3077_Film Analysis_ Kill Bill

3077_Marie_ Film Analysis

Kill Bill, The 4^th Film by Quentin Tarantino

Kill Bill is a film by the critically acclaimed writer/director Quentin Tarantino.

Genre: This is an action/adventure type of movie. One thing that is prominent in this film is the act of violence. And act of violence here is treated in an artistic way and it is said to be one of the most aesthetically captivating films ever created. Because it is an action film, non-stop action and heart breaking scenes are expected here. Although for some there is a bit of exaggeration that is also shown here. The sprays of blood like a fountain every time a sword hits the opponent. The more violence it shows the more suspense it brings to the audience. Fight scenes are put together with excellent fight choreography.

The presence of samurai sword clearly manifests that this is a martial arts type of film. The samurai here is used as her powerful medium in quest for vengeance

Theme: Revenge

"Revenge is a dish best served cold." This quote which was taken from the Klingon proverb appears at the beginning of the film. And viewers will easily perceive that act of vengeance and vindication would most likely to happen

in the succeeding scenes to retaliate for the wrong doings being done and so justice to be achieved.

The film also manifests the female empowerment.

Quentin Tarantino presented the film in a non-linear narrative style and he is also known for creating this kind of film.

According to Jean-Luc Godard, a French and Swiss filmmaker “I agree that a film should have a beginning, a middle and an end but not necessarily in that order.”

The extensive use of flashbacks is noticeable in this film but it is not narrated in chronological order

Originally, the entire Kill Bill story is divided into 10 chapters, the first five chapters being narrated in Kill Bill 1 and they are as follows in cinematic order: Chapter 1: “2”; Chapter 2: The Blood Splattered Bride; Chapter 3: The Origin of O-

Ren; Chapter 4: The Man from Okinawa; and Chapter 5: Showdown at House of Blue Leaves.

This is a story of a lady seeking for a bloody revenge against the five people who ruined her life. The Bride, who is the lead character of the story used to be a member and considered to be deadliest assassin of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. She decided to quit the group upon learning that she is pregnant with Bill, his lover and who happens to be the head of the assassination squad. She escaped from th

e group and tried to live a normal life. She fled to Texas and is about to get married to a man she met. On the

rehearsal day of her wedding, the angry and jealous Bill who has been trying to track her down finally found her, arrived in the church with the other members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, gunned her down leaving everyone present in the church dead except for the Bride who was left in coma.

Four years after, the Bride has awakened and realizing all the things that have happened to her, she decided to take revenge. She made a death list and the saga starts.....

Costume. Uma Thurman wore a yellow tracksuit during the fight scene at the restaurant, and the purpose of wearing that is to pay tribute to the legendary martial arts icon, Bruce Lee.

The cast of characters are as follows:

The Bride, a.k.a. as Black Mamba/Beatrix

Kiddo/Mommy is portrayed by Uma Thurman. The Deadly Viper Assassination Squad were O-Ren Ishii - with codename Cottonmouth, portrayed by Lucy Liu; Vernita Green-codename Copperhead, portrayed by Vivica A. Fox; Budd a.k.a Sidewinder – Michael Madsen; Elle Driver a.k.a

California Mountain Snake– Daryl Hannah; B

ill a.k.a. Snake Charmer - David Carradine; Hattori Hanzo – Sonny Chiba; Gogo Yubari – Chiaki Kuriyama; Johny Mo – Gordon Liu Chia-hui; Sherif – Michael Parks; Sofie Fatale – Jul

ie Dreyfus.

Music: Tarantino uses different musical genres in

this movie, a mixture of country music, hip-hop beat, instrumental tracks from the Japanese guitarist Tomayasu Hotei,

Opening scene. The bride is shown wearing a

bloody wedding gown with bruised all over and mercilessly beaten on the floor at the church. With the sound of her breathing you would really sense that she is struggling and in deep hurt physically and emotionally.

Chapter 3. The Origin of O-ren Ishii. This chapter is presented in an anime form. O-Ren witnessed the death of her parents who were being murdered by the Yakuza. Again, revenge along with hatred is the main reason that brought O-ren Ishii to be the one of the top assassin at an early age. The brilliant anime sequences was created by the Production I.G. in Japan under he guidance and supervision of Kazuto Nakasawa. Although no 3D computer graphics was used in the production (which was mostly hand drawn), digital technology was used extensively in post (i.e. After Effects for compositing) to layer and put together the whirlwind of scenes for the film.

(From CG Society Network Feature Article”)

Kill Bill -- The Bride vs. Crazy 88's

The Crazy 88 are employed to help O-ren Oshii to take control of the Tokyo underworld. Members include both sexes of different ages. Most members used the katanas, a Japanese and another name for samurai.

The fight scene is one of the most exciting and violent gruesome action packed scene in this film with gallons of blood spreads like fountains. Although the battle is a chaotic one but the upbeat music being played during the fight scene make is it fun. The film turns from color to black and white as the Bride destroys her opponent. One funny scene is when the battle nearly comes to an end and members of the Crazy 88 try to escape, the Bride grabs the young fellow who hardly had no sword fighting skill at all, spank him using the blade of the samurai and tells him to go home to his mother.

Showdown at House of Blue Leaves

The climatic action, fight scene between the Bride and O-ren took place outside the snow covered garden where her opponent, O-ren is waiting for her. There were exchange of words before the fight scene, with regards to the quality of heroine’s instrument of death. During the battle, a snappy Latin music is being played as its background, O-ren slashes the Bride at her back and the music stops. As the battle continue, the two face each other and at the end Bride successfully won the battle killing O-ren as she hits and scalped the head with her powerful Hanzo’s sword.

Upon O-ren’s death, the Bride knew that she has just gotten step closer in achieving her goal in seeking justice and revenge.

At the end of the movie, it is very clear that the revenge is not finish yet and Bill who is the last on her death list is yet to be chased. The quest for justice and the saga would still continue, and this is to be seen and expected at Kill Bill Volume 2.

List of References:

http://www.consuminglouisville.com/images/Kill_bill_vol_one_ver.jpg

http://billsmovieemporium.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/kill-bill.jpg

http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/040805/162615__killbill_l.jpg

http://features.cgsociety.org/story_custom.php?story_id=1824)

http://www.angelfire.com/ultra/tommy1/kill_bill_volume_1.htm