Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

KILL BILL: VOLUME 1
****  (out of ****)
a film review by
Richard A. Zwelling

Part martial arts film, part American Western, part graphic novel, part epic adventure, and a hell of a lot of entrails spewing all over the place. This film is, quite simply, a masterstroke of directing, storytelling, cinematography, lighting, and casting.

I am still reeling from the sheer adrenaline rush of Kill Bill: Volume 1, and once the rush wears off, I will struggle, successfully I hope, to figure out how Quentin Tarantino has combined a rich amalgam of beautiful imagery and stylized violence with a deliciously tongue-in-cheek playfulness that pays homage to a wide array of cinematic genres.

The immediate influences of the film are too numerous to name, but some of the more prominent ones include the direction of Akira Kurosawa and Sergio Leone, the acrobatics of countless kung-fu movies, and the emotionally riveting violence of graphic novels and some anime.

Throw these influences in a blender, switch it to "liquefy", and add Tarantino's absolutely brilliant sense of composition, characterization, and dialogue, and you have one hell of a wild ride that is pervasively breathtaking, often humorous, and no less than a cinematic marvel.

A woman we know only as "The Bride" (Uma Thurman) is seeking revenge for horrible atrocities she has suffered at the hand of an anonymous criminal mastermind known only as "Bill". This is all you need to know, and all I will say, because I cannot and will not spoil any surprises this film brings (and these surprises occur throughout). Other cast members include David Carradine, Daryl Hannah, and Lucy Liu. They are cast wonderfully and effectively, along with every other actor in the film down to the smallest part.

And there's no other way to put it: Uma Thurman kicks ass. She slides perfectly into her part taking on a highly seductive blend of iron-clad determination combined with a wit of the most trenchant and dry nature. This is hands down the most fun I have ever had watching her at work.

A word of warning: the violence is indeed highly aesthetic, sometimes poetic and sometimes humorous, but in most cases extremely graphic. The R-rating on this film is hard and extremely well-deserved. Many will no doubt dismiss this as sheer exploitation and vacuous bloodbathing. In my opinion, however, with the exception of one instance, nothing could be further from the truth. Despite its extremeism, the violence adds to the overall ambience of the film and forcefully bespeaks the violent histories of feudal Japan and the American west.

It should be no surprise that one of the consultants for the fight choreography was Yuen Wo Ping (of Matrix and Crouching Tiger fame). All of the fight sequences are stunningly well executed, and I cannot stress enough how much this combines with Tarantino's direction to provide a rare and wonderful treat. Then there's the cinematography which is at times frenetic and bombastic, yet at others genuinely meditative and introspective.

If this is only half the story, I am fully prepared for more. Unfortunately, I have to wait, along with everyone else, since Kill Bill: Volume 2 is not due out until February 2004. Be assured, however, that this first film will be one of the most fun, entertaining, funny, and exhilarating thrill rides of 2003.

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X-RAMR-ID: 35892
X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 1203283
X-RT-TitleID: 1126182
X-RT-AuthorID: 7583
X-RT-RatingText: 4/4