Kill Bill, Vol. 1 2003
I never got to see this movie when it came to the theaters even though it got some very good reviews. You just about can’t go wrong seeing a Quentin Tarantino movie; even if it isn’t his best work, it will have something that makes it worth watching. To me the best thing about Pulp Fiction was the script and the dialogue between the different characters. Unfortunately Kill Bill has very little dialogue and instead focuses on action as Uma Thurman’s character, The Bride, seeks revenge on her former gang who murdered her entire wedding party and left her for dead. It’s a classic story of revenge, but doesn’t afford much character development. And there isn’t much dialogue. You do get out-of-sequence “chapters” showing background and more recent plotlines. And you get lots of martial arts fighting with Uma Thurman generally kicking a lot of butt.
Meanwhile, Tarantino pays tribute to his favorite movies as he grew up. The gang members are all samurais so there is very strong Japanese influence, both modern and past. It is an odd tribute to see a very slick movie by a very hot director, who pays tribute by copying the very elements that scream low budget, like the spewing blood when someone loses a limb (this happens a lot) or how one person can take on fifty fighters and win. His affection and familiarity with the material makes the movie very sincere, but if you aren’t as fond of the influences you will be on the outside looking in. And that’s where I am, not a big fan of martial arts movies, or comically overacted Japanese movies from the 70’s. One of the chapters is even filmed in the stilted bug-eyed style of animation called anime, which I don’t really care for either.
So while I appreciate the classic influences and elements of the movie, watching it was underwhelming for me. Still, it is Tarantino, so I thought it was worth watching and it kept my attention with some good lines and a sizzling soundtrack. And I will watch the sequel to find out what happens next. I’ll give this a B.
Written: 16 Jun 2006