Quentin Tarantino has so far proven himself to be one of the great living film-makers. As a writer-director, he has created “Pulp Fiction,” “Reservoir Dogs,” the “Kill Bill” series, and “Inglorious Basterds;” among others. He possesses a rich understanding of the great films and directors of the past, learned through years of studying them; and this shines through in each of his films. In over 20 years of film-making, he has never before attempted a western. Yet you wouldn’t think so after seeing “Django Unchained.” Itself influenced by the spaghetti westerns of the 1960’s, especially those made by Sergio Leone, “Django Unchained” has all the twists, turns, anticipation, and blood-pumping adrenaline of a roller coaster ride. My only wish is that it didn’t have to end.

“Django Unchained” is, at least at first, a story about bounty hunters. Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) hunts down criminals and wanted men in the west, killing them and collecting their corpses for reward money. Django Freeman (Jamie Foxx) is a former slave who Schultz enlists in order to identify a trio of criminals he is hunting down. They soon find that they make a good team, and so decide to join together to hunt down more wanted outlaws. After several months of this, the two have one more job to pull. Django wishes to free his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from her current enslavement, with the help of Schultz.  For this reason, they come to the house of Calvin J. Candie (Leonardo Decaprio), living in a giant mansion so fittingly called “Candie-Land.” This is where “Django” really starts to pick up steam.

As a huge fan of the spaghetti western, in particular the films of Sergio Leone, who created “The Man With No Name” trilogy and “Once Upon A Time in the West”; I appreciated “Django Unchained” all the more. From the outside, the movie is an homage to all of the classic elements of the genre. You have the tight close-ups, followed by wide-spanning landscapes showing the vast emptiness of the old west; you have the story itself, concerning two bounty hunters hunting down criminals and wanted men; you have the musical montages and quick-cut editing, which builds anticipation. Not surprisingly, the soundtrack contains many tracks created by Ennio Morricone himself, who also wrote the score for nearly every Sergio Leone film. Yet, “Django Unchained” is not a carbon copy of the spaghetti western. Turning several elements on their head, Tarantino has managed to infuse new life into the genre, providing his own unique style and vision.

For one, Tarantino has done something that few westerns have managed to do: he has made a black slave into the hero. And Django is every bit our hero. At the start, you can tell he is more than your usual submissive, uncaring black character so often seen in these types of films. He is strong and confident, willing to stand up to the overpowering, evil “white man.” Jamie Foxx does not get enough credit here, as far as awards and nominations are concerned. Coming against the great Leonardo Decaprio and Academy Award-winner Christoph Waltz, he holds his own in every scene, easily seizing the viewer’s attention. In some ways, “Django Unchained” is also a buddy film. The relationship between Schultz and Django is similar to that in “For A Few Dollars More,” another Sergio Leone western which also concerns two bounty hunters. Schultz is a surprisingly compassionate man, especially to slaves. At the same time, he is ruthless and cold, willing to shoot a man dead without warning if it would benefit him in some way. It is not surprising that Christoph Waltz plays the character so well, since he possess many similar traits to Waltz’s award-winning character from Inglourious Basterds. And Decaprio, delightfully evil, yet stylishly charming, is perfect as Candie; proving once again that he can tackle almost any persona. Samuel Jackson also steals the show in more than one scene, playing an almost unrecognizable older black man, complete with white hair and a cane.

Typical to Tarantino’s style, the first half of the film is engaging without resorting to action. A scene at a dinner table with characters having a conversation is written with such wit, that you do not immediately require a violent confrontation.But you know something is coming. The anticipation is similar to that of a kid waiting those last few hours until Christmas morning. And when the moment comes, boy does it come. I will not give any more away so as not to spoil it, but just know this: it is worth the wait.

“Django Unchained” is not only Tarantino’s best, it could easily hold one of the top slots of an all-time great western list. Years from now, when people look back at Tarantno’s work, I anticipate that this will be one of the highlights of his career. Leone would be proud.