Kill Bill review

Kill Bill is a blood and gore packed action thriller released in 2003/2004 in two parts. Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino, this film shows no mercy with spilling blood. Starring Uma Thurman as a Bride with certain revenge on her mind, we never find out her true name to conceal her identity. We also never see the main villain directly face on. This film is engaged in mystery, yet through an explosion of clips collaborated together we begin to understand its motive.

 

Originally this film was a long four hour epic, which was cut down for cinematic purposes into two films, the latter released as a sequel in 2004. In some respects, this goes to show the already unconventional approach to film making that Kill Bill pursues, with Quentin Tarantino really pushing the boundaries of what some may find visually acceptable. The use of camera work, breaking into the forth wall and cutting away into stylised animations shows this strange approach in full light. The way in which the film is presented somewhat is as if it is the bride herself reliving the the story, checking over her list of revenge.

The way in which the fights are set out are very well choreographed, you can tell that it is fiction and that these are not sword fights or acts of revenge based on realistic capabilities. This unbelievable notion actually helps to keep the film at its peak throughout, and while impressive you start to feel like you have been sucked into a computer game. It is exactly that the film is set out almost like the levels of a game, where Uma Thurman's character manages to take out each adversary one by one to get to the main Boss. This in many respects is good for the game industry itself, so therefore perhaps Quentin Tarantino had this in mind when making the movie.

The lighting used within this film sets the atmosphere for the scene itself, therefore if an epic battle is to be displayed where blood will be in its masses the film switches into a darker setting. The colour cheme for the most part is bright and simple, almost comic like in appearance.

The film starts with Uma Thurman being a hitman's target at her own Wedding. We believe she has been killed, which soon after we discover isnt the case. She falls into a deep coma for four years at a Hospital where she is sexually taken advantage of while unconcious. We then skip four years back into the future, where the bride engages into a violent fight with an ex co-worker named Vernita. The bride manages to assassinate Vernita succesfully with Vernita's Daughter becoming aware of the ongoing events after they had taken place. The bride explains to the child how she is sorry for taking her Mothers life, however if she wanted to take revenge when she was older she has every right. She will later seek revenge on the bridge herself as a young adult. We then see her look at who she wants to seek revenge on next, which takes us back in time again to determine the cause. The next in line is a lady named O'Ren Ishii, a Japanese-American. In going back four years we see how Ishii helps beat up the bride her fateful wedding day. This is what sends her into a coma, when the Police find her body during their murder investigation she is immediately placed into hospital. She is abused at the hospital while unconscious, even with one of the villain's henchmen attempting to assassinate her. The film continues with the bride fighting her way out of the hospital, travelling to Japan where she is trained by an old swordsmith named Hattori Hanzo. He also makes her a sword to help her on her quest to kill Ishii. In turn she engages in an epic battle between Ishii's guards and Ishii herself. The bride is the victor in this battle, which makes way for the second volume.

A very clever film indeed and even if you dont understand it the first time around you'll still enjoy its intensity.

Chris