Gripping stuff

Rating: Null/10 (6 August 2004)

Kill Bill: Volume Two confirms  as if confirmation were needed - that writer/director Quentin Tarantino's genius lies in giving audiences exactly what they want but not in the WAY they expect it. This approach has inevitably upset less imaginative viewers, especially those who wanted nothing more than a re-run of Volume One's bloodbath. But if you're willing to go with the flow you'll find yourself rewarded with one of the best movies of the year.
**Warning, Potential Spoilers ahead:**
One of the reasons I say that is because Volume Two pulls off the unlikely feat of making us feel sympathy for Bill. For instance, would you be surprised to learn that Volume One's wedding chapel massacre was as much an act of revenge on Bill's part as the Bride's is on him? Exactly what the Bride did to deserve such savage retribution is just one of the many surprises in store in Volume Two.
Talking of surprises, then perhaps the biggest of all is Volume Two's deeply satisfying emphasis on character and back story. Volume One's 'roaring rampage of revenge' is here subsumed into a titanic hymn to motherhood. Some have likened the second half of Kill Bill to Kramer vs Kramer and - amusing as that may sound - in a way it is accurate. For all its brilliantly staged action scenes the Kill Bill story culminates not in a re-run of The House Of Blue Leaves fight from Volume One but in two estranged parents battling over their child. As the story reaches its climax both gain our sympathy but only one can win.
But if talk of Kramer vs Kramer - in a Tarantino film no less - is starting to make you feel queasy, then let me reassure you that the fight scenes do not disappoint. Action highlights include an impossible 'Now get out of that!' situation for the Bride devised by Bill's brother, Budd. There's also a very funny 1970's style training sequence in which we learn exactly how the Bride gained her lethal fighting prowess. But the undisputed action highlight is a vicious catfight between our heroine and Daryl Hannah's one-eyed hellbitch Elle Driver. Ingeniously staged, the sight of two statuesque women knocking seven bells out of each other inside a cramped trailer home is truly something to see and the climax is delightfully, ah, squishy.
Acting-wise, Uma Thurman demonstrates impressive versatility as the Bride - really suffering in this second half both physically and emotionally - and Miss Thurman nails it every time. As the titular villain, David Carradine has just the right mix of leathery charm and ruthless pragmatism. When he and the Bride finally meet there's a convincing chemistry between them - enough to spark hope in the viewer that maybe, just maybe, they'll be able to resolve their differences peacefully.
As Budd, Michael Madsen has a sensational supporting role as the one assassin who regrets his part in the wedding massacre. There's an extraordinary unpredictability about Madsen. Even when he's doing something as mundane as mixing a drink you find you can't take your eyes off him for fear of missing something. He dominates the screen effortlessly and his character is a complex one. Whilst acknowledging that he and the others deserve to die for what they did to the Bride, Madsen's trailer trash loser is nevertheless intent on seeing her suffer (and then some!) for breaking his brother's heart.
From the biggest star to the smallest bit-part actor, all in Volume Two appear galvanised by Tarantino's enthusiasm. Tiny cameos, the potential of which would probably remain unfulfilled in any other film, are here given their full weight. Actors like Larry Bishop (Budd's strip club boss) and Michael Parks (Cuban pimp Esteban Vihao) seize the opportunity to create memorable characters. Even better, Tarantino is so good a writer that he never fails to ensure these scenes dovetail with the whole. When Bishop chews out Madsen's character for turning up late it's not only a stunning reversal of Madsen's tough guy persona, it also totally convinces us he'll be easy prey for the Bride  BIG mistake, that!
Parks' Cuban pimp also makes it clear where Bill got his way with women from. But despite his surface charm and status as Bill's 'father figure', Esteban is commendably shown as nothing more than a sadistic thug, not at all like Bill. Remember Bill's line as he prepared to put a bullet in the Bride's head at the start of Volume One? 'This is me  at my most masochistic' he told her. Well, as Volume Two reveals, poor, heart-broken Bill really was telling the truth.
In every respect - acting, music, photography, design etc etc - Kill Bill Volume Two is stunning film-making and compulsively, hypnotically watchable.