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Having kept fans waiting for six years since 1997’s Jackie Brown, Quentin Tarantino’s ultimate exploitation homage flick Kill Bill was finally released on October 17th. For those of you who, like me have been ready for this film since Uma Thurman and Tarantino dreamed it up way back in 1994, the most important question ‘Is it any bloody good?’ is finally answered. Yes. It is good, with emphasis on the word bloody. Described by one critic as the most violent film ever delivered to a Hollywood studio, Kill Bill ensures that not only does it salute all the films it references it outdoes them too.
Unashamedly violent and unconventional Kill Bill is Tarantino’s baby, a film that has been living in his head for so long that the production crew had to tease details out of the notoriously meticulous director. His anal attention to detail seems to have paid off however, with a 22 million opening weekend in America proving that audiences have not forgotten the audacious talent that first blasted onto the screen back in 1992 with modern classic Reservoir Dogs. But following the slightly disappointing Jackie Brown in 1997 and a six year wait, fans had grown anxious that Tarantino had lost his inspiration. With only three studio films under his directorial belt critics are bound to compare Tarantino’s Kill Bill with his past work, namely 1994 masterpiece Pulp Fiction. Comparisons between the two are not really appropriate however as it is hard to find two films so completely different. The one comparison worth considering though is that of film references that pepper the entire canon of Tarantino’s work. From subtle homage’s to open rip-offs, the most famous film geek in the world loves to pay tribute to the films
and directors that have shaped his career, such as the blaxploitation films of the 70’s like Foxy Brown (1974) which led Tarantino to cast Pam Grier in Jackie Brown.
Taking its cue from Tarantino’s past homage laden films Kill Bill is no exception and has references to a dizzying amount of movies. Most of these are Kung Fu, Yakuza, Samurai and Hong Kong action films that Tarantino grew up on. The most blatant homage is Uma Thurman’s yellow tracksuit which is an exact replica of the one Bruce Lee wore in Game Of Death. Uma Thurman was reportedly made to watch seventy five Yakuza/ Samurai films by Tarantino to help her prepare for her role. With so many film references and a plot based on the old Kung Fu revenge films of the Sixties and Seventies, Kill Bill is a movie that will repel and attract audiences in equal numbers. Few people can say that the thought of the ultimate tribute to Chop-Socky action films is really their idea of heaven and so the real attraction with Kill Bill will be its director Quentin Tarantino. It is a testament to the power of Tarantino that this film was made at all, as most studios would balk at the idea of an 18 rated revenge epic based on Kung Fu movies that hardly anyone has seen. If you are a fan of either Tarantino or Hong Kong action films then this is for you, if you aren’t then it’s probably best to stay well away.
As already mentioned the plot of Kill Bill is basically about revenge. It centres on The Bride played by Uma Thurman, a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (also known as the DIVAS) who are a group of trained killers and led by the eponymous Bill. At the start of the film The Bride is getting married after attempting to leave the DIVAS, only to have her wedding ambushed by the rest of her former colleagues who kill everyone and leave her with a bullet in the head. Five years later she awakens from a coma and embarks on a quest to kill her would be assassins and their leader Bill. Her mission takes her to Japan where she enlists the help of legendary martial arts star Sonny Chiba who creates the ultimate samurai sword which she then uses to gory effect.
Performance wise, Uma Thurman is perfect as the vengeful Bride, after the killers who left her for dead and murdered her unborn child. Thurman never overplays emotion yet always keeps her character accessible to the audience, we want her to win even though she is hacking body parts off in record numbers. The scene where she wakes from her coma is particularly touching and at all times she keeps her character human, allowing the violence to become cartoonish but not her performance. The role of Bill played by David Carradine is a fascinating character who we don’t meet properly until the second film. Carradine was second choice for the role after Warren Beatty dropped out, and was chosen because of his past role in a cult Kung Fu television series. As gang leader O-Ren Ishii former member of the DIVAS, Lucy Liu gives a career best performance, blending her Charlie’s Angels cheeky charm with a psychopathic streak that leaves the audience smiling and wincing at the same time. The other members of the DIVAS Darryl Hannah and Michael Madsen are glimpsed in this film but are mostly saved for the next instalment.
As everyone now knows the film is split into two parts because it originally came in at three and a half hours and Tarantino was unwilling to cut bits out. This divide works very well with a natural climax in the narrative that doesn’t feel forced and sets the scene nicely for Volume Two. In terms of plot Kill Bill won’t win any awards, but if we wanted plot we’d go and rent Pulp Fiction. The reason for seeing Kill Bill is its action and in that respect it delivers some of the most exciting, visceral and stunning fight scenes since The Matrix. It also provides the perfect antidote to jaded Matrix fans who had waited four years for The Matrix Reloaded and then had to watch Colonel Sanders look-alike ‘The Architect’ talking rubbish for twenty minutes. The fighting is all beautifully choreographed by the finest in the business and, refreshingly, was achieved with absolutely no CGI at all. There were fears originally that Tarantino would use CGI for some of the more daring wire-work, but he put fears to rest saying “ This CGI bullsh*t is the death knell of cinema. If I’d wanted all that computer game bullsh*t, I’d have stuck my d*ck in my Nintendo.” The crowning glory of the film is the riveting final show down in ‘The House of Blue Leaves’ featuring eighty eight samurai assassins, one angry Bride and a bloodstained sword. Of course the violence will doubtless put many people off, especially as it is mostly played for laughs with limbs being lopped off and blood gushing in fountains from decapitated torsos.
Fans of the trademark cool Tarantino soundtrack won’t be disappointed as he delivers his best yet, an addictive blend of Japanese bands and tracks that sounds instantly familiar. The only break with tradition, and a very welcome one at that, is the absence of a Tarantino cameo as he was too busy with directing. For those of us who remember all too clearly the canoe jawed geeks appalling scene in Pulp Fiction it is something we’ll find very easy to live with. Luckily for him his directing is better than his acting however and in Kill Bill he crafts something utterly unique, original and yet so completely retro. The Brides showdown in a snow covered Japanese garden is exceptional but then there is also a sword fight in black and white, a sword fight in silhouette and a stunning flashback scene done in traditional Japanese Anime.
As action films go this is an instant classic, summarising and then bettering all the films that inspired it. Destined to be one of Tarantino’s finest films, it outstrips both Reservoir Dogs and Jackie Brown with only Pulp Fiction matching it for pace, structure and sheer innovation. Don’t bother saving your money for The Matrix Revolutions, the action film of the year is already here. It’s Kill Bill.
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Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Production Year: 2008 - Action/Adventure - Director: Christopher Nolan - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 1977 - Action/Adventure - Director: Clint Eastwood - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring:Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, William Prince, Bill McKinney
One of my favourite films, great review too, very helpful
PlaceboFan 05.09.2004 18:14
Fantastic op - for me this was the better of the two kill bill vols. A whole lot more blood and guts in this one, maybe one of the reasons I preferred this one lol PlaceboFan x
kitty17 20.07.2004 11:11
Excellent review. Think this has to be Tarantino's best film yet. Ellie
Proudly billed as "the fourth film by Quentin Tarantino",Kill Bill, Volume 1is actually ... more
half of it (if you include his chunk ofFour Roomsit's really the fourth and a quarterth). IfJackie Brownachieved a certain maturity beyond callous cool, then this i...
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Proudly billed as "the fourth film by Quentin Tarantino",Kill Bill, Volume 1is actually ... more
half of it (if you include his chunk ofFour Roomsit's really the fourth and a quarterth). IfJackie Brownachieved a certain maturity beyond callous cool, then this i...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon...
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! In part 1 of Quentin Tarantino's delirious ... more
revenge movie Uma Thurman plays 'The Bride' a woman seeking vengeance on those who massacred her wedding party... Inspired by countless Japanese swordplay actionfests...
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The acclaimed fourth film from groundbreaking writer and director Quentin Tarantino, KILL ... more
BILL VOLUME 1 stars Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu and Vivica A. Fox in an astonishing. action-packed thriller about brutal betrayal and an epic vendetta! Four years after...
clarebartlett1974 12.07.2004 (12.07.2004)
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Review of Kill Bill Vol.1 (DVD)
Advantages: A Quentin Tarantino film with a great plot, and amusing blood Disadvantages: Some people find it boring, but I don't understand it myself...
![Kill Bill, Volume 1 [DVD] [2003]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78528686.jpg "Kill Bill, Volume 1 [DVD] [2003]")
Oct 23rd, 2003
(Oct 24th, 2003)
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