jackie Brown:
Quote:
As a writer, I demand the right to write any character in the world that I want to write. I demand the right to be them, I demand the right to think them and I demand the right to tell the truth as I see they are, all right? And to say that I can't do that because I'm white, but the Hughes brothers can do that because they're black, that is racist. That is the heart of racism, all right. And I do not accept that ... That is how a segment of the black community that lives in Compton, lives in Inglewood, where Jackie Brown takes place, that lives in Carson, that is how they talk. I'm telling the truth. It would not be questioned if I was black, and I resent the question because I'm white. I have the right to tell the truth. I do not have the right to lie.[49]
Spike Lee hates it because it was written by a white person. He's a racist.
I hope this doesn't get misinterpreted but being a visible minority myself I honestly believe that it's minorities who propagate racism. I'm not denying the fact that racism still exists, but we make problems bigger than they need to be. Spike Lee's attitude towards this is making an issue out of something that should not be an issue at all.
He should take Bob Marley's advice....emancipate yourself from mental slavery, non but ourselves can free our minds.
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Well it is Tarantino still. The whole movie sits on the edge of what people would accept. You're supposed to squirm in your seat just a little bit. The dialog is chock full of anachronistic vocabulary so it's not like he's attempting to reflect the reality of the time. But they're trying to communicate to the audience what the characters think of slaves in a way the audience gets. I would say it works. Like Yamer, I wouldn't have given the use of the word a second thought if I hadn't ready this thread before seeing the movie.
Oh don't get me wrong I'm not trying to say the dialog is 100% accurate of the times and I wouldn't expect that from Tarantino. But the dialog he uses is used in order to reflect the true feelings and attitude of the character he has created. It's honest. So basically I agree 100%.
Seems a lot like Spike trying to get attention now that Tyler Perry has taken over the role of making crap films involving black people and then pressuring black people to see them to "support their own."
Perhaps instead of whining about other people's movies he should try and make a decent film for once in his life.
I saw this movie last night, and it was great. The N word didn't bother me one bit as it provided realism. The intense violence was far worse. Really good movie.
If you don't think Do the Right the Thing and Malcolm X are good movies, your opinion doesn't matter.
Haven't seen Malcolm X, but Do The Right Thing was the only film in my film form class that I absolutely hated. I couldn't appreciate it on any level, and the sound in the movie made me want to perforate my ear drums.
__________________ "It's a great day for hockey."
-'Badger' Bob Johnson (1931-1991)
"I see as much misery out of them moving to justify theirselves as them that set out to do harm." -Dr. Amos "Doc" Cochran
If you don't think Do the Right the Thing and Malcolm X are good movies, your opinion doesn't matter.
I found Malcolm X too long and fairly boring overall.
Do the Right Thing was just flat out boring and poorly written.
I understand that I am not the target demographic for Spike Lee movies but I guess my opinion doesn't matter because I don't agree with someone on something so definitive as movie likes and dislikes.
Its good to know that they have perfected that scientific formula to determine which movies every person had to like.
