Unleashing Unseen Horror: Quentin Tarantino Shocks with Last-Minute Cuts in Django Unchained - Star's Startling Revelation

Summary

Kerry Washington discloses that, in a sudden decision, two scenes featuring Broomhilda were eliminated from Django Unchained. These scenes encompassed a distressing rape sequence and another showcasing her running unclothed along the street.

In her memoir, Washington reminisces about witnessing Jamie Foxx and Tarantino huddled together in a corner before the director declared the end of filming for the day. It remains uncertain whether Foxx's presence will be excluded from the final edit.

Perhaps it is advantageous that these scenes were eliminated, considering the film already incorporates an abundance of savage violence towards slaves, including a distressing incident involving Broomhilda.

Django Unchained actress Kerry Washington shares in her memoir, Thicker Than Water, that director Quentin Tarantino made a last-minute decision to remove particularly disturbing scenes involving her character, Broomhilda. The 2012 Western, starring Jamie Foxx as a freed slave on a mission to rescue his wife from a sadistic plantation owner, received high praise from both audiences and critics. However, Washington reveals that the film almost depicted even more graphic portrayals of the horrors of slavery. One scene included a "terrifyingly brutal rape scene," while another showed Broomhilda escaping abuse by running naked down the street.

Jamie and Quentin stood in the corner. Both men were gazing down at the dirt floor, and as I approached them, Tarantino declared that we were all going home. The scene would be deleted from the script. Perhaps it was a remark Jamie had made to Quentin a few days prior that had finally sunk in, or maybe something had shifted for Quentin while standing in that cabin. Either way, it was the answer to the prayers I had been silently uttering on my knees.

Why Broomhilda's Graphic Django Unchained Scenes Were Cut

It remains uncertain why Tarantino ultimately decided to alter his stance regarding the aforementioned scenes, but it is worth exploring if they would have added value to the film. Django Unchained showcases numerous intense gunfights and brutal hand-to-hand combat, along with a scene depicting a slave being attacked by a dog. Nevertheless, it is important to note that not all of these scenes are on par with one another.

There is a distinct contrast between the violence inflicted on slaves in the film and the violence directed towards the slave owners. For instance, the scene where two slaves engage in a fatal fight is savage and distressing. On the other hand, the final shootout, where Django seeks revenge against Calvin Candie's associates, is undeniably excessive, with an almost comically exaggerated display of blood. These concluding action sequences are intended to provide a sense of catharsis following the earlier depictions of slave abuse.

Regarding the portrayal of Broomhilda's mistreatment, the rape scene is unnecessary. The scene in which Washington's character is confined in the hot box on the Candie plantation effectively conveys this mistreatment. Therefore, it is probably best that Tarantino eliminated Django Unchained's more explicit scenes of sexual violence, as the film already contains sufficient brutality towards slaves to effectively convey its message. Including more could have been seen as gratuitous.

Source: Thicker Than Water (via The Daily Beast)