Django and Hildi's Love Made Real Through Music

       Hey everyone! Time for another blog post. This week, I am going to be talking about the power of  music in film. Have you ever thought of what it would be like if a movie scene had different music playing, or none at all? Think of the classic shower scene in Hitchcock's Psycho. The violent, shrill strings have become the stereotypical horror film sound effect. What if in its place there had been nothing? The effect on the viewer would have been a lot different. According to Louis Giannetti in "Understanding Movies," music can "suggest the mood or spirit of the film as a whole" (214). Someone who I have always felt does a great job selecting the right music for the rights moments is Quentin Tarantino. In his latest film, Django Unchained, a freed slave named Django is on a mission to rescue his wife, Hildi. The scenes depicting their relationship do an astonishing job at evoking emotion (aka ethos) in the viewer.I am going to break one of these scenes, and its music, down for you all today.

     
       Above, is one of my favorite scenes in the movie. In it, Django has just hunted down some of the men who had abused him and his wife when he used to be a slave, and he is having flashbacks before killing them.  When I first saw this scene, the music really hit me right in the feels. It made me want to root for Django in his pursuit of Hildi. The song playing is "Freedom" by Anthony Hamilton and Elayna Boynton. The tambourine in the background is reminiscent of slave chains, and it really helps make the scene feel real. The song, combined with the cracking of the slave driver's whip, sucks the viewer in with its realism. This is an appeal to one's ethos, because the realism adds credibility. By doing so, it forces the viewer to become emotionally invested in the film. Giannetti also explains that music can suggest ethnicity, or different types of people (214). The slave chain-esque tambourine is a great example of this.
       Now for how I rate this scene. I honestly have to give it three tickets. It does such a great job alongside Django's flashbacks, and his cries for "freedom," that it completely deserves it. In the context of the film, it really makes the viewer care about Django and Hildi's relationship. 

Have a good one ladies and gents,

Alex