10 Continuity Errors And Plot Holes In Django Unchained

One of Quentin Tarantino’s finest ever works is the revisionist Western Django Unchained. The film follows a freed slave as he lives the life of bounty hunter before embarking on a mission to free his wife from her captors. The film was multi-award-winning and is often considered one of the high-points of Tarantino’s already incredibly impressive directorial career.

Despite this, the legendary director wasn’t able to keep every element of his masterpiece perfect. Every now and again, plot holes and errors in continuity rear their head, and we’ve picked out ten of the most interesting for you to look out for on your next re-watch.

10 Fur Elise

One of the most famous pieces of Beethoven of all time is his piano piece “Fur Elise.” While it had technically been composed by the time of the events of Django Unchained, it wasn’t made publicly available through publishing until 1867, almost ten years after the events of the film.

As such, it isn’t possible for the harpist in Candyland to have access to the sheet music of the piece or be able to play it for her audience. Maybe that’s what Schultz goes and shuts her up…

9 The Moving Wax

Towards the end of the film, Broomhilda’s papers are being finalized through a special wax seal that Candie adds at the bottom. As he makes the mark, it is shown to be above where he has signed, but when the camera moves away, it has magically moved itself to above his signature. It seems strange that they didn’t just use the same exact prop for both shots to avoid continuity errors like these?

8 The Use Of Dynamite

Dynamite was invented in 1867, the same year “Fur Elise” was published, actually—maybe Tarantino should have just set the film then—by Alfred Nobel.

Despite Django Unchained being set in 1958, it makes some very prominent use of dynamite. Much of the cast has explained that the film isn’t designed to be a history lesson, effectively instructing the audience to overlook such issues as creative liberty required to tell the story.

7 Butch’s Two Guns

One of the very few things we learn about Butch throughout the entirety of the film is that he really likes getting his guns out. When the opportunity arises at the dinner table, he is quick on the mark. However, the first shot of this action shows him pointing a pistol at Schultz, the second shows him pointing a shotgun at Django, and the third shows him pointing both of them at the same time. Interesting.

6 Miss Candie’s Dramatic Death

The death of Miss Candie is one of the most satisfying parts of the film simply because she goes flying from one room to another. Her moral stance wasn’t actually abundantly clear.

However, if you really think about her death, it doesn’t make much sense. Django is both above her and at an angle, suggesting that she would have sort of crumbled downwards towards the doorframe rather than go flying out of the room. This was obviously an intentional over-dramatization of the event from Tarantino.

5 $68 or $65?

Much like the issue with the wax suggested above, this issue comes down to the unnecessary use of more than one prop for the same shot. Stephen is writing a check for $65 just before the group first arrives at Candyland, but, when the shot changes, the check is suddenly for $68.

4 “Motherf****r”

The word “motherf****r” has basically become Samuel L. Jackson’s catchphrase whether he is in a real-life situation or in a film. Obviously, Tarantino couldn’t let him get all the way through a film without saying it a fair few times.

The problem is, the word’s origins are suggested to date back to 1889 at the earliest, which is a fair few years after the time of Django Unchained. It isn’t impossible, of course, but it’s still unlikely that his character would have thought to say that.

3 The Teeth

The fact that an ex-dentist is one of the main characters in Django Unchained and the issue with everyone’s teeth is never mentioned seems very strange. With limited sanitation options available, Calvin Candie wouldn’t be the only one with rotten teeth. However, everyone has rather pristine Hollywood teeth that don’t quite match their setting.

2 Different Beer Levels

Towards the start of the film, Schultz and Django have a beer in a bar. This must be a pretty crazy experience for Django after so many years of malnourishment and torture. It also must be hard for him to understand his magical beer.

Between each shot, the glass each character has changes how much beer is in it. This suggests that they must have actually been having a few sips during filming, messing up the continuity.

1 Magic Horse

In one of his many moments used to prove his power, Django pulls one of Candie’s men off of his horse to prove a point. Everyone expects major punishment, but Candie simply lets it go. However, in the first shot, the horse falls over with him—but the ending of the film does make it very clear that no horses were harmed during filming—but, in the second, it’s back on its feet as though nothing happened.