It never occurs to me that I'm watching an action movie when a Tarantino film is playing, but there's no denying they fit comfortably in that genre. Perhaps it's his strong emphasis on world and character building that diverts my attention, or maybe it's the striking visuals - always carefully hand-crafted to keep us engaged in the moment. I wouldn't be the first to say his influence transcends cinema, and I think it's because his signature traits are so iconic they imbue his audiences to look deeper into the narratives he lays out for them.
In this 2003 epic, Uma Thurman plays 'the bride', an assassin out for revenge against a squad of deadly martial artists. Told in true Tarantino fashion, the story jumps through characters and events in a non-linear fashion to reveal the hitwoman's journey toward the ultimate boss at the top of the food chain.
I see little reason to compare volumes 1 and 2 to each other. That'd be like weighing up two halves of the same book. Yes, they're very different in a lot of ways - Vol. 1 has a more consistent uniformity thematically, whereas volume 2 raises the stakes in the tension department. But that's what any good literary epic does, right? Instead, I think the most important thing to note is how the beginning of this saga intelligently pays homage to the sword fighting and anime of Japanese cinema, while never surrendering to a commercial audience or popular demand.
Kill Bill is as much a story about Tarantino as it is of 'the bride'. They both face uphill battles against all odds - Quentin with his non-conformist movie making, and the story's hero with her rise to true warrior. Both comatose by the relentless barrage of pushback from the elite. Neither able to move forward without another obstacle (personal or otherwise) being placed before them. And it's this stories beginning you need to truly enjoy their victories in their respective existences - for Uma's character in volume 2 and Tarantino's career at this moment in time.
I find myself as mesmerised as I did the first time I saw this in theatres. When you go back and relive favourites, you desperately want feelings of nostalgia to rush through your body like a hit of adrenaline. But what the truly remarkable ones also do, is let you make new discoveries. That only happens when the details aren't all revealed to you instantly; when the hidden easter eggs and deeper meanings only come to you after multiple viewings and the passing of time.
This is where I'd usually point to the standout performers and production team members who really shined throughout the project. But when you're watching this director's work, all the surfaces glimmer - like a polished diamond in a shop full of mirrors.
In this 2003 epic, Uma Thurman plays 'the bride', an assassin out for revenge against a squad of deadly martial artists. Told in true Tarantino fashion, the story jumps through characters and events in a non-linear fashion to reveal the hitwoman's journey toward the ultimate boss at the top of the food chain.
I see little reason to compare volumes 1 and 2 to each other. That'd be like weighing up two halves of the same book. Yes, they're very different in a lot of ways - Vol. 1 has a more consistent uniformity thematically, whereas volume 2 raises the stakes in the tension department. But that's what any good literary epic does, right? Instead, I think the most important thing to note is how the beginning of this saga intelligently pays homage to the sword fighting and anime of Japanese cinema, while never surrendering to a commercial audience or popular demand.
Kill Bill is as much a story about Tarantino as it is of 'the bride'. They both face uphill battles against all odds - Quentin with his non-conformist movie making, and the story's hero with her rise to true warrior. Both comatose by the relentless barrage of pushback from the elite. Neither able to move forward without another obstacle (personal or otherwise) being placed before them. And it's this stories beginning you need to truly enjoy their victories in their respective existences - for Uma's character in volume 2 and Tarantino's career at this moment in time.
I find myself as mesmerised as I did the first time I saw this in theatres. When you go back and relive favourites, you desperately want feelings of nostalgia to rush through your body like a hit of adrenaline. But what the truly remarkable ones also do, is let you make new discoveries. That only happens when the details aren't all revealed to you instantly; when the hidden easter eggs and deeper meanings only come to you after multiple viewings and the passing of time.
This is where I'd usually point to the standout performers and production team members who really shined throughout the project. But when you're watching this director's work, all the surfaces glimmer - like a polished diamond in a shop full of mirrors.
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