Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Starring: Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, and David Carradine.

Directed By: Quintin Tarantino

Plot: After spending years as an assassin for the organization known as the Deadly Viper Organization Squad, a woman known as the Bride decides to quit that life and settle down in marriage.  Unfortunately for the Bride, Bill, the leader of the squad, decides to have her, her fiance, and her unborn child murdered at the alter.  But miraculously, she survives in a coma for four years, and she's ready for revenge.  After escaping the hospital, she makes a list of all the people who tried to kill her on that bloody wedding day.  First on her list is O-Ren Ishii, a half-Japanese, half-Chinese American who now runs the Tokyo Yakuza.  Will the Bride succeed in her quest for revenge and make her way to Bill, or will she fail before she even begins?

Characters: If there's one thing that Tarantino is known for, it's creating memorable characters, and this film is no exception.  Each one gets a moment to shine in their own unique way, whether  it's through funny dialogue or exciting action sequences.  Uma Thurman was an awesome choice to play the Bride, pulling off the subtleties of the character with ease.  She could have easily have been a flat character, focusing only on her quest for revenge, and while that's in the forefront, she's much more layered then that.  She has a sense of humor, she can still be impressed, and despite her experience as a fighter, she's not perfect, and can still be overpowered.  Despite being fully willing to kill and torture her enemies, she remains honorable, and is able to tell the difference between people who deserve death and those who don't.  Lucy Liu is also fantastic, only this time, she's the opposite side of the coin, O-Ren Ishii.  Unlike the Bride, this character has no remorse for anyone, including her closest allies.  While this character trait has the potential to alienate the audience, the back story she's given, as well as Liu's charisma make her a very interesting character.  Her dialogue with Thurman is really fascinating, showing that these two warriors have great respect for each other and that they are evenly matched.  Finally, there's David Carradine, who gives a captivating performance as the titular Bill.  His suave persona and calm demeanor make him very entertaining, despite the audience never seeing his face and learning little to nothing about him.

Writing: One of the most intriguing aspects of this film is the homages it makes to old samurai films from the 1970s.  This is shown through the simple story of revenge, the gratuitous violence, and the use of Japanese locations, characters, and culture.  It even verges on parody at some points, like when hordes of expendable soldiers wielding katanas suddenly appear.  The story also has some influence from westerns, such as the main character being a gritty anti-hero with no name.  This film also has a good amount of humor that ranges from chuckle worthy to hilarious.  One of my favorite jokes is when the Bride and O-Ren say "silly rabbit, trix are for kids".  The fact that the actors play it completely straight makes it even more hilarious.  The way it's structured is also very enjoyable.  It jumps between different time periods, especially in the first half.  At one moment we're following the story in the correct order, when the next we'll follow a story in the past.  This leads the audience to constantly guess what's going to happen, which adds to the entertainment.  It's also a great way to get through exposition, instead of through long stretches expository dialogue.  The audience gets to experience these events with the characters.  However, the story becomes a lot more linear during the second half, once the Bride travels to Japan.  This isn't necessarily bad thing however, since at that point the story can focus on the main events of the plot.  Unfortunately, this does make the film feel weirdly paced.  The story is comprised of five chapters, but the first half contains three of them, making the second half feel more dragged out.  Also, since this is the first of a two part story, the film feels incomplete and somewhat unsatisfying.  When a movie is split into two parts, making the first part feel like a complete story while also setting up the next installment can be a near impossible task, and this film unfortunately doesn't quite meet that challenge.

Production: If I could describe this film in one phrase, it would be "visually stunning".  All of the actions scenes are memorable, with the last third of the film being one big action sequence.  The blood and gore effects look pretty cheesy, but that just adds to the homages to the old samurai films, and fits right in with the slightly tongue-in-cheek tone.  It's reminiscent of grindhouse films that inspired the film.  The fight choreography is spectacular, with a unique variety of fighting styles, ranging from hand-to-hand combat to sword fighting.  The colors are vibrant, with bright yellow, deep blues, and blood reds all contrasting with each other.  However, some of the color choices are...interesting, to say the least.  There are some portions of the film that are in black in white or in silhouette for seemingly no reason.  Despite the seemingly random nature of these choices, it still looks amazing.  One of the more curious sequences is during O-Ren's backstory, which is done entirely using anime (Japanese animation).  While this also feels somewhat out of place, it looks as good as the rest of the film, if not better.  Like most anime, the movement is very fluid, and the action is even more over-the-top then when the film is in live-action.  The sets and costumes are well made and inventive, giving a slightly heightened reality feel to the world.  The soundtrack is just as crazy and inventive as the rest of the film.  It uses elements from westerns, Jappanese culture, and 70s action movies to create a unique sounding score.  My favorite musical moments would have to be "Ironside" (whenever the Bride spots and enemy) and "Twisted Nerve" (the tune that Elle Driver whistles in the hospital).  These pieces add a bit of flair to their respective scenes, and make the movie as a whole feel more unique.

Trivia:

• The shot where the Bride slices a baseball with a katana was done for real on set by Uma Thurman's stunt double.
• The script for the film was first given to Uma Thurman by Quintin Tarantino for her 30th birthday.
• All of the music was taken from other musical sources, such as TV show themes and popular songs.
• Thurman and Tarantino came up with the film during the filming of Pulp Fiction.  

Final Verdict: Despite a few pacing issues, Kill Bill was a blast to watch from beginning to end.  It had memorable characters, smart writing, and amazing action.  The blending of Japanese culture with western style makes this film an unique experience, and will no doubt make it a classic for many years to come.  I would only not recommend it if you aren't comfortable with violence.  Otherwise, this is a must watch for anyone.  I can't wait to review the second installment.

In fact, why wait?  Next time, we'll take a look at the conclusion to the Bride's revenge.

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