Year: 2003-2004
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Country: US
Language: English
A lot of thoughts come up when Quentin Tarantino's name comes up; Violent, Brilliant, Controversial, Trash, Talented, Hack, Artistic, Repulsive. Tarantino is a polarizing man who brings about deep conversation in cinephiles and casual film-goers alike. Personally I think Pulp Fiction (1994) was the pinnacle of his career and he has never made anything quite as great. In 2003 Tarantino would make the ultra-violent Kill Bill, and it would shock the world.
The lead character, called 'The Bride,' (Uma Thurman)was a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, lead by her lover 'Bill.' She fled to Texas, met a young man, who, on the day of their wedding rehearsal 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.
If you're looking for realism in a Tarantino movie then perhaps you need to check yourself into a mental health ward. Kill Bill is a complete fantasy; an intricate homage to kung fu, samurai and Japanese Cinema with a side dish of Western. Unlike in Tarantino's later films, his mix of old cinema and new cinema blend perfectly. It works as irony, satire, drama and pure action. The score and pacing of the film are impeccable, the action sequences are extremely well choreographed and shot. I especially love the strong female lead character. In mainstream cinema, too often men are the dominating heroes who save the damsel in distress. Beatrix Kiddo doesn't need a man, she kicks butt all on her own.
Unfortunately Kill Bill is not perfect. Like all Tarantino films (with exception of Pulp Fiction) it is very entertaining but lacks social and historical importance. The characters are interesting but their motivations have no psychological depth or resonance. Aside from the technical aspects of film, there is nothing to learn from it as it's simply a revenge story. The ending was completely disappointing. We spent about 4 hours waiting for Beatrix to "kill bill" and that's how it ends? Not with a bang, but with a whimper? It has certainly turned me off from trying to watch the film again.
In conclusion, Kill Bill was one of the more enjoyable Tarantino films. This film is one of the very rare cases where its censored television version actually makes the film more enjoyable due to how funny it is. Oddly enough the violence isn't censored, but some of the dialogue is. "My name is Buck and I like to party" and "Flunk you!" Watch both and compare the versions yourself. 3/5
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