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Movie Review
Kill Bill: Volume 1
By Gareth Von Kallenbach Published October 10, 2003
US Release: October 10, 2003
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Uma Thurman , David Carradine , Daryl Hannah , Michael Madsen
R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexual content.
Running Time: 110 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $70,098,138
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Uma Thurman , David Carradine , Daryl Hannah , Michael Madsen
R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexual content.
Running Time: 110 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $70,098,138
B-
A dazzling combination of action and visuals that will delight some and frustrate others who are looking for more depth.
Revenge has long been the inspiration behind many films and novels. A classic example is found in the pages of Moby Dick where Captain Ahab peruses the white whale in a reckless and deadly obsession fueled by his desire for revenge at all costs.
In the films ?Jaws? and ?Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,? both had strong themes of revenge central to their plot. For example, Khan desired revenge against Captain Kirk to the extent that he was willing to risk his life, freedom, and the lives of his crew to obtain it. In ?Jaws,? Quint places his crew, ship, and life in peril rather than to allow his pride to be wounded and admit that he needs help in bringing in the shark.
In Quentin Tarantino?s new film, ?Kill Bill: Volume 1,? audiences are introduced to Black Mamba (Uma Thurman), a former assassin who is attacked and left for dead by her fellow employees on her wedding day. She awakens from a coma four years later with a steel plate in her head and a score to settle.
After escaping from the hospital undetected, Black Mamba sets off for Okinawa to mentor under a sword maker and prepare her body to take revenge. With the aid of a specially made sword, Mamba sets out to locate and kill her former cohorts, including her boss Bill (David Carridine), who put a bullet in her head on her wedding day.
Tarantino tells the story in a stylistic and at times bizarre manner that uses foreshadowing, flashbacks, black and white scenes, and anime in a non-linear story that jumps around nearly as much as the aforementioned Black Mamba during a fight scene. Thurman does solid work in a very demanding and physical role, yet does not get much sympathy from the audience, as it is hard to feel tremendous compassion for a person who is a stone-cold killer. Lucy Liu provides a fine supporting performance as the head of a crime syndicate named O-Ren Ishi who is sought by Mamba, as she was present at the wedding day massacre.
There has been much mentioned in the media of this film being divided into two pictures rather than releasing a three-hour picture. In many ways, this is a disservice to viewers, as after a fantastic action sequence, the film ends in under whelming fashion with only a slight bombshell of information being announced. While this does add a degree of interest, it does not provide the big hook that may be needed to make casual viewers want to pay to see the completion of the film rather than wait for the video.
That being said, Tarantino has provided viewers with a film that is a dazzling combination of action and visuals that will delight some and frustrate others who are looking for more depth. The film shows that Tarantino is a talented and visionary filmmaker who is a master of mixing action, quirky characters, over the top action, and twisted humor to create a symphony of theatrical originality.
In the films ?Jaws? and ?Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,? both had strong themes of revenge central to their plot. For example, Khan desired revenge against Captain Kirk to the extent that he was willing to risk his life, freedom, and the lives of his crew to obtain it. In ?Jaws,? Quint places his crew, ship, and life in peril rather than to allow his pride to be wounded and admit that he needs help in bringing in the shark.
In Quentin Tarantino?s new film, ?Kill Bill: Volume 1,? audiences are introduced to Black Mamba (Uma Thurman), a former assassin who is attacked and left for dead by her fellow employees on her wedding day. She awakens from a coma four years later with a steel plate in her head and a score to settle.
After escaping from the hospital undetected, Black Mamba sets off for Okinawa to mentor under a sword maker and prepare her body to take revenge. With the aid of a specially made sword, Mamba sets out to locate and kill her former cohorts, including her boss Bill (David Carridine), who put a bullet in her head on her wedding day.
Tarantino tells the story in a stylistic and at times bizarre manner that uses foreshadowing, flashbacks, black and white scenes, and anime in a non-linear story that jumps around nearly as much as the aforementioned Black Mamba during a fight scene. Thurman does solid work in a very demanding and physical role, yet does not get much sympathy from the audience, as it is hard to feel tremendous compassion for a person who is a stone-cold killer. Lucy Liu provides a fine supporting performance as the head of a crime syndicate named O-Ren Ishi who is sought by Mamba, as she was present at the wedding day massacre.
There has been much mentioned in the media of this film being divided into two pictures rather than releasing a three-hour picture. In many ways, this is a disservice to viewers, as after a fantastic action sequence, the film ends in under whelming fashion with only a slight bombshell of information being announced. While this does add a degree of interest, it does not provide the big hook that may be needed to make casual viewers want to pay to see the completion of the film rather than wait for the video.
That being said, Tarantino has provided viewers with a film that is a dazzling combination of action and visuals that will delight some and frustrate others who are looking for more depth. The film shows that Tarantino is a talented and visionary filmmaker who is a master of mixing action, quirky characters, over the top action, and twisted humor to create a symphony of theatrical originality.
Gareth's Grade: B-
Gareth's Overall Grading: 50 graded movies
| A | 6.0% | |
| B | 44.0% | |
| C | 40.0% | |
| D | 10.0% | |
| F | 0.0% |
'Kill Bill 1' Articles
- Jennifer's review A-
October 15, 2003 Simply awesome. -- Jennifer Alpeche - Greg's review A
October 12, 2003 Truly a film for movie lovers such as myself. -- Greg Ward - Lee's review B+
October 11, 2003 May very well go down as one of the coolest films ever made. -- Lee Tistaert
