Today we’re running five essays on Tarantino’s latest film, Django Unchained. The intention of running so many was not to give Django a disproportionate amount of coverage, but to reflect the controversy and conversation the film has sparked: I’ve overheard 80-year-old men in Speedos talking about it at my swim club, and a thread on my own Facebook page got so heated that I almost quit social media entirely. The scope of these essays spans love, hate, and ambivalence, and I hope they give a kaleidoscopic view of a film whose controversy exhibits just how much more thinking and talking and writing needs to be done.

Take #1 –Larry Fahey can’t wait for Quentin Tarantino to grow up.

Take #2 – Melissa Chadburn provides a personal reflection on Django and folds in the views of friend Ty Hardaway, who loved the film.

Take #3 – Nicholas Rombes touches on Sontag, Cornel West, and George Fitzhugh in his multi-lensed review.

Take #4 – Ade Adeniji reviews Django, tying in the 1975 film Mandingo, Malcolm X, Spike Lee and more.

Take #5 – My review of Tarantino’s good intentions, and the responsibility of the artist.