'Django Unchained' is a 2012 American western film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film stars Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, and Samuel L. Jackson and was released on December 25, 2012 (Christmas Day), in North America.
Set in the deep south and old west, the film follows a freed slave (Foxx) who treks across the United States with a bounty hunter (Waltz) on a mission to rescue his wife (Washington) from a cruel plantation owner (DiCaprio).
The film received very positive reviews from critics and was nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture. Christoph Waltz received several accolades for his performance, and won the Golden Globe, the BAFTA and his second Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His first Oscar was for another Tarantino film, 2009's 'Inglourious Basterds'. Few actors have won more than once in this category. Tarantino won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, his second Oscar in this category, in which he first won in 1995 for co-writing Pulp Fiction, as well as the Golden Globe and the BAFTA. The film grossed over US$425 million in theatres worldwide, making it Tarantino's highest grossing film to date.
Tarantino rose to fame after 'Reservoir Dogs' (1992) appeared at the Sundance Film Festival. The film garnered critical acclaim and the director became a legend immediately. Two years later, he followed up Dogs success with 'Pulp Fiction' (1994), which premiered at the Cannes film festival, winning the coveted Palme D'Or Award. At the 1995 Academy Awards, it was nominated for the best picture, best director and best original screenplay. Tarantino and writing partner Roger Avary however only came away with the award only for best original screenplay.
Tarantino went to direct more cult favourites such as From 'Dusk Till Dawn', the 'Kill Bill' series, 'Death Proof ' and the worldwide hit, 'Inglourious Basterds'.
