Have you ever wondered what it’s like to cook up a masterpiece in a kitchen of creative chaos? Well, if there’s one chef who knows how to serve up unforgettable dishes, it’s Quentin Tarantino. With plenty of delectable films under his belt, the director, 61, has consistently served us courses of iconic characters, most especially his villains, dripping with richly composed dialogue like a well-cooked sauce.
While he has a longstanding tradition of sympathizing with his culinary creations, even the less palatable ones, there’s one villain he just can’t choke down—Django Unchained’s Calvin Candie.
The two-time Academy Award winner once confessed how he usually “likes them [his wicked characters] to some degree or another” including the notorious Hans Landa (from Inglourious Basterds). But Candie? Oh boy, he’s that burnt piece of toast that Tarantino “really, really hated”.
Even Quentin Tarantino’s Villain Is a Bridge Too Far: Why Candie Takes the Cake
When it comes to villains, few can match the stomach-churning revulsion served up by Leonardo DiCaprio’s portrayal of Calvin Candie in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. This character isn’t just a bad guy; he’s a walking, talking affront to all things decent.
So, if villainy had a poster child, Candie would be it. He’s so abhorrent that he manages to make even the director cringe. In a chat with the ReelBlend podcast, Tarantino admitted that DiCaprio’s character was a different beast altogether. While he usually finds some redeeming quality in his villains—whether it’s understanding their motives or seeing their point of view, as with Hans Land—Candie was an exception.
To quote the director:
I kinda detested the character. I really, really hated him.
According to Tarantino, Candie was a character of no ambiguity, making him, in his eyes, a “lesser character,”. However, DiCaprio’s performance managed to sprinkle a bit of complexity on this otherwise one-dimensional villain.
DiCaprio, who brought Candie to life, echoed this sentiment. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he described Candie as
He was one of the most deplorable, indulgent, horrendous characters I’ve ever read in my life.
Ergo, there you have it—Calvin Candie is that rotten apple in the basket of bad guys that even Tarantino finds too spicy to stomach.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Input Changed Django Unchained for the Better?
In a jaw-dropping scene from Django Unchained, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Calvin Candie performs a grisly demonstration of phrenology—an old-school pseudoscience that tries to read personalities by poking around in skulls.
Surprisingly, it was DiCaprio who pushed Tarantino to stir this phrenology into the script. The star’s dedication to his role was nothing short of obsessive. According to an interview (via Outstanding Screenplays), Tarantino praised DiCaprio’s commitment, saying:
I don’t think he ever thinks in terms of ‘I’m playing the good guy, I’m playing the bad guy’. He couldn’t help but realize that the guy was a repellent gargoyle. At the same time, he wanted to get a sense of who Calvin Candie is. How could this way of life actually exist in this time period? It was actually his idea to bring in the whole phrenology aspect. He sent me a bunch of materials to read.
DiCaprio’s deep dive into his character’s twisted psyche and his push for the phrenology subplot not only spiced up the scene but also gave the film an extra jolt of authenticity.
Django Unchained went on to rake in awards like they were going out of style, snagging two out of five Academy Award nominations. Tarantino himself took home an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA for his screenplay.
Django Unchained is available on Apple TV.
