Review of Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) by Stevenf — 05 May 2013

Kill Bill is a film where director and writer Quentin Tarantino tries out various techniques, not to see if they work, but simply for his own enjoyment and to boast of his talent for detail, especially when so many of these techniques are used simultaneously, which has created an unforgettable opening of a two part tale.

Uma Thurman stars as a bruised and beaten woman known simply as ‘The Bride’, who is betrayed on her wedding day by her colleagues, a group of dangerous individuals known as the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, led by Bill (David Carradine).

When they underestimate The Brides will to live, she eventually awakens from a coma and seeks revenge on those who wronged her, and as the opening quote on the screen suggests, “Revenge is a dish best served cold”, and this woman has nothing but cold and calculated on her mind.

Tarantino has told the story in a non-linear fashion, using chapters to split up the story, and incorporating various flashbacks of how exactly the wedding scenario played out. But in regards to the bride, she sets off by making a list of those who portrayed her, and its clear from the beginning that this film was always going to be building to something bigger, does it take anything away from the film? Perhaps a little, it certainly stands on its own two feet, but the fact remains that we are introduced to these various characters but only get a handful of them. Saying that, however, the scenes with these particular members of the Deadly Viper group are fantastically gory, anime and exaggerated tone that only Tarantino is capable of pulling off with such gritty means.

Uma Thurman’s ‘Bride’ is typically cold and in a particular mindset for the film, she delivers her kills with little mercy, perfectly portrayed by Thurman herself, who shows her willingness to throw herself into any role, a junkie in Pulp Fiction and now a deadly assassin.

The final moments of the film, and the build up are quite remarkable. Tarantino utilises his devices including typical Japanese slashers and even Spagetti Westerns to culminate in a massively colourful fight scene, but the final confrontation between the Bride and O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu is a beautifully crafted scene, and a true powerhouse in filmmaking.

For what it lacks in finalising a story, Kill Bill Vol. 1 certainly makes up for in its unique ability to combine visually striking scenes of blood splattered marvel, and Tarantino is truly at his best.