Walking into the dark theatre to see “Django Unchained,” I had high expectations. Everyone I talked to before seeing the film used words like “amazing” and “so good.” I must say that it lived up to my expectations. With an all-star cast and writing and direction by Quentin Tarantino, it was impossible for it to be anything less than epic and extraordinary. The cast was led by Jamie Foxx, who plays Django Freeman, a bounty hunter who focuses on finding and freeing his wife, Broomhilda. Christoph Waltz plays Dr. King Shultz, who frees Django on the condition that he has to help him kill criminals for a profit. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Calvin J. Candie, the ruthless plantation owner who owns Broomhilda. Kerry Washington is Broomhilda Von Shaft, the beautiful wife of Django. Samuel L. Jackson portrays Stephen, Candie’s equally ruthless head slave. The movie takes place in 1858, three years before the Civil War, and begins with Shultz purchasing Django and then beginning their work as powerhou se bounty hunters who kill many of the South’s most wanted for a profit. But Django never loses sight of his ultimate goal of freeing Broomhilda. Schultz confirms that Broomhilda is a slave of Candie. Django and Schultz go undercover and pretend to be interested in purchasing slaves to fight each other to the death. Candie and his brutal head slave, Stephen, discover their plan. Without ruining anything for the poor souls who haven’t seen the movie yet, let’s just say things don’t go the way Django and Schultz planned. The movie was so impressive because it was a drama, comedy, western and love story all at once. The genres blended together beautifully. Many of the parts were difficult to watch because the slaves were treated horribly. In one scene Broomhilda is whipped repeatedly for attempting to escape. Django begs the men to stop, but they refuse. The film was so perfectly acted it gave me chills, and an accurate portrayal of an intense, painful whipping caused me to look away. Washington is quoted in various publications as saying, “ That actually made us feel extra grateful for anybody that was able to survive it because we barely survived it for pretend for the eight months we were filming. I did (get hit with a whip). We were filming on a slave plantation, so it was an archeology site that you knew that these awful crimes against humanity had actually happened. It was a stunt whip, but the guys were very reluctant to do it. But I thought we are here, and we should honor the story that we’re telling and honor the people who lived through this horrible tragedy and try to be as real as possible.” Trinity senior Evan Hancock reacted to the terrible ways slaves were treated: “It bothered me because if I were to put myself in their shoes, I wouldn’t want to be treated that way just for being a different skin color.” Hancock said he enjoyed the numerous bloody scenes and Jackson’s use of colorful profanity, but he was most impressed with DiCaprio. He said, “Leonardo DiCaprio is one of my favorite actors and did a fantastic job. In one scene he slams down on the table and then starts to bleed and wipes his hand on Broomhilda’s face. That was all improvisation, and the overall vibe you get from him is different from any other actor I have ever seen.” Senior Bryce Stewart thought Foxx was the true standout. He said, “Django was a cool character because he didn’t speak much and let his actions speak for his words. With every person he killed, it showed how much he wanted to save his wife.” Another impressive aspect of the movie was the overall historical accuracy. Trinity history teacher Mr. Andrew Coverdale called the actions dreadful, and he mentioned how slaves experienced harsher conditions than in other civilizations. He went on to say, “The conditions varied but were typically very back-breaking. The slaves were in the field from sunup to sundown with very little shelter from the elements and very little rest. Severe whippings and beatings were given if the slaves did not perform to standard. They were usually separated from their children and spouses when they were sold. Some owners were better than others.” When asked if slaves were treated as property, Coverdale said, “They were (considered) property and had no rights. They were bought and sold, treated like something you would buy at a supermarket.” Slaves rarely received their freedom, Coverdale said: “In very rare cases owners (would grant slaves freedom). Sometimes owners would write it in their will, or slaves would save up and buy their freedom.” I was not at all surprised to hear the film received four Academy Award nominations — for Best Picture, Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Supporting Actor (Christoph Waltz). As violent as the film is, it also portrays an enduring love story between Django and Broomhilda. You cannot help but be touched when he daydreams of seeing his wife again. The film is complex and layered and will leave you with a better understanding of the horrors many slaves had to endure. I wouldn’t be surprised if the movie wins four Oscars, but we’ll just have to wait until Feb. 24 to find out.