A good movie. Of course, it has its profound connotations, but in the details of the basic story logic, it must be the first to pass.
This means that even if you don't know American history, you don't understand why the Germans didn't like black slavery. But only by relying on the information explained by the film lens, you can understand the choices of the characters and the psychological logic.
I think in terms of "history" and "background", there are already many friends who have spoken very well. Then, I will disassemble the internal logical design of the story from the perspective of "how the movie story itself shapes Dr. Schultz". In this way, it is deduced why Dr. Schultz, who has always been calm and talkative, will shoot the little plum and eventually lead to his own death.
The story in the film is large, probably divided into four large scenes.
Act 1 Save Django, Act 2 Kill Sheriff Dr. Schultz are both absolute protagonists.
Act III Killing the "Three Brothers", Schultz's role begins to decrease.
Act IV Buy "Gladiator", in the first half, Django and Schultz's scene begins to be equally divided. In the second half, it is Django's one-man show.
The first act, the scene that sets the tone for Dr. Schultz, is in the first story. Explained how the doctor and Django met. Let's start with the first act.
Act 1
We can see that Dr. Schultz is warm and talkative. Even though the two slave traders repeatedly insulted him and asked him to "speak English", he was polite and did not speak in a slow tone.
In his conversations with the slave traders, we can conclude that Dr. Schultz is German. He looked like a merchant, and his ability to communicate with a slave trader with a gun at least meant that this man must have some thunderous means.
After all, only when you have the ability to kill the other party and don't let yourself get hurt, a person's performance will be so insulting.
In the process of Holding a Lantern and shining on the faces of the slaves one by one, Schultz also shows the audience how the black slave named Django is different from the others. This is the portrayal of Django, which is not pressed here.
Dr. Schultz asks Django if he has seen the target he is hunting. The questions asked are:
Ever seen it? (Does he have the key information he needs)
What are their names? (Say you've seen them, do you really know them?) Or is it a lie to be bought? ）
Will you recognize it when we meet again? (Can you identify the target of the hunt?) ）
It can be seen that Dr. Schultz is very logical and rigorous. In particular, the last question was asked after having just experienced the killing of a slave trader.
After killing people, you can also talk and gracefully ask questions, one is to show that Dr. Schultz is mentally strong. The second is to show that he has long been accustomed to the matter of "killing".
Before killing the slave trader who pointed a gun at himself, Dr. Schultz confirmed with him that you were joking when you pointed a gun at me, or did you really want to kill me? After receiving a positive answer, turn out the lights, raise a gun to kill people, and shoot horses.
He kills because the other side wants to kill him.
Shooting horses, one is to prevent the opponent from counterattacking, and the other is that he still has to keep his mouth alive to buy Django.
And Schultz's rigor, after the lights are extinguished, can also be seen in the shot of picking up a new lamp with a gun. When he lifted the lamp, he pointed a gun at the slave trader, even if the other party had any unusual means of counterattack. Schultz can also do it by shooting first and crashing to the opposite side.
The lamp is also lifted on the gun so that the other party can see the muzzle of the gun clearly and not do stupid things.
Faced with a man who was powerless to resist, Dr. Schultz still had to pay for Django to buy him. Then guide the rest of the black slaves to kill the slave traders. So why not just shoot the slave owners and give the money to the black slaves to let them escape?
Of course, there is a sense of mentor leading the black slaves to rebel against the awakening, but at the same time, it also shows that Dr. Schultz is a man who writes "legality" in his bones. Although his methods may be cunning and despicable, they must be "legitimate".
The story of the first act also laid the groundwork for the fourth act of the later period.
That is, if you want to get from a slave trader, it is so tortuous to pay for a slave. Then, it is even more difficult to buy a female black slave under the hands of a farmer on a slave farm.
It is precisely for this reason that Schultz would think of buying a "gladiator" at a false price to attract the attention of the little plum. In fact, he bought Django's wife at a low price.
Along the way, Dr. Schultz really taught Django a lot. In addition to shooting and how to be a bounty hunter, he was also taught a lot of courtesy, such as not wearing a hat in the house, and there must be a legal contract to save his wife. Instead of snatching people away directly, they will be hanged for breaking the law. He was also taught to write and read.
For example, at this time, Django also read seven thousand as seven hundred and zero.
In quoting Mr. Calvin, he would already say twelve thousand (twelve thousand).
Act II Kill the Sheriff
If in the first act, Dr. Schultz's stunning appearance sets the tone for this character. Then the second act, for his behavior logic is deepened, while showing Schultz's superior wisdom, but also explained his specific reasons for buying Django, for the next story to unfold, set a new task.
Schultz, though disgusted with "slavery," obeyed this rule because it was legal. Although the contract of "slavery" binds Django to let him help himself, he feels deeply guilty of his own guilt. But at the same time, he did need Django to recognize the three people he was going to hunt. At the end of the mission, he is willing to pay each person the first $25, for a total of $75, and give Django a "free body".
From Dr. Schultz's behavior, it can be seen that he is very human rights-oriented, although the other party is a slave he bought, and he also has the ability to shoot and kill anyone instantly, but he still maintains "respect" for Django and does not regard him as a "tool". Nor did it follow the pressure of the unique environment in the south.
These are all explicit information, let's take a look at what is hidden in the lens.
Dr. Schultz pours wine. This shot is heavily depicted. Both glasses of wine were given to the camera. We can see that Dr. Schultz poured the wine glass, scraped the foam with a scraper, and then filled the glass again.
There is a lot of stuff to be said in it. Dr. Schultz will definitely pay for these two beers. But while paying for a drink, he wants to maximize his interests. The wine glass must be full.
If not, he could have poured a few more glasses of wine, or filled them up after drinking them, without bothering to pour two glasses of wine like this.
Therefore, an important character of Schultz is already hidden here: "Maximize his own interests under the premise of legality." ”
As for calling the bartender to the sheriff, not the gendarmerie captain. This was taken into account when he entered the hotel. He went to the sheriff to kill him. At this time, even he had already thought of a way to get out. So how did Schultz make this plan when he wandered around the town?
As the first time he had come to a region of the South where slavery was so severe, Dr. Schultz was puzzled by the strange way people looked at him.
Django replied, "They've never seen a black man riding a horse." "Well, they must have never seen a black man in a bar. Surely looking for local law enforcement to expel him and Django. In this way, he could effortlessly take out the sheriff.
Before entering the tavern, we can see that Dr. Schultz, who is already checking the people on the wanted list, match the guys we just met.
And Dr. Schultz, how can he be sure that under the siege of the gendarmerie captain, he can retreat completely?
The captain of the gendarmerie said, "No one here can die so easily." ”
The answer was written on the gallows that both men had seen when they had just entered the city. Since there is a gallows in this city, the enforcers here must be happy to hang the most heinous people on it for the gentlemen and ladies here to enjoy.
And as long as there is this process, he has the opportunity to speak, as long as there is a chance to speak, he will never die.
That is to say, the seemingly rough and strong operation is actually all in the precise plan, and in the short journey before entering the tavern, the whole plan has been written in the mind of Dr. Schultz. Be bold and methodical.
Dr. Schultz faced the sheriff with one shot and one headshot. In the eyes of the public, this seems to be extremely vicious.
But if you compare django's third act, whipping the white man and firing multiple shots at him in a row to vent his anger. It can be seen that Schultz is actually pursuing simplicity and efficiency. Although a ruthless bounty hunter, he does not want his prey to suffer at his own hands. Ending the other person's pain as soon as possible is his choice.
He didn't like torturing people, even if this person was his enemy.
This can be seen when looking at the black horns.
Schultz looked solemn at the brutal duel, but in order to cater to others, the next moment he squeezed out a smile that was fun. At that time, a black man, in order to win, actually broke the eyeballs of another person.
Perhaps at this moment, The image of Calvin, who handed the hammer to let the negro kill another negro, was not so bad in the doctor's mind. At the very least, it quickly solves the other person's pain.
But what the doctor didn't expect was that Calvin made this decision only because the black man who had lost his eyes was too noisy.
Act 3 Killing the "Target"
The protagonist of the third act is Django and his painful memories of parting with his wife. It is the stage when the first revenge story ends and the new story is about to begin. The doctor's role is relatively small.
But we can still analyze the doctor's behavioral logic from a few shots.
Face the powerful farmer, both for the sake of the task. Still respectful of others, he risked "business can't be done" and refused to let the black Django get off the horse. Because Django is a "free body", not a slave. This is his principle.
At the same time, Dr. Schultz also cleverly used the set of lines chosen by Django to make the farmer think that this strange man from Germany had some strange habits of the aristocratic circle, so he smoothly talked to him about business. And give Django the opportunity to look around for the three brothers.
While killing the last man on horseback, Schultz confirmed several times to Django that the man on the horse was the last target. This also reflects the rigor with which he is absolutely good at killing. When Django replied in the affirmative, the gunshots rang out. Blood stained cotton fields.
He was not only a quick gunner, but also a sniper.
Before the film enters the fourth paragraph, there is also a section in which Schultz asks Django to kill the other party's father in front of someone else's child.
Dr. Schultz is not a good man, he follows the principle of "legality". Because the target who was going to be killed had killed and set fires. If the government wants him to die, he deserves to die. Being able to die in front of his own son is more fortunate than many other wanted criminals.
"The perpetrators don't deserve sympathy."
But in Django's understanding, "legal" is enough. Therefore, when he played the role of a black slave trader, he could easily reprimand and harass black slaves, just so as not to expose his identity to Calvin and other white people.
But the next thing that happened was that it completely broke through the bottom line of the two people.
Act IV: Deep into Hell
The previous scenes of the story have presented the image of Dr. Schultz to us in a complete and three-dimensional way.
He is clever, law-abiding, has an online IQ, and marksmanship.
Any crisis is under his control.
Deep in his soul he wrote, "We must abide by the law and maximize our profits."
It is also based on this principle, coupled with the fact that in acts one and three, the purchase of slaves is a shame (although the third act of buying black slave girls is only an excuse). Only then was his final plan to buy the "gladiator" at a high price, go deep into the candy estate, and use the condition of "speaking German" to buy the maid "by the way" at a low price. Then slip away.
What must be said here is that the doctor is willing to come here with Django to help Django. Not just the long-term relationship with Django, the relationship between the two.
Another reason is because Django's wife was raised by a German master. Deep down, he thought that such a girl should not be treated like a slave. You should have a free body.
This allowed Schultz to finally embark on this road of no return.
But the dark and bottomless hell of slavery in the American South still made Schultz, a gentleman, completely break his defenses.
From the first sight to the solemnity of the life-and-death struggle between gladiators. When Calvin chased after the escaped gladiator, he could not bear to see him die, and took out his wallet and almost revealed his weakness and helplessness. (Because in the wine table conversation, he is also a circle of people with Calvin, and they are the kind of people who would not buy a worthless person, nor would they take the life of a black person.)
Schultz's bottom line was tested again and again until he thought he could stand a group of dogs tearing up the escaped slaves.
He suffers from "violating his principles" in order to be able to rescue Django's wife. Because if this goal is not achieved, then the sacrifices ahead will be meaningless. He wasn't the kind of man who wore a candy estate with a gun, though he did.
In fact, at the dinner table, he was still able to talk and laugh, and almost succeeded in inducing Calvin to sell the maid at a low price, because they were soul mates on the "German" side, and he had not returned to Germany for a long time.
Schultz's shooting of Calvin seemed particularly sudden. Obviously, as long as you shake hands and let go of your self-esteem, you can successfully escape from the ascension. Why do you have to shoot and kill the other person?
He is not a pure hero, and there is an element that this shot cannot afford to lose.
More importantly, his bottom line has been completely broken at this moment.
He had always been accustomed to taking everything into his hands, but this time he was discovered by a black butler who had broken his plan.
Seeing the black slave torn apart by the dog, he certainly believed that Calvin's hammer would smash through the head of Django's wife.
So, he immediately paid twelve thousand dollars. This is the moment when Schultz's humanity is at its greatest.
But this twelve thousand dollars is really too much to lose. This made his greetings, disguises, and forbearances all the way to no sense. Even if he had been willing to pay twelve thousand dollars for Django's wife, he could have saved the black man who had been torn apart by the dog.
When Calvin asked his men to send dogs to bite the black man to death, Schultz had already decided that Calvin was a complete scumbag. He gave his black slaves the names of Dumas's novel characters, but used slaves as "tools" entirely.
Part of the "legality" he pursues is "death with dignity." And Calvin, even saying that their circle, is only killing for fun for pleasure.
It was something he couldn't accept at all. He also disdained to associate with people like Calvin.
But the status quo is that he is disgraced by such a person.
We can see that in this last scene. For the first time, Schultz was faced with a complete spiral of control and turned himself into a lamb to be slaughtered. It's like a clown who has exhausted his tricks and finally been debunked.
His moral bottom line was completely breached, and his personality was mercilessly ridiculed by the other party.
In this moment, Schultz is confronted with all the principles constructed in the first three acts, completely shattered and trampled on the feet of the opposing side with mockery.
That's why there's this scene.
Auf Wiedersehen! (Goodbye in German)
The doctor said Auf Wiedersehen! Is looking forward to seeing you next time. But to Calvin, he said "Good bye."
Calvin couldn't hang on to his face. It is necessary to shake hands with the doctor, which means that the transaction between the two parties is out of goodwill.
From before Calvin appeared, we can know from the dialogue that this is a person who wants face and loves to dress.
Monsieur Calvin liked France, because gentlemen liked France, and he wanted others to call him by his French name, to prove that he was a gentleman, but he himself did not know French, so do not speak French in front of him, or he will be embarrassed.
It can be said that Calvin was repeatedly offended by Django on the road, but was able to endure. I'm just afraid that the first business of 12,000 US dollars and the long-term business that may exist in the future will eventually make a fuss. (Don't lose face for money).
But when Dr. Schultz had been tricked for so long and determined that it was just a hammer deal, he was after a "complete victory".
Unbeknownst to me, this time the crushing handshake of personality became the last straw that crushed Dr. Schultz.
When Dr. Schultz asked the words, "Do you really want me to shake your hand," it was undoubtedly a death ultimatum to Calvin, as the prologue did.
But in the prologue, the slave trader is taking his life with a gun. Calvin used the "handshake" to destroy what little dignity Schultz had left.
Apparently, Schultz shot and killed Calvin, violating his own "legal" principles and facing death.
But at this point, Schultz believed that the last thing he had to do was to guard his own dignity than to guard his own life.
Dr. Schultz's final scene is a cold corpse with its back to Django.
And django took his wife's deed of sale and said the profound Auf Wiedersehen to him!
This was also the last word he taught Django.