I could not catch Kill Bill Vol 1 on the big screen and
eagerly waited for the DVD release.
Quentin Tarantino has progressed to a level where
his name can be used as an adjective in the Hollywood
dictionary.
Kill Bill Vol 1 tells the tale of a assassin known as
The Bride (Uma Thurman) whose real name is bleeped out
whenever it is uttered on the screen.(nice touch this)
On her wedding day, she is attacked by her ex-boss cum ex-lover
Bill and her old killer bumchums. The wedding party is wiped out
and the pregnant Bride is sadistically shot in the head by Bill.
She however survives (yes such things happen in Hollywood movies too)
and lies comatose for four years when a deep bite by a mosquito
jolts her out of the coma and she embarks on the road to revenge.
The rest of the movie (and probably most of Vol 2) is the Bride taking
revenge on her mates and ultimately Bill.
Tarantino uses every trick in the book for this movie.
Black and White flashback shots, non-linear story line etc etc
He also switches the movie between live action and animation giving
the movie a comic book feeling which one realises later is what this
ultimately is, a story of revenge told in comic book style.
There is a big dose of action and violence most of it exaggerated and
in excess. I mean, how many times do cut off limbs spraying blood
like a shower head can one see in less than two hours ???
The dialogue is cool and u cannot help grinning all the time at the
one liners and parleys.
Some examples,
The Bride stops off to obtain a sword from master sword maker Hattori Hanzo(Sonny Chiba) .
He has been retired for years but she persuades him
Bride:’’I need good Japanese Steel’’
Hanzo:’’Why do u need Japanees Steel ?’’
Bride:’’I have vermin to kill’’
Hanzo:’’You must have big rats’’
Bride:’’HUGE’’
When he manufactures a sword for her he hands it over immodestly saying ’’This my finest sword.
If in your journey you should encounter God, God will be cut.’’
Uma Thurman is correctly cast for the role of the Bride.
She is alternatively muted and fiery as the character of
the Bride demands her to be.
Don’t watch this expecting a masterpiece. It is quite brilliant but is as fun as a martial arts film can get.
Enjoy