Arguably one of the most potent treatises on 'genre' film-making that you'll ever see

Rating: 10/10 (10 October 2003)

After seeing Kill Bill Volume one tonight I am certain of two things: 1, Quentin Tarantino, mastermind behind Kill Bill as well as the smash hits Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, is the only filmmaker that can walk the tightrope of doing an unfortunate rip-off and a brilliant homage without falling onto the wrong side. And 2, I agree with his logic now of splitting his epic in two parts, if only because of the climactic battle between The Bride and the Crazy 88 fighters- any attempt to top this within the same time frame of a three hour+ motion picture is ridiculous. By doing so, Tarantino leaves us with one of the most violent (and I mean that as a compliment, since when violence is frowned upon in movies that means it's impressive instead of tongue-in-cheek like in horror films), visceral, and definitely entertaining films of the year. After seeing it once, to which I'll probably see it again, I can say that it's my favorite movie-going experience of the year.
The Bride, her nickname in the group Black Mamba, is killed off (or so they thought) by her fellow partners in the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. When she awakes from her coma four years later, she regains her consciousness of what she must do- kill the four partners, and then her boss Bill (played by the immediately recognizable, if only by voice, David Carradine). In volume one she goes after Vernita Green (Copperhead), and O-Ren Ishi (Cottonmouth), and like in Tarantino's past efforts the story is told in a non-linear style that gives answers first, questions later. But these story elements are, unlike his past films, just little details. Even to those who won't like Kill Bill and I know they have their understandable reasons - for Americans this will be one of the most violent films they may ever see, and for marital arts/kung-fu fans on Asia this will be something standard, however in parody. But the violence is done with the message that it's all stylized, and that Kill Bill is a triumph of style over substance is a compliment the haters may feel poking at them (I'd say though that kids under the age of 12 and character-study film buffs should stay clear of this one). As an avid film-goer, I found that there was so much to soak up in Kill Bill that at the least it contained some of Tarantino's most daring direction, taking chances that paid off, and borrowing to the point of a true transcendence of the material.
One thing I love in a movie, personally, is when certain images or scenes stay in my head long after the film is over, and there are a few in this one that are still buzzing in my head as I write this commentary. The climax is impressive, yet the sequence that had me completely riveted was the Japanese anime sequence detailing the background on O-Ren Ishi. Like much of the rest of the film, it has bloodshed, intense close-ups, and quick editing. But there was just something about this whole sequence, the emotion that came through it. I'd have to say it's one of Tarantino's finest moments (and equal credit goes to whoever directed the animation, which ranks second to Toyoo Ashida, director of the classic Fist of the North Star), right up there with the overdose in Pulp Fiction and the opening in Reservoir Dogs. In fact, I also think an equal amount of praise should be given to cinematographer Robert Richardson, contributing heavily to Q.T.'s vision, and his usual editor Sally Menke for putting it all together. Kill Bill volume one accomplishes what it was hyped for- it's a spectacular showcase for devourers of grind-house cinema (while I've never seen any grind-house films, surprising I know, I felt I had seen so much of the genre in this one effort) and for Tarantino's main fan base. And while it is often assumed his fan base if mostly comprised of some film buffs and a lot of guys who like guy-action-movies, having Uma Thurman, Vivica A. Fox, and Lucy Liu (who all contribute great fight/stunt work by the way) turns Kill Bill into something of a chick flick as well.