Historical Representation Unchained

The first part of the chapter revisits the question of why and how simplistic discussion about history’s factual accuracy could usefully make way for the acceptance and utilization of more sophisticated literary and artistic strategies in historical accounts. In reviewing these debates, a problem surfaces, however: the ‘experimental’ theoretical ideas proffered do not seem to agree with contemporary public sensibilities regarding the genre of historical fiction, at least as evidenced by many popular examples. To tackle this problem, the second part offers an intertextual reading of Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained (2012), which will hopefully elucidate both the film’s place in as well as contribution to the genre of historical fiction today.