20 Things You Somehow Missed In Django Unchained
You probably didn't spot Tarantino's second cameo.
Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained is just one hell of a movie, regardless of where you'd personally rank it in the filmmaker's outstanding filmography.
Released back in 2012, the blood-soaked revisionist Western won two Oscars (for Christoph Waltz's performance and Tarantino's screenplay) and remains the director's highest-grossing film to date.
Yet despite how many times you might've already seen it, it's a film absolutely packed to the gills with sneaky references and subtle nuances you can easily miss if you're not paying total attention. And even then, many of them are blink-and-you'll-miss-it.
Tarantino is nothing if not a detail-orientated filmmaker who loves to labour over every last syllable of dialogue, while cramming the screen and soundtrack with nods to some of his favourite movies.
And so, there's likely a ton here you've failed to take full account of across the film's dense 165-minute runtime.
Tarantino incorporates nods to his own prior works, unexpected slivers of historical accuracy, and gnarly visual details you'll need a great eye to catch without first being prompted.
By revisiting Django Unchained and poring back over every last frame, here are all the smartest and most intriguing details you likely missed...
20. James Remar Plays Schultz's First Kill AND The Person Who Kills Him
You may well have noticed that veteran character actor James Remar plays two supporting roles in the film, but did you appreciate their fateful significance for Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz)?
Near the start of the movie, Remar first appears as Ace Speck, Django's (Jamie Foxx) "owner" who soon enough ends up shot in the head and killed by Schultz.
Remar then reappears later as Butch Pooch, one of Calvin Candie's (Leonardo DiCaprio) bodyguards who ends up shooting Schultz dead immediately after Schultz kills Candie.
To summarise - Remar ends up playing both Schultz's first kill in the movie and the man who ends up killing Schultz. As for why Tarantino cast the same actor in both these roles? You'd have to ask him.