Ridiculous and Overrated Piece of Cinema

Rating: Null/10 (19 May 2004)

I was looking forward to seeing "Kill Bill: Vol. 1," as I had enjoyed "Pulp Fiction" and I had heard good things about the movie. I heard it was extremely violent, but I've never really been one to be upset by blood flow. Now, having seen the movie, I can look back see that the violence was merely a cover for the lack of plot and the lack of just about everything else.
I'll start off by relating the good characteristics of this film (of which, however, there are very few). The movie is extremely stylistic, and some of the well-choreographed violence is worth seeing. The lighting and the black-and-white sequences are also well-used and well-placed, respectively. Some of the music, I felt, was also fitting, but it irks me that they took some of it from mastermind Ennio Morricone.
However, this film becomes almost a mockery of film in general. Tarantino believes in sleight-of-hand, and he is very good at using it. The fight scenes, are, as I said, very stylistic, and an unrealistic amount of blood spurts everywhere in different scenes. Yet there is so much red and there are so many ridiculous situations, that the viewer tends to forget that there is very little plot to be found anywhere in the movie. Also, good acting goes by the wayside, and I believe it an outrage that Thurman won or was nominated for any award for her performance. The biggest disappointment, however, was the screenplay. While "Pulp Fiction" contained violence, it did not distract anything from the brilliant and entertaining dialogue. "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" does just the opposite. The use of violence tries to distract from the screenplay, which is inept in the first place. The dialogue is minimal and childish.
All in all, Tarantino has failed. I may see Vol. 2 to see if the movie redeems itself, but he'll have to correct many of his mistakes. However, I have forgotten to mention till now that there is one "chapter" in "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" that reminded me of Tarantino's talent: Chapter Four: The Man from Okinawa. This scene alone manages to redeem the movie, along with some good stylish segments. I said above that Tarantino failed, but failure for him is an average movie by anyone else's standards.
Final Grade: C.