Spike Lee: Django Unchained Is Disrespectful to My Ancestors
Spike Lee
Spike Lee says he does not plan to see Quentin Tarantino's new film Django Unchained because it's disrespectful to his ancestors.
"I'm not gonna see it," the filmmaker told VIBETV. "All I'm going to say is that it's disrespectful to my ancestors to see that film. I can't disrespect my ancestors. That's just me. ... I'm not speaking on behalf of anybody else.
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The movie, which comes out on Christmas Day, stars Jamie Foxx as a former slave who becomes allies with a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz), as they try to rescue Django's wife (Kerry Washington) from a ruthless plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). As is Tarantino's trademark, the Western mixes extreme violence, including graphic depictions of whippings, with humor.
Lee further expanded on his thoughts about the film on Twitter.
"American Slavery Was Not A Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western," he wrote. "It Was A Holocaust. My Ancestors Are Slaves. Stolen From Africa. I Will Honor Them
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Tarantino has yet to respond directly to Lee's comments but had previously said that he was prepared for backlash about the film. "I may take flak but I always do on some level with my work," he said. "Wouldn't be a Tarantino film without some flak and criticism. I bet anyone who sees the film won't be able to forget it — and that's the point."
This isn't the first time Lee has criticized Tarantino. He previously called out Tarantino for his extensive use of the N-word in his 1997 film Jackie Brown.
Are you going to see Django Unchained?