[yasr_overall_rating]
The story of Django Reinhardt, famous guitarist, and composer, and his flight from German-occupied Paris in 1943.
“Django” opens in 1943 with a traveling band of Gypsy musicians being shot at in the Ardennes Forest by Nazi Troops. The lead singer is shot in the head, and the film cuts to Django on the Seine in Paris. He is fishing languidly in a rustic tiny boat, drinking a petit flask of brandy. He is late to his performance but the crowd is excitedly patient. The curtains are covered in stars giving the stage a lovely atmosphere and a sign in the theater stating dancing is forbidden. Foregoing the no dancing rule, the tunes beckon the crowd to their feet, even a couple Nazi officers can’t help but move to the enchanting melodies. After the stirring performance, Django is promptly told that he is to embark on a German tour and can no longer play “nigger music.”
Django Reinhardt was a Belgian born French-Romani Jazz guitarist who achieved international acclaim and was the first big jazz export from Europe. Django is played by the excellent actor Reda Kateb. He first caught my eye in the exquisitely exhilarating crime saga “The Prophet.” Django’s life was not easy and while he was a traveling Gypsy he suffered injuries in a caravan fire that left two fingers paralyzed. Amazingly, Django learned to play with just his thumb and two fingers. The film focuses on his plans to escape from France and cross to the Swiss Border.
The film is nicely lit using mostly candlelight for night scenes and natural light showcasing picturesque parts of Paris and the French countryside. The music is lovely and Reda Kateb looks like he really learned how to play guitar for the role. The film meanders a bit at times when it is trying to showcase Django’s introspective struggle. He had the privilege of not being taken to the Concentration Camps but was forced to watch loved ones and colleagues be subjected to the horrors of the Holocaust. Countless films about the Holocaust tend to overlook the struggles of Gypsies and other minorities. It was insightful and a breath of fresh air to see the Gypsy Musicians’ plight during WWII. The film closes out with one of Django’s classical compositions called “Requiem for Gypsy Brothers,” it is stunning and although the majority of the Score was lost, a few measures remain intact.
In select theaters in Los Angeles January 19th
