Postmodernism - Kill Bill: Vol. 1

Fig 1.

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 - Director, Quentin Tarantino

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 is the first chapter in ‘The Bride’s’ (Uma Thurman) revenge story. Left for dead by the ‘Deadly Viper Assassination Squad’ for leaving the squad to start a new live ‘The Bride’ is left in a coma for four years. Once she has awoken she embarks on a journey to eliminate the remainder of the squad and its leader, her former lover, Bill.

Fig 2.

This film does have a tendency to feel slow in comparison to Tarantino’s previous projects (Reservoir Dogs (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994)) in a way that adds for suspense, but you can’t help wonder what it may have been like if it had been edited shorter, faster passed and with both Volumes in one film. To quote the BBC who say they "just about get away with hacking the film in two". That said, it just adds more excitement for the next volume and from a box office point of view that counts for much.

Fig 3.

Throughout the film is a plethora of homage to old Kung Fu and Samurai films, think Bruce Lee’s ‘Game of Death’ (1978) directed by Robert Clouse and the over the top, blood gushing kill fest of ‘Shogan Assassin’ (1980) directed by Robert Housten. Time Out sums it up perfectly “Tarantino, firmly in fanboy mode here. Kill Bill is not about real life, it's just about other movies” True, there are so many references in this film that one could easily not make the most of it without background knowledge of the influences behind it and what made Tarantino tick. Highly recommended for all, but particularly if you have a great fondness to its influences.


Trailer



Bibliography

Kill Bill: Vol. 1, BBC, 2003, [Online] avaliable at http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2003/10/06/kill_bill_volume1_2003_review.shtml   [Accessed 21 September 2011]

Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Timeout, 2003, [Online] avaliable at http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/78659/kill_bill_vol_1.html[Accessed 21 September 2011]

Image Bibliography

Fig 1 . Kill Bill: Vol. 1, DVD cover, 2003, [photography]
http://sharetv.org/images/posters/kill_bill_vol_1_2003.jpg

Fig 2. Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Movie Still, 2003, [photography] http://geekadelphia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/kill-bill-031.jpg

Fig 3. Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Movie Still, 2003, [photography] http://one.obuzz.com/admin/Upload-Wallpapers/Wallpaper/main_image-34394.jpg