Whether Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” can reach the same Oscar heights as “Inglourious Basterds” remains to be seen, but one thing about the film is certain: there will be blood.
Hence, the latest poster for the Civil War-era revenge-thriller, which sees co-stars Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio and Christoph Waltz (now being pushed for a nomination in the lead rather than supporting actor category) rendered in black-and-white while a spray of bright-red blood and bold red lettering (“Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Vengeance,” the tagline proclaims) lets us know Tarantino means business.
While it certainly catches the eye, I honestly would have preferred something a bit more visually unique in this one-sheet than the old red-on-gray approach, particularly given how singular Tarantino is as a filmmaker. While I understand the need to highlight the film’s stellar cast, there’s certainly a more interesting way they could have gone to accomplish the same goal.
My grade for the poster: C+. After checking it out below, grade it for yourself at top left.
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“Django Unchained” hits theaters on December 25.