Quentin Tarantino’s fourth film, “Kill Bill: Volume 1,” is a conglomeration of movie genres, combining the moves and attitude of a Kung-Fu flick with the gory, but humorous killing from a teen-horror film and the revenge story of an action movie or Hollywood western.
“Kill Bill” begins with a sinister adage, “Revenge is a dish best served cold,” followed by the origin of the saying, “Ancient Klingon Proverb,” a reference to “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.” This simple entrance sets the mood for the entire movie: serious content and attitude with a humorous connotation.
Blood, and lots of it, is revealed to be another theme in the opening black and white scene. The Bride, played by Uma Thurman, lies in a puddle of her own blood surrounded by the dead members of her wedding party, including the pastor and the organ player.
The culprit of the bloody deed is Bill, the Bride’s former boss, played by David Carradine. Bill is the rarely seen leader of a team of female assassins named the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. Each member is named after a poisonous snake: California Mountain Snake, Cottonmouth, Copperhead and the deadliest, Black Mamba a.k.a. the Bride. The DVAS crew consist of actresses Daryl Hannah, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox and Thurman, respectively.
The Bride, visibly pregnant, is left for dead after a pummeling inflicted by her fellow assassins, and a single bullet wound to the head, courtesy of Bill.
Thurman’s character is later found alive but comatose, and is rushed to the hospital. The Bride’s hospital stay results in another attempted assassination which is called off by Bill. His rationale is that if the Bride does wake up they can inflict more pain on her.
The revenge plot begins four years later when the Bride suddenly snaps from her unconscious state. She wastes no time in revenge-spurred killing spree. Miramax split “Kill Bill” into two parts as its three hour duration was deemed too long. The film lends itself well to the split because of its chapter vignettes, akin to another Tarantino film, “Pulp Fiction.”
Each chapter has its own title and distinct style. One chapter incorporates the feel of a traditional martial arts film while a later chapter has a more action-movie mood. One background scene for Ishii, a.k.a. Cottonmouth, dictates his childhood through a blood-soaked animé sequence.
The twist that keeps the audience guessing and begging for more is the mixture of dialogue, action and music that are rarely in sync. The mixing effect allows the audience to notice the subtle nuances of the film. It also gives the movie less of a serious feel.
The action sequences were not as heavy as originally hyped, and the excessive blood-spurting from severed limps and torsos depicts the killing with a humorous, rather than shocking, tone.
The dialogue is not exactly Oscar caliber, but not a stumbling block for the film either. Tarantino’s script is very contemporary and speaks well to younger audiences, although “Kill Bill: Volume 1” is rated R.
This film is for those who are tired of watching the same old story told the same way. It will dazzle and perhaps confuse you. Each minute of Volume 1 will keep any film fan on the edge of their seat and anticipating Volume 2.
“Kill Bill” will probably not win any best picture considerations simply because it breaks too many molds and boundaries. The film is light and funny while still remaining intense and fascinating. “Kill Bill” makes for a great escape from the average movie experience.
