A triumph of style--over substance.

Rating: 7/10 (25 May 2004)

I'd like to keep this short--so I'll jump straight to the meat. The term originality, so often used in any review of Tarantino's work, should never be applied to this movie. There is nothing NEW here--but such is Tarantino's excellence that even this hackneyed material seems new. The revenges story is as old as Greek tragedy--maybe even older. He even throws in the old, clichéd mother/child motif. Let's face it, revenge drama, even with female protagonists, is nothing new at all. Worse, let's just face it. It's a BAD plot--because we know the outcome. The protagonist might suffer. Might get beat up. Might even fall into a coma for 4 years. But eventually they will WIN--this is never in any doubt. Perhaps this total predictability is why I don't much like this type of film.
The use of continuity in this film was as usual, confusing and jumping through time. The first big fight, killing Vernita Green comes AFTER the climactic death of O-Ren at the end of the film. Hate to tell you Quentin--Brilliant in "Pulp Fiction," boring here. It was new ONCE. Just once is all you get.
Where this film shines is the usual strengths--Quentin's use of Mise-en-scene, character, and of course music. Only Quentin Tarantino can take a scene of O-Ren and henchfolk entering a bar, and make it as heartstoppingly cool as the scene is in this film. THIS is brilliant movie-making--I wish the rest of the film lived up to that level.
Unfortunately, the creativity stops there--in endless Homages to all the different fave movies of Tarantino. Spaghetti Western, Hong-Kong Grind, Anime--all here. Unfortunately, I feel that the uses of all these other styles--ultimately leads to no real style of his own.
I realize that Quentin Tarantino did NOT intend this film to be original--it is rather an affectionate nod to styles that have influenced his own style. Unfortunately, I'd rather watch "Adaptation" and see something completely new. Perhaps when he finds his own unique style again I'll return to his fold. I can only give this movie 7 out of 10.
PS to Quentin--Good Job At Cannes.