Hi, everyone.
Well, it seems that with The Cheers being down
for a week that two of my columns got posted at the same time when it
rebooted, so I'm writing this column a day before its due, and after
having only seen one of the two films that Ill be recommending in this
edition. Dang. There goes my comfortable buffer zone.
This week
Kill Bill Vol. 1 & Vol. 2
Starring Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Daryl Hannah, Lucy Liu, Michael
Madsen, Vivica A. Fox, Sonny Chibathe list goes on and on.
Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino.
Genre: Action / Martial Arts / Drama / Comedy / Kick-Arse Revenge Film
Released: 2003 & 2004
Rated: R
IMDb link:
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0266697/ & http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0378194/
Generally,
the ethos of Masterpiece Cinema is to highlight films that either not
very many people have heard of, or that have flopped because not many
people haven't given them a chance. Everyones heard of Kill Bill
though, right? And if youre a movie buff, youve no doubt gone to see it
and loved itunless youre in that ten per cent of people who dont seem
to get it.
So why write about it here? Three reasons; First, I
love it. Second, it's done well - but not great - business at the box
office, so the more word of mouth it gets, the better. And third, its
the greatest B-grade film of all time. If that doesnt qualify it for
Masterpiece Cinema, I don't know what does.
For those who dont
know; Kill Bill is the story of a former assassin who, upon waking up
in a hospital after a four-year coma, sets out to kill those
responsible for putting her there in the first place. Interestingly
enough, the people who attacked her, her husband-to-be and her unborn
child are all her former Deadly Viper Assassination Squad colleagues
(DiVAS for short), including her boss and ex-lover, the Bill to whom
the title refers.
[BB]
So when you boil it down to its most
basic element, its a revenge film. But what a revenge film it is!
Tarantino took his love of 1970s martial arts and Western movies and
crafted this, a masterful piece of cinema that pays tribute to the
movies that inspired him when he was a kid.
Why am I talking
about it like its a single film? Because that's what it was written and
shot as. As the release date loomed closer, both Tarantino and Miramax
head Harvey Weinstein baulked at the idea of having to cut out a huge
amount of material to make the movie run at a decent length, so they
went ahead and chopped it in two.
The result is a single story
told over the course of two movies, but both end up having their own
distinct personalities. Whereas Vol. 1 is a frenetic, high-energy piece
where the characters are mostly just vehicles for the action, Vol. 2
takes things a little bit slower, relying more on dialogue, as it gives
us a better sense of both the back story and the motivations for all
those involved.
I like to look at it like this; whereas Vol. 1
is a cute-as-hell anime character, given a hit of speed and a samurai
sword before being told to paint the walls red, Vol. 2 is more like a
lazy, aged gunslinger. He sits in the corner telling his stories in
this slow, hypnotizing way, but with a seconds notice, he can still
shoot you down before you even see him move. Though theyre the same
movie, with the same sensibilities, they both have a very unique
flavour to them.
Am I getting too metaphorical? Yeah, I guess I
am. Bottom line is this; if you can have fun with a movie that wears
its love for 1970s action on its sleeve and that isnt afraid to get a
bit messy, go check out Kill Bill. Rent Vol. 1 on DVD before going out
to see Vol. 2 at the cinema.
All the actors are fantastic - with Uma Thurman in a role that many
believe to be the defining moment of her career, and David Carradine in
a performance thats both powerfully intimidating and incredibly
beguiling at the same time the action is expertly choreographed, and
vicious as hell, while still maintaining a sense of humour, and
overall, its just really cool. As Bill himself says in both Vol. 1 and
Vol. 2, I am the Man. Yes, Bill. Yes, you are.
Next week: Why are you asking me? I can't remember(Yes, this is a hint).
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