Living up to High Expectations

Rating: Null/10 (10 October 2003)

Quentin Tarantino is one of the most interesting and capable writers of today's industry. He is able to write scenes of pure dialog, completely omitting camera changes or actor blocking, and not lose the interest of the viewer. As we see in Kill Bill, he is also able to direct scenes of almost complete stillness without losing momentum. There is something in Japanese belief that places an equal importance on negatives as on positives. The art of sushi perfectly illustrates this in the balance of the food and the empty dish. Similarly, there is much stillness in Kill Bill. The balance lies in the stillness, or humanity, of the characters and their acts of inhuman violence. Tarantino seems to have created a very-nearly-perfect balance of vengeance and humanity, and of comedy and drama. This is not to say that Tarantino has created a very-nearly-perfect film. It has its flaws, and the viewer must remember not to take the film too seriously. However, the film was paced, choreographed and in all other respects directed with the finesse of an artistic master. It is not the film but Tarantino that must be taken seriously. Kill Bill was undoubtedly the bloodiest film I have ever seen. Just as in old Kung Fu films, the body count for a two-minute film clip would easily reach double digits. In many minds the graphic violence will be the most memorable aspect of the film, which is unfortunate. Tarantino's sense of humor is evident in the film, as is his self-confidence. It was a thrill ride from beginning to end. An unregrettable pleasure. This film is far from a common pleaser - it is not for everyone. As a great enjoyer and admirer of Tarantino's works, I had great expectations and was not disappointed in the least. If you enjoyed his previous films you can't go wrong with this one. If we can expect to see the same style and flow in the second volume then I will gladly pay twice to see the whole story. February can't come too quickly.