Rarely do people possess the talent and commitment that Leonardo DiCaprio exhibits in his work. His 2012 Quentin Tarantino revisionist Western film, Django Unchained, is a stark example of this.
Although the Titanic actor’s memorable performance in Django Unchained was commendable, an accident on the set turned his performance into a renowned moment in Hollywood history.
In one of his most significant scenes as the despotic slaver Calvin J. Candie, DiCaprio was seen on camera suffering a real injury. The actor, who was actually hurt did not go out of character; rather, he incorporated it into his performance, even though it could have been edited out of the final cut.
It is not uncommon for people to get hurt on movie sets, and even acclaimed actors like Tom Cruise have had medical crises while pulling off stunts. But the peculiarity of DiCaprio’s injury was that it appeared to be completely natural, and was not even intentional.
Leonardo DiCaprio Suffered A Hand Injury While Filming Django Unchained
Many of Quentin Tarantino‘s well-known characters are found right in the middle of humanity’s morally gray zones, but with Calvin J. Candie in Django Unchained, the filmmaker veered into vile villainy. Leonardo DiCaprio put everything into his intense portrayal of this cruel slave owner, despite feeling uncomfortable in the role.
The depth of Calvin’s performative charm and underlying menacing undertone were most apparent during a scene at a dinner party at his home (in Django Unchained).
What began as an amicable discussion quickly curdled into something more sinister. During one of his outbursts, DiCaprio banged his hand against a glass, leaving his hand covered in blood for the remainder of the scene.
The injury was not anticipated in the plot. The Great Gatsby actor injured himself because he became too immersed in the action. He explained why he never thought about leaving his character after the cut in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, prior to the release of Django Unchained:
“Maybe they thought it was done with special effects. I wanted to keep going. It was more interesting to watch Quentin’s and Jamie’s reaction off-camera than to look at my hand.”
The rest of the cast gave DiCaprio a standing ovation following the shot before stepping away from additional takes where his hand was bandaged in case Tarantino wanted to edit around the wound:
“I’m glad Quentin kept it in.”
Quentin Tarantino Praised Leonardo DiCaprio’s Portrayal Of Calvin Candie
Leonardo DiCaprio is renowned for his ability to completely commit to every role he plays, and his portrayal of the complex and evil, Calvin J. Candie in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained is still regarded as one of his most memorable performances to date.
DiCaprio played the rare role of pure evil, and the actor employed all of the skill and charisma that made him an idol to portray a role that even drove Tarantino to the brink of insanity. In an interview for Playboy, the writer-director stated:
“I hated Candie, and I normally like my villains no matter how bad they are. …what I’m always trying to do…is get you to kind of like these guys, despite on-screen evidence that you shouldn’t. Despite the things they do and say and despite their agenda. I also like making people laugh at f***ed-up s***.”
Django Unchained‘s existence was controversial for some, as was to be expected given Tarantino’s signature style and preference for extreme violence, but the movie was a box office and critical success.
In addition to earning over $426 million at the box office, Django Unchained received five Academy Award nominations and took home two of them—Best Original Screenplay (Quentin Tarantino) and Best Supporting Actor (Christoph Waltz).
You must watch Django Unchained, which is streaming on Pluto TV.
Source- The Hollywood Reporter
