"Kill Bill Vol. 1" Review

"Kill Bill Vol. 1"

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Starring Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, David Carradine, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah

 

RATING

10/10

What more can you say about a Quentin Tarantino film? Besides the obvious choices of "that was good", "that was great", or "that was a masterpiece". Tarantino is a man with his hand so far up Hollywood's ass, he uses it as a ventriloquist puppet. So when "Kill Bill Vol. 1" came along, Tarantino had comfortably made a name for himself in the world of film. And boy, was it a special one.

 

"Kill Bill Vol. 1" tells the story of a pregnant nameless bride who is ruthlessly left for dead when a group of killers interrupt her wedding. She awakens months later from a coma to find herself sexually molested in a hospital. She makes a swift escape, and begins a journey of pure revenge.

 

Now, for anyone who has seen a Tarantino film, you know what to expect at this point: Plenty of throwbacks to classics, and in this case, samurai and kung-fu films, a cool soundtrack, an abundance of violence, and memorable quotes your great grandchildren would be spouting. "Kill Bill Vol. 1" is undeniably one of the most stylish movies ever made, utilizing its simple premise to great effect. Uma Thurman as the nameless bride is pitch-perfect, once again proving to audiences why she isn't a woman to be forgotten. If "Pulp Fiction" didn't solidify her reputation, then this surely did. Along with Thurman is an array of colourful characters, particularly the killers whom Thurman is crossing off a kill list. Lucy Liu, who plays a Chinese gang leader, is just as cold and ferociously beautiful. The conflict between her and the Bride become the central focus of the film and makes for a legendary climax. The film is shot skillfully, as Tarantino locks down each frame and movement with the precision of a Renaissance artist. Even the most over-the-top and bloody scenes are drenched with incredible style and pace that you're always caught off-guard by the spontaneous bursts of violence. The fight choreography is downright ridiculous (in a good way), as it delivers wave after wave of intensity and grit rarely found in modern action movies, and ultimately becomes the driving force of the entire movie. Now because of that, most people have argued that it is simply style over substance, but this is untrue to an extent. There's plenty of time to wrap your head around characters because they have distinctive personality traits that seperate them from your typical Hollywood protagonists and antagonists. The style is the driving force of the film, though you'll still get your fair share of development. However, with a premise as to-the-point as this, why would you expect something other than ingeniously twisted and badass action? Just let the brilliance of its execution enter your vision as you bare witness to a legend in the making.

 

"Kill Bill Vol. 1" is a straight-forward revenge flick with killer execution and style, jaw-dropping fight sequences, and a selection of ready-made movie quotes. It's my second favorite Tarantino film behind "Pulp Fiction", and one of the best movies of the decade. Bursting with style, wit, cynical humor, and gore, it's the perfect example of a kung-fu/samurai movie done justice. A true masterpiece of modern cinema.