23) Kill Bill: Vol. 1
24) Kill Bill: Vol. 2
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Year: 2003 and 2004
Plot Summary: The lead character, called 'The Bride,' was a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, lead by her lover 'Bill.' Upon realizing she was pregnant with Bill's child, 'The Bride' decided to escape her life as a killer. She fled to Texas, met a young man, and on the day of their wedding was gunned down by an angry and jealous Bill (with the assistance of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad). Four years later, 'The Bride' wakes from a coma, and discovers her baby is gone. She, then, decides to seek revenge upon the five people who destroyed her life and killed her baby.
Quentin Tarantino is a master of combining genres of cinema to make something entirely unique. His latest release, Inglorious Basterds, falls somewhere between a spaghetti western, a French New Wave film and a war movie; three things that you'd think would never work, but somehow come together brilliantly.Kill Bill isn't any different. It mixes influences of everything from kung fu movies, blaxploitation films, animes and westerns to create a terrifically entertaining picture that, I believe, is the most accessible of his body of work.
I can't imagine anyone not enjoying the first half. The pace is as electric as any film in modern cinema, there are plenty of laughs, it's full of action-packed and Tarantino really lets himself go on the style front. Moreover, it's a brilliant introduction to The Bride, a character shrouded with enigma and mystery. We never really know why she wants her revenge but we are given slight hints throughout the narrative to keeps us gripped and engrossed in her story.
However, the second half, I believe, is when Kill Bill really begins to shine. While I can see people being disappointed with because it's so different, it's here that Tarantino explores the characters of The Bride and Bill and the viewers are shown the relationship between them and the full reasons why The Bride is out for vengeance. The pace is slowed and the action is reduced, sure, but the tension is ramped up and the storytelling becomes more mature allowing Kill Bill to become more than just a fun, electric, exciting piece of cinema, but also one that has an emotional punch.
The highlight of both films though is the soundtrack. Without the music, which ranges from western scores and Japanese music to classical tracks and rock songs, I don't actually think the hybrid of genres and the tone of Kill Bill would have mixed so well. Every song highlights Tarantino's fantastic gift of being able to choose music that perfectly suited to the images it accompanies on the screen.
It's not his best by any means, but I had forgot just how enjoyable Tarantino's Kill Bill series was.
4/5
2 comments:
It's middle ground for Tarantino. It's enjoyable all together but if I start to pry it apart I just lose all that satisfaction immediately.
7/10
Nowhere near as good as Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction or Inglorious Bastards. Far better than Death Proof. :) I think most of Kill Bill is just style for the sake of style. I usually have reservations about that but I can't help but find myself swept along for the ride anyway.
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