Ridicule geysers of blood but...

Rating: 10/10 (26 October 2003)

the film has so much in it for all action film fans that it reads (and sounds!) like a Bible for them. I always found the geysers of blood is some Chinese sword-play films, namely the very successful One-Armed Swordsman series and such. Anyway they attracted legions of fans. Tarantino replays all image and sound chichÃ©s from action films in a small package, with such intelligent sequence, and such good editing, that your memory will go back to literally dozens of films you've seen in the 1960s and 1970s, and you'll be surprised at the end (well... sort of ending ;-) ) because you were not aware that time had passed. Than, there is such care in the building-up of suspense, and the cinematography, and the beautiful music (the last Japanese song with the end credits is superb!) and small details, like a water-clock (timed for 30 seconds, if I'm right) during the katana duel on the snowy inner garden...
Even if you think you don't like gore, try this one film; eventually, you'll discover you've been subjected to much worse in the amounts of blood in other films, and that this is a good film, even with discreet, intelligent, touches of humour - that those films you'll recall lacked entirely. That's what makes this a very good movie, over the other actionners.