Archives: Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2

Any time that studios interfere with an artistic vision, there is a sting, as good art, like the Bushido Samurai sword, is an expression of the artist's soul.

From Blade Runner to Donnie Darko and Kill Bill, or even casting back to the Hayes code of the 30s-60s, great filmmaking has constantly been spurred by constraints and studio interference.

The truly great filmmakers, then, are ones who can work within these constraints and make a better piece of work come out of the interference and meddling of studio execs who can't think beyond the bottom line.

Although split into 2 volumes I can't help but consider both parts as one. I'm aware of the "Whole Bloody Affair" cut which takes the entire thing and presents it as one story. I definitely would love to see that, however I have heard tell that that particular version orders events more chronologically. I don't know if it would have the same impact as the way it's put together in Vol 1-2.

This, then, is why, while I have not seen "The Whole Bloody Affair," (a re-edit of Vol 1 and 2 into a single piece of work) that if I ever do see this version of legend, my preference will most likely be for the two separate volumes as originally presented theatrically.

Part of why the two volume approach works for me is that I love the non-linear aspect and another part is that each of the two volumes is structured in such a way that they nearly perfectly mirror each other.

As to the structure ove Vol 1 and Vol 2, the sequence in which The Bride is recuperating from her coma, and the scene where she is buried in Vol 2 each act as a pause in the story which gives us a moment to see some exposition/back story for characters (in Vol 1 it's Oren Ishii, an external story while in Vol 2 it's The Bride's tutelage under Pai Mei, an internal story).

In fact, for every story beat in Vol 1 that's influenced by external factors, in Vol 2 the same story beats are hit through internal characterization of Beatrix Kiddo and her relationship with Bill.

The final sequence in Vol 1 where The Bride defeats the entire Crazy 88 squad and exacts her revenge upon Oren is contrasted by the final confrontation with Bill being a muted family drama in which The Bride learns her daughter is alive and instead of having a knock-down drag-out fight with Bill, she downs him after crossing swords just a few times, employing the Five-Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique. One almost feels sorry for Bill when he laments that Pai Mei taught her a technique he did not see fit to impart on any of his other students, even Bill himself.

Tarantino stated in interviews at the time that Vol 1 is the question and Vol 2 is the answer, and what more elegant image could be employed by the ending of Bill than to have him simply take five steps and fall to the ground, dead?

He also states that Vol 1 is much more inspired by action and Kung Fu movies while the second is more of a Leone Spaghetti Western.

Vol 2 is certainly more slowly-paced, more dialogue-driven and more like "classic" Tarantino, and if I were really hard-pressed to choose a favorite, Vol 2 would be it.

Some of the best tales are simple tales. Although Kill Bill is 4 hours long, it's premise of being a bloody rampage of revenge is elegantly simple. All of the references stuffed into this movie are testament to Tarantino's encyclopedic knowledge of film. However, unlike certain other cultural blenders like Ready, Player One, Kill Bill does not reference for the sake of nostalgia or just because it's cool. Okay, maybe there are a few "super-cool" moments, but none of them draw attention to themselves or pull you out of the moment.

Going back to my cultural blender analogy, the two Volumes are so smoothly blended (much more so than Budd's Margarita) that the references are organic and feel natural to the flow of the film.

Along with Austin Powers which came out around the same time (and also a little like Star Wars re: the influence it had on blockbusters), Kill Bill presaged the coming wave of franchises and nostalgia. Films of late (while some have been exemplary) have been built around remakes, cultural references, and generally giving the audience something familiar in order to sell more tickets. It's a bit of an anomaly in that regard, as it was a brand new IP but built out of familiar tropes and ideas. As Vulcans are so fond of saying, "Only Nixon could go to China." Only someone like Tarantino could rise above the nostalgia-strewn cultural wasteland and present a piece that is immediately new and fresh while at the same time seeming so familiar, warm, and comforting.