Kill Bill: a "meta-movie"

Rating: 8/10 (11 October 2003)

Watching "Kill Bill vol.1" last night I couldn't help but paying attention to the many styles, genres, and movies that it refers to and pays tribute to. While I'm not sure yet if it's my favorite Tarantino, I did have a lot of fun watching it. As a movie buff, the constant referencing to other movies and genres just added to the fun, turning it into a "meta-movie', a movie about movies.
Despite the obvious references to the karate movies of the 1970s, the Takashi Miike and Fukasaku hints, there were a lot of tributes to Sergio Leone and the "spaghetti westerns" of the 1970s. At times, even the music reminded me of the iconic compositions that Ennio Morricone made for Leone's films (I was expecting Clint Eastwood to show up with the poncho!).

Also, I noticed the stylistic similarities of "Kill Bill" with "Natural Born Killers" (which Tarantino also co-wrote). Like the Oliver Stone film, "Kill Bill" uses different film textures, colors (B&W, color), bullets flying in slow motion into people's heads, animated sequences, etc. I couldn't help to be reminded of that movie at times.

Overall, I think the jury is still out regarding how this movie rates compared to other Tarantino works. I still regard "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction" higher in the scale, but "Kill Bill pt. 1" was very, very good. Before I saw it, I was way over-hyped by some reviews (particularly the exaggerated review by the guys at the Village Voice, that called it "the best American movie in the last 30 years"...), so maybe I'm just adjusting my own opinion after so much hype.
Nevertheless, it was great fun, an incredible exercise in filmmaking and editing, and the type of dialogues that only Tarantino can get away with. It's definitely one of the best times I had at the movies in a long, long time.
9/10