Written by Charlie Johnson
With more information being released about Quentin Tarantino’s next film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, I was compelled to go back through the quirky director and writer’s filmography. What better place to start than with a pair of films that have informed so much of our popular culture. So, with a pot of coffee handy and my Netflix fully buffered, I began a journey into art and absurdity.
The first thing I had to think about when writing this review is whether to treat the films separately or as two parts of a whole. For those readers have yet to dive into Kill Bill, the first volume is only 111 minutes, while Volume Two is much longer at 137 minutes. Officially they were released a year apart from each other and have distinctly different pacing and styles, but still tell the same story. Because of the unusual nature of the Kill Bill story, I will tackle each part individually and then evaluate the piece as a whole.
Volume 1
Do you like action? Like, ridiculous hyper action? Excellent. Once this film gets going it doesn’t let you stop. The story follows a woman we only know as ‘The Bride’ as she seeks revenge on a group of international assassins that attempted to kill her on her wedding day. These actions resulted in the death of her unborn child. Oh, and ‘The Bride’ wasn’t just one of the group. She was the best there was. After she wakes up in hospital four years later and creates her kill list of O-Ren Ishii, Vernita Green, Budd, Elle Driver, and Bill. Still following me?
Don’t let the convoluted plot discourage you though. In classic Tarantino style all of this is revealed gradually throughout the movie. Stylistically, this film has a bit of everything. It opens with an eerily framed black and white segment before transitioning into a hardcore fight scene in suburbia with over saturated colours. Halfway through we are given a brief look into O-Ren’s Japanese – American – Chinese heritage, but it is told through a fully animated sequence. This is visually striking with big, black, brush stroke outlines and calligraphy style splatters and motion lines. It serves to tell the story through its own art medium as well as content. Clearly Tarantino was having a fun time messing with different filmic techniques. Over-dubbed sword and punching sound effects pay homage to the Kung-Fu and samurai movies of old add another layer a sensory saturation. Regardless of whether you’re keeping up with the story or not, Kill Bill Vol.1 is fun to watch as it keeps your eyes on the screen, wondering what’s going to happen next.
And of course, the next thing to discuss is the action. As varied as all of Tarantino’s films are, one thing you are guaranteed is lots of blood. He seems to have a fetish for arterial sprays and exploding blood packs. Don’t get me wrong, the choreography of the fight scenes in the movie is amazing. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen swordplay as dynamic as the fight scene against O-Ren’s personal entourage. But, I was quietly relieved when the camera faded to black and white again. It dulled the gore and hyperviolence in a clever way. If you know anyone who finds blood squeamish, keep them away from this one. All said and done, the stunts were ridiculous but believable in the way that all good Kung-Fu films are.
Something that I’ve neglected until this point is the cast. This isn’t because they were forgettable but more so because they are the characters. Uma Thurman isn’t Uma Thurman anymore. In my mind she is now ‘The Bride’. Lucy Liu is O-Ren and so on. While Hollywood continues to debate the whitewashing of certain roles, it is heartening to see a film with so many Japanese people cast in Japanese speaking roles. During one of the final fight scenes in a Japanese bar, Tarantino had the native band the 5,6,7,8’s playing themselves and their own music. All of this added to the credibility of the setting.
Kill Bill Vol.1 starts in an intense place and doesn’t let you down until the final credits. A must-watch cult classic that is worthy of a 9/10.
Volume 2
A full year passed before we were treated to the other half of ‘The Bride’s’ story. With Uma Thurman only halfway through her death list, you’d be excused for thinking that Volume Two would set a similarly frenetic pace to the first. Tarantino did what he does best by once again defying expectations with this instalment.
While Volume One comes at you with all guns blazing, the second Volume takes a gentler approach by building its tension through flashbacks and character development. I won’t elaborate on what these revelations are but, the plot of the film revolves around the characters finding out each other’s secrets and how they react when confronted with new truths. This makes for slower, deeper, and (arguably) more satisfying viewing. If Volume One was like eating candy with your eyes, the Volume Two is the equivalent of chewing on some meat and vegetables.
Most importantly we find out two things by the end of the film:
- We find out what Bill looks like. We find out pretty early, but at the same time it is exciting to know who we’re meant to be rooting against.
- We find out ‘The Bride’s’ name. That’s one of the big reveals at the end of the film. So, I’ll leave you to react to that one.
In between these two big reveals we have lots of exposition and depending on who you are, it might be a bit of a grind. I wouldn’t call it info dumping as it is properly spaced out so as not to be overwhelming but, there wasn’t a whole heap to keep me invested. The promise of an exciting climax was what kept me watching.
There were some interesting ideas and clever cinematography. At one point, Uma Thurman finds herself buried alive in a wooden crate. The feeling of claustrophobia was captured quite well with muffled microphones and strategic lighting. Apart from this, it felt like Tarantino used most of his know how making the first film as visually stunning as possible. Michael Madsen was enjoyable as Budd and his portrayal of a modern-day-can’t-ever-get-a-win cowboy rang true and provides an interesting dynamic as the only major male character apart from Bill.
There isn’t too much more to say about Volume Two. I think it suffers from a case of sequel-itis. While there isn’t anything inherently wrong with it, it dishes up more of the same with less impact and answers to the questions you had about the rest of the story and resulting in a 6.5/10.
Overall?
Kill Bill is an interesting pair of films. They cover the same subject matter and story, but do it in a completely different fashion. If you have the time I would highly recommend watching both parts in the same sitting, like I did. They work much better as two parts of a whole than individual films. By itself though, I would have to rate Volume One as one of my favourite films of all time. As single piece of film, I would rate Kill Bill an 8/10. It’s a much-watch for anyone who claims to be a fan of the film industry.
