A welcome Change

Rating: 8/10 (19 October 2003)

As everyone knows, Tarantino is known for his crime movies, quirky dialogue and foul language. Which is why, with his forth movie, a radical change to what his usual work is is a welcome sight.
I never had my doubts that this would be a good movie. I'm am a huge fan of Quentin and i will remain so for many years to come. More so with this movie as he has proved that he is a director that can work on a bigger canvas.
This is not his best movie. I still think that Jackie Brown is his best and proves that he can mature with the right material. Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs were both fantastic films but with it's twisting plot and fantastic style and grace Jackie Brown takes the crown.

Plot was the only major downside to Kill Bill. But what it lacks in structure it makes up for in style and acting. I never seen an actor be so good in this film as when Kevin Spacey played Verbal Kint in The Usual Suspects. Uma Thurman i salute you. Her breathtaking performance was enough to make me pitty her despite the fact that mercy does not exist when she's around.
Despite it's sheer greatness this will definately not appeal to a large percentage of the audience. If you are squeemish then this is not the film for you. The end half hour is a relentless battle between Thurman and 100 of Lucy Lui's henchmen. So relentless in fact that the majority of it is in black and white to tone down the violence.
This is very true to the genre though. If there wasn't that amount of blood when being hacked apart with a samurai sword then it would look unrealistic. It is true to the genre but it has a very Tarantino feel to it. Stylisticly the man has matured in the six years he's been away. We have one fight in black and white, one done in sillohette and one flashback scene told entirely in Japanese anime. This is done by a man who knows what he is doing and is not afraid to show it off.
It may not be his best but it is certainly one of the best films of the year. It has emotion, style, blood (by the bucket load), and a tremendous cast that bring the entire thing to life. In the hands of a lesser director this movie would have fallen at the first hurdle but with the driving force of Quentin Tarantino behind the wheel, we have been presented with an awe inspiring masterpiece.
5/5