Goofs
Jump to:
Anachronisms (24) |
Character error (2) |
Continuity (22) |
Crew or equipment visible (1) |
Factual errors (3) |
Miscellaneous (1) |
Incorrectly regarded as goofs (2) |
Revealing mistakes (1) |
Spoilers (3)
Anachronisms
In Calvin Candie's villa, a decorative copy of the Nefertiti Bust can be seen. However, the movie is set in the year 1858, while the bust wasn't discovered until 1912.
Share this
Share this
During an auction, Dr. Schultz calls out, "Sold, American!" But this line wasn't made famous until the 1920s when fast-talking auctioneer 'Speed' Riggs said it at the conclusion of Lucky Strike radio commercials. Also, "American" is in reference to the American Tobacco Company, which wasn't in existence until at least 20 years after the time the film is set in.
Share this
Share this
Michael Parks' straw hat is too modern, as it has eyelet air holes and a plastic cord lock on the chin cord.
Share this
Share this
Dynamite was not invented until 1867, while this film features it on several occasions and is set in 1858.
Share this
Share this
The Henry Repeating Rifle was not invented and put into production until 1860. While there is a chance they are using Volcanic Rifles, that would be highly unlikely.
Share this
Share this
The film mentions Lubbock, Texas. Lubbock did not exist in 1858 and would not come into being until well after the Civil War (Lubbock was founded in 1876 and the film is based in 1858 and proceeds through the winter into the spring of 1859). In 1858 the Panhandle of Texas was not traversed by the faint-hearted as it was essentially populated by only Kiowas and Comanches.
Share this
Share this
Calvin Candie compares a slave to a teddy bear, even though teddy bears were not yet invented until the time when Theodore Roosevelt was president, hence the name "teddy".
Share this
Share this
The harpest is playing "Fur Elise", which though written in 1810, was not published until 1865.
Share this
Share this
The lantern hanging off of Dr. Schultz's dental cart is a Dietz Monarch. This model lantern was not introduced till 1900.
Share this
Share this
The rifle used by Dr. Schultz and Django is a Sharps Model 1874 Buffalo Rifle, and would not have been available in 1858.
Share this
Share this
In the wrestling scene when the winner is given a beer, the beer has an "ez-cap" bottle cap. Which did not exist until around 1872 while the movie is set around 1859.
Share this
Share this
Dr. Schultz says the word "Malarkey" in casual conversation in 1858, the word didn't come into use until 1929.
Share this
Share this
The movie depicts the characters having and using guns that employ metal cartridges. Those would no be available in 1858, the standard round at the time being a paper cartridge containing powder and ball and a separate percussion cap.
Share this
Share this
Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson) uses the word "motherfucker" four times throughout the film, This is a linguistic anachronism as the word didn't exist until the WWI era (the Oxford English dictionary lists the earliest use in 1918).
Share this
Share this
Calvin Candie is seen smoking a cigarette with a cigarette holder in several scenes. The year is 1858. The cigarette was not mass manufactured in the USA until 1881 and the cigarette holder did not become popular until 1910.
Share this
Share this
During the "skull monologue", Calvin Candie mentions "genes". The word was coined after 1905 from the work of Danish scientist Wilhelm Ludvig Johannsen. Genetics were born with Mendel's work, which was published in 1866 and did not become widely known in the scientific community until decades later.
Share this
Share this
In the saloon you find a beer tap, which was not invented till the early 20th century.
Share this
Share this
The Female Tracker (Zoe Bell) is seen playing with a Holmes stereoscope, which wasn't invented until two years later.
Share this
Share this
After Django meets the 3 Australians one of them removes his belt & gun & hands them to Django. Belt loops can clearly be seen on the Australians pants. Belt loops were not invented until 1922.
Share this
Share this
At the Cleopatra Club, there are replicas of the famous bust of Queen Nefertiti. The film takes place in 1858; the bust was not discovered until 1912.
Share this
Share this
Several characters pronounce the word "valet" to rhyme with "ballet." This mispronunciation did not gain popularity in the United States until after 1950. Before then, it was pronounced to rhyme with "mallet."
Share this
Share this
Calvin Candie drinks a Polynesian Pearl Diver, a variation on The Pearl Diver's Punch, which was invented by Don the Beachcomber of Hollywood and first served in the 1930s.
Share this
Share this
Calvin Candie drinks a tropical drink through a straw. Straws were not sold commercially until 1888, although hollow reeds were used as straws before then. However, the straw in the film does not appear to be a reed.
Share this
Share this
In the Cleopatra Club, the patrons singing a song that includes a lyric about peanut butter. The film takes place in 1858-1859. Peanut butter as it is known today was not invented until 1884.
Share this
Share this
Character error
When Django is cornered and is asked to surrender, one of the supposedly dead guys in the doorway can still be seen breathing.
Share this
Share this
When Candie's house slaves are setting the table for dinner, they set the dinner knife at the place setting above the place with blade side towards the diner. This is not proper and would be an insult to the diner and a not so subtle hint that they have done something to upset the master or mistress of the house and need to leave. Proper knife placement would be blade side out. Blade side in means - motioning finger across neck.
Share this
Share this
Continuity
When Schultz and Django first camp, Schultz is seen putting on his pants AND suspenders. In the next scene he doesn't have suspenders on, but we see him hiking them up as if for the first time.
Share this
Share this
On the way to Candie Land, Django pulls one of the henchman's horses to the ground, bringing the rider with it. In the next shot, the rider is still on the ground, but the horse is suddenly upright as though nothing happened.
Share this
Share this
When Django is learning he is allowed to dress himself as he pleases, as he tosses the hat onto the bust in frustration, it rests off-center and pointing to the floor. But when the camera cuts back, the hat is suddenly level.
Share this
Share this
When Dr. King Schultz is speaking with the four remaining slaves (after freeing Django), he is holding the reins of his carriage with his right hand and is gesturing with his left hand. When the camera angle changes mid-sentence, he is holding the reins with his left hand and his right hand is suddenly raised.
Share this
Share this
When Django and Dr. King Schultz ride in to Candyland for the first time the fields in front of the gates are harvested/cut. When Django and Broomhilda leave Candyland together the fields have tall grass.
Share this
Share this
When Butch pulls a shotgun on Django and Dr. Schultz at Calvin's dinner table, he pulls out his revolver to point at the Doctor. Yet in the next cut he is pointing only the shotgun at Django, then the next cut he is again holding both weapons.
Share this
Share this
When Mr. Candie is placing the sealing wax on Broomhilda's papers it is seen above his signature but when they cut away and back to the papers, the wax is now below his signature.
Share this
Share this
During the bar scene in town while drinking beer discussing what a bounty hunter is, both characters glasses have different amounts in between various shots.
Share this
Share this
When Candie places the papers with the cake plate down, in the next shot, the plate is next to the papers, and subsequently back on top.
Share this
Share this
After the foyer shootout at Candieland when Django is seen hiding underneath the knocked-over cabinet about to surrender, a body is shown laying on its back directly in the middle of the hallway. Moments later as the camera pans over the array of bodies from the shootout, the body is moved to the left side of the hallway closer to the wall.
Share this
Share this
When the scene where Calvin Candie is sitting in library eating white cake, the bottom of the piece of white cake on the plate is on the right, when camera switches and comes back, the piece is flipped over.
Share this
Share this
When the group first arrives in front of the house at Candieland, Samuel L. Jackson's character comes out to speak with Leonardo Dicaprio's character. When shot from behind, Dicaprio is setting in the carriage with his legs crossed, and when the camera angle switches to the front, his legs are uncrossed. This jumps back and forth a few times.
Share this
Share this
When Stephen is signing the check for the Mills Feed Co., in the numerical box is 68.00 while the text line says sixty-five and the Mills Feed Co. is written sloppily. After Stephen uses the roller, Mills Feed Co. is written legibly while the 68.00 is now 65.00 to match the text line.
Share this
Share this
With Django and Dr Schultz's first visit with Calvin Candie the pool balls change places numerous times.
Share this
Share this
When Dr. Schultz gets Django and himself a draught beer, he fills up the glasses all the way to the edge, leaving almost no foam. When he grabs the beers from the bar a little while later, there's a thick layer of foam on both beers.
Share this
Share this
In the "mask scene" with the lynch mob, the guy complaining about no-one acknowledging his wife's work starts his rant while he's on the last row to the right of the screen and finishes it in the second to last row at the middle of the screen.
Share this
Share this
When Big Daddy turns up after Django and Schultz shoot the Brittle brothers, his hair is damp under his hat, when the camera jumps back to him it's back to being dry, it changes back and forth with each different camera cut.
Share this
Share this
When Django, Candie and the doctor are traveling to Candieland, Sheba was not in the group. But when they get back to Candieland she is there.
Share this
Share this
At the start of the movie, it is stated that the year is 1858. Winter comes and passes, so the year should change to 1859, however on all documents, the year 1858 is still being printed.
Share this
Share this
While Schultz was talking to Big Daddy on his cart, right after he introduced his horse, Fritz, we can see 6 people walking toward them near the gate. When the scene cuts to focus on Django, only 3 people are shown where there were 6. Then when it switches back to both Django and Schultz, there are again 6 people there.
Share this
Share this
When Dr. Schultz and Django are riding into Daughtrey, they encounter a young goat herder with a herding staff in his left hand and a leashed goat in his right. In the next shot, the staff is in his right hand, and the goat in his left.
Share this
Share this
As Shultz and Django ride up to the mansion the first time, the sun appears to be setting (or rising) from the left. As the scene progresses, the sun shifts sides, throwing the shadows of the shrubs and actors in opposite directions. This continues through the scene; sun from the left, sun from above, sun from the right, overcast.
Share this
Share this
Crew or equipment visible
When Dr. Schultz is casually mentioning to Hildy that there is a "friend" on the other side of the door behind her, many reflections of activity by the crew and camera are seen reflected in the glossy bedpost behind Schultz, as he sits in his chair. Neither character, in this scene, is moving.
Share this
Share this
Factual errors
In the film there is a cotton plantation located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. This region (The Grand Division of East Tennessee) is very mountainous and inhospitable for cotton, preventing large plantations from arising. As a result, the region had a low slave population which translated to anti-slavery and pro-Union sentiments in the years leading to the Civil War.
Share this
Share this
The film's opening title states that the time is 1858, 2 years before the Civil War. But the war began in 1861, which is 3 years later.
Share this
Share this
At the Cleopatra club, the winning fighter receives a typical bottle of beer, similar to the Dutch Grolsch bottles, however, this type of bottle was not patented until 1875 by Charles de Quillfeldt, 16 years after the time the movie is set in.
Share this
Share this
Miscellaneous
In the ending credits the song "Minacciosamente Lontano" by Ennio Morricone is misspelled "Minacciosamente Lotano".
Share this
Share this
Incorrectly regarded as goofs
The men in hoods pursuing Dr. Shultz and Django are often mistaken for the KKK, which wasn't founded until 7 years after the events of this movie, in 1865. However, according to Quentin Tarantino the men are predecessors to the Ku Klux Klan called the Regulators.
Share this
Share this
During the opening credits, the Speck Brothers have Django and five other slaves in chains. When Dr. Schultz catches up to them after the credits, there are only four other slaves. However, this is because the slave march depicted in the opening credits takes place over a week or more. At least one of the actors is different, because slaves were swapped out along the march, possibly including death. It has been stated in interview that this was deliberate, to depict the way a slave march would actually be.
Share this
Share this
Revealing mistakes
During the "skull monologue", the skull of Ben, the servant of Calvin's father, is actually a woman's skull.
Share this
Share this
Spoilers
Continuity
When Django kills the Australians the cage for the slaves is locked shut. However, when Django walks to the cage it is wide open.Share this
Continuity
After Candie is shot by Dr. Schultz, the camera zooms in on Stephen as he screams. For a brief moment, Butch is looking over his shoulder at Candie after he falls to the ground, all while pointing his gun at Broomhilda. However, once Stephen begins walking over towards Candie, it is shown that Butch is still facing Broomhilda and had not turned around yet. The camera then zooms in on Butch as he looks over his shoulder to see what happened.Share this
Revealing mistakes
After the big shootout in Calvin Candie's manor, Stephen gives Django his word that he won't be harmed if he surrenders immediately. Django can be seen lying under a large cabinet at one end of the hall and at the other end of the hall are two men that were killed in the gunfight. However, when Django walks past the dead man lying on his back, it's quite obvious that he is still breathing.Share this
