Bloody Satisfaction

Rating: 9/10 (11 August 2004)

As a movie fan, I wouldn't like to say I "dislike" Asian cinema, I simply haven't seen enough to comfortably pass judgment. I am certainly not a fan, and imagine it to be a genre that would be quite difficult for me to get into. The excuse that I've seen thrown around, that "Kill Bill: Volume One" is almost solely for Asian film fanatics, is ludicrous. I don't believe that this film will necessarily make an Asian film fan out of anyone, and I should know because I bloody loved it (but maybe that's because I was a Tarantino fan before).
So the plot at this point isn't particularly deep and the characters aren't very well explored, but all this can be forgiven due to the equally excellent "Volume Two", which fleshes everything out nicely. The cast do a good job this time around, but it isn't until "Volume Two" that the extent of their work can truly be appreciated. It isn't even until then that Tarantino's smart dialogue really comes into play. "Volume One" is solely about style, and I hope the Wachowskis are watching, because there really is much they could learn here.
It is so refreshing to watch an action sequence that for once, feels so real. The over-abundance of CGI elements in the "Matrix" films (amongst others) rose the action to absurdity. It was also nice to see the sequences in "Kill Bill" play out solely in real time, none of that slow-motion crap, which is a real thrill killer. Of course all this would mean nothing without the great control Tarantino shows during these scenes. A fine balance was retained which makes you root for the bride, but at the same time not take things too seriously. Tarantino WANTS his audience to have a good time, there's not nearly enough directors who hold that value to the same extent. I find it laughably ironic that this movie is seen as homage to many previous works, but delivers some of the freshest action sequences in recent years. I must also say it pays to see the "House of Blue Leaves" sequence in smashing full-colour goodness, if you can get hold of the Japanese version.
The anime sequence really opened my eyes and showed there's more to Japanimation than "Pokémon". When I first heard about it I questioned it's value, but it's executed brilliantly, and is phased in seamlessly. Of course there is no reason for it, other than to contribute to the film's style, and as I said that's what "Volume One" is all about.
The soundtrack is Tarantino's most diverse yet. This isn't an ordinary film, so an ordinary soundtrack won't do. The pieces that Tarantino has gathered do an admirable job, with a few original pieces (a first for Tarantino) from the RZA to fill the gaps.
I won't deny that without the presence of "Volume Two", it's easy to dismiss this first installment as shallow, but it delivers a level of sheer entertainment with eye bleeding visuals that shame most blockbusters. 9/10