Quentin Tarantino month: Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2

A review by Chris Lee

Ah, Quentin Tarantino. Hollywood’s weird, eccentric brother. When Tarantino is in the room, you know he’s in the room. His films carry an identity too-often poorly parodied, and rarely mistakable. Personally, I’ve enjoyed every single one of the man’s ventures, minus Jackie Brown, which I just haven’t seen. (Editors Note: See? I told you it's the forgotten Tarantino)

Of the films I have seen, and, being an action-film connoisseur, I have to say, Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2, which I consider a single film, is my very favorite.

The 2003/2004 action drama follows “The Bride”, a character devised on the set of Pulp Fiction by Tarantino and BFF Uma Thurman. The Bride is out for revenge against her former allies, all of whom were part of a clan of highly-skilled assassin’s, known as the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, managed by the ruthless and titular “Bill”.

I’ll leave the reason for her revenge out, as it’s revealed early on, and is compelling enough for anyone who can empathize with other human beings on hopefully the most basic levels. What follows is an in media res, non-linear adventure that succinctly covers and explores each member of the former squad, their part in The Bride’s journey for revenge, and their feelings about the betrayal they committed.

Containing some of the best fight choreography in modern cinema, Kill Bill is a visual/audio treat. While the film does suffer some pacing issues due to certain expository scenes, everything supports everything else to develop a rich world that’s believable as existing just underneath our own. Uma Thurman’s driven performance as the Bride instantly earns her character’s sympathy, even as she slices and dices her way through countless goons and her former friends. I feel safe in saying that The Bride sits up with Sarah Connor and Ellen Ripley as one of the all-time great action-movie heroes.

When watching Vol. 1 and 2, be sure to set aside time to watch both back to back. The journey is a bit long, but completely worth it, standing as a contemporary epic that will forever be one of the greatest western martial arts/revenge films ever made.

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