6. Django Unchained
The genre of Italian Westerns, known as Spaghetti Westerns, is among Tarantino’s favorites, and this film pays homage to the films of Sergio Corbucci, who directed the Django series in the 1960s. However, in Tarantino’s film, Django is a slave in the southern United States who embarks on a quest for revenge to free his true love from the clutches of white oppressors.
Jamie Foxx in the lead role is overshadowed by Christoph Waltz as his partner Dr. King Schulz. Otherwise, the film is a typical Tarantino, taking on a little-discussed theme in American history. Whether that had to happen in the not-so-subtle Tarantino style is a matter of taste. Overall, Django Unchained is a memorable film, with some iconic scenes (keyword: Leonardo DiCaprio injures his hand on shattered glass).
5. Reservoir Dogs
Tarantino’s first film is also his simplest. The story of a botched bank robbery can be summed up on a beer coaster. However, the film thrives on its characters and the sometimes absurd dialogues (Madonna!). It is astonishing how many of Tarantino’s later trademarks are already present here.
Whether it’s the “cool” dialogues, the exaggerated violence, the music, or the pop culture references – rarely has a director been so aware of his style in his debut work. Tarantino worked with some of the actors later, such as Michael Madsen, Tim Roth, or Harvey Keitel. The latter was already a well-known actor at the time and supported Tarantino in the film’s production.
4. Kill Bill 1 & 2
Tarantino considers the two films as a single work, so we will do the same. In fact, both parts differ somewhat from each other. While Kill Bill 1 clearly leans towards Asian cinema, part 2 is more influenced by Italian Westerns. The story narrates a classic revenge tale revolving around the “Bride”, who aims to kill members of a killer group one by one.
Part 1, especially the stronger one, impresses with countless creative ideas and even contains an anime sequence. Content-wise, there are many parallels to the much older Japanese revenge film Lady Snowblood, but that’s typical Tarantino. He borrows elements from other films, often music, and creates something unique out of it. Kill Bill is by far the most colorful film of the director in double feature.
The top 1-3 can be found on page 3.
