Masterpiece Cinema - Kill Bill Vol. 1 & Vol. 2

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.
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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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