Django (Gryphon Ent) (1966)

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General		Extras
Category	Cult	Featurette-The One and Only Theatrical Trailer Filmographies
Rating
Year Of Production	1966
Running Time	87:53
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Sergio Corbucci
Studio Distributor	Gryphon Entertainment	Starring	Franco Nero José Bódalo Loredana Nusciak Ángel Álvarez Gino Pernice Simón Arriaga Giovanni Ivan Scratuglia Remo De Angelis Rafael Albaicín José Canalejas Eduardo Fajardo
Case	Amaray-Transparent
RPI	?	Music	Luis Bacalov

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s) Italian Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.66:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.66:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     Cult classic spaghetti western Django has been released previously in Australia. This current re-release from distributor Gryphon is exactly the same as the previous version; same print, same extras and same issue with the lack of subtitles that DanielB mentioned in his review on this site here. Consequently, if you have that DVD release there is no need to read further. If, however, you are not aware of how influential Django is in the spaghetti western genre, read on.

     Right from the start, you know that Django is a different type of western. Many films about the American west start with the credits, and a credit song, over figures riding across the prairie; Django starts with a lone gunman, Django (Franco Nero), walking and pulling a coffin over a muddy expanse. He comes across a group of Mexicans whipping a woman tied to a rail, but before he can intervene the Mexicans are shot dead by Anglo men wearing red bandanas. However, rather than saving the woman, these men start to construct a cross on which they intend to burn the woman. Django shoots the men and rescues the woman. She is named Maria (Loredana Nusciak) and they go to the nearby town where Maria, it transpires, is well known to Nathaniel (Angel Alvarez), the owner of the bar and his good-time girls.

     The town is being terrorised by a red bandanna wearing gang led by Major Jackson (Eduardo Fajardo), a white supremist with a side line of shooting innocent Mexicans for sport and pleasure. Jackson makes the mistake of trying to kill Django, who disposes of most of the gang in a shootout although he spares Jackson for reasons of his own. Jackson’s gang are replaced in town by some Mexican bandits led by “general” Hugo (Jose Bodalo) with whom, it is quickly revealed, Django has history. Together, Django and Hugo agree to rob jointly a fort holding gold; but when they succeed things take an unexpected turn that leads Django to a final showdown in the town’s cemetery.

     Django is directed by Sergio Corbucci, after Sergio Leone the most influential of the Italian spaghetti western directors; Django inspired over 50 sequels and derivatives, not a bad record. Whereas Leone set his Dollars trilogy in arid deserts, Django is set on the border between the US and Mexico in a cold, bleak and very wet and muddy landscape, where the main street of the town is a quagmire and mud is everywhere, the landscape as bleak as the morality of the violent gangs of men who inhabit it. Django is also quite a brutal film, with a whipping, hand crushing and an ear slitting (after which the victim was forced to wear the ear!) that caused Django to be banned in the UK for over 20 years. These days however, it gets a “M” rating! However, the film is an excellent show piece for Franco Nero whose blue eyes and economy of movement light up the screen. His Django is not quite as taciturn as Eastwood’s “Man with no name” but he is equally as deadly with a gun and, like Eastwood’s character, we are never sure of his morals, motives or just whose side he is on.

     Django is a cult classic, a hard edged and brutal entrant into the spaghetti western genre that, if not quite to the Leone standard, comes pretty close. It is definitely still well worth watching.

Video

     Django is presented in a ratio of 1.66:1, the original ratio, and is 16x9 enhanced.

     This print has been restored (as a comparison with the trailer will show) but still has a few issues. The print is reasonably sharp. Most colours, especially in exterior shots, are muted but interiors are a different matter with the red of the women’s dresses and the Jackson men’s bandanas and hoods vibrant. Blacks are pretty good and shadow detail acceptable. Skin tones are not bad, contrast and brightness varies occasionally.

     There is frequent evidence of film damage with vertical lines, scratches and dirt marks as well as aliasing, but these are never too big or too obtrusive. There is very heavy grain over the opening titles, but this soon settles down. Overall, this is not too bad.

     There are no subtitles.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     Audio is a choice of English or original Italian Dolby Digital 2.0 at 224 Kbps that is not surround encoded. However, it is a major disappointment that no subtitles are available, so unless you speak Italian this track, which features Nero’s voice, is useless. Which is a pity as the English dub is pretty bland and dreadful.

     The audio track gets the job done. Dialogue is easy to understand while the effects of gunshots and horses lack any depth. There is no surround or subwoofer usage. However, there is no hiss or drop outs.

     The music by Luis Enriquez Bacalov is quite effective, using horns and other instruments.

     Lip synchronisation was as one would expect in the English dub; very poor.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

The One and Only (13:27)

     An interesting making of featuring stills, film footage (that looks cleaner than the actual film print) and interviews with Franco Nero and assistant director Ruggero Deodato (who went on to make his own cult films including Cannibal Holocaust (1980)). Topics discussed include Sergio Corbucci, casting, the influence of the film and, most interestingly, why some of the cast wore red hoods. Refreshing.

Theatrical Trailer (2:54)

Cast and Crew Filmographies

     6 silent screens for Franco Nero, 9 for Sergio Corbucci. Use the remote to advance to the next screen.

     The Region 0 UK release, which I own, has exactly same print as our release, and only the English language track but adds good interviews with Franco Nero (12:00) and writer / director Alex Cox (12:11) (Repo Man (1984)) as well as the trailer. The Region 0 US release from Blue Underground has the same print and extras as our version, but adds English subtitles to the Italian language track. On this basis, it is the preferred version.

     Django is a cult classic directed by Sergio Corbucci, after Sergio Leone the most influential of the Italian spaghetti western directors. It is a hard edged and brutal entrant into the genre staring Franco Nero that, if not quite in the Sergio Leone league, comes pretty close. It is definitely still well worth watching if you don’t have the earlier release.

     The video is OK, the extras worthwhile. The audio is acceptable but the lack of English subtitles for the original Italian audio remains a major missed opportunity.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall