Film Analysis – Kill Bill Vol. 1
Kill Bill Volume 1 is the first part in a series of two movies that was written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. He never seems to tire of pointing out all the movies he's referenced, paid tribute to and been inspired by. In this film analysis, I will describe all the movies that have influenced him and show up in Kill Bill. I will also describe some of the cinematography and how it made the movie stand out. Quentin Tarantino’s movies have a very different, unique feel than the perceived “normal” movie. “Kill Bill Vol. 1” is very intriguing. He borrows ideas and styles from his many influences which, in the end, results in something not necessarily unique, but fresh. Everything Tarantino has done has been done before; however, he mixes different genres and styles with his own to create a masterfully directed piece of art. In Kill Bill, he uses Martial Arts, Samurai, Spaghetti Western, and Secret Agent (along with many other sub-genres) to create one film (Wikipedia - Kill Bill).
The story of the movie follows the character Beatrix Kiddo known as “Black Mamba”, played by Uma Thurman, as she seeks revenge on a group of assassins, called the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, which attempted to murder her at her wedding and her former boss, Bill. She crosses them off a list one by one as she kills them. The list reads as follows:
1) O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu) - Codename: Cottonmouth
2) Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox) - Codename: Copperhead
3) Budd (Michael Bowen)
4) Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah)
5) Bill (David Carradine)
The movie is mostly adapted from the movie Lady Snowblood, a 1973 Japanese film in which a woman kills off the gang who murdered her family. Female Convict Scorpion: Jailhouse 41, from Japan, and Thriller: En Grym Film, from Sweden also has the same central theme of wronged women seeking revenge. Scorpion is an escaped convict gunning for the cruel warden who locked her up. Thriller (so hardcore it was banned in Sweden) follows an innocent girl
The story of the movie follows the character Beatrix Kiddo known as “Black Mamba”, played by Uma Thurman, as she seeks revenge on a group of assassins, called the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, which attempted to murder her at her wedding and her former boss, Bill. She crosses them off a list one by one as she kills them. The list reads as follows:
1) O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu) - Codename: Cottonmouth
2) Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox) - Codename: Copperhead
3) Budd (Michael Bowen)
4) Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah)
5) Bill (David Carradine)
The movie is mostly adapted from the movie Lady Snowblood, a 1973 Japanese film in which a woman kills off the gang who murdered her family. Female Convict Scorpion: Jailhouse 41, from Japan, and Thriller: En Grym Film, from Sweden also has the same central theme of wronged women seeking revenge. Scorpion is an escaped convict gunning for the cruel warden who locked her up. Thriller (so hardcore it was banned in Sweden) follows an innocent girl
Bibliography: Chan, K. (n.d.). The Shaw-Tarantino Connection: Rolling Thunder Pictures and the Exploitation Aesthetics of Cool. Retrieved April 18, 2011, from http://www.tft.ucla.edu/mediascape/Fall09_ShawBrothers.pdf Rose, S. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2011, from The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2004/apr/06/features.dvdreviews The Quentin Tarantino Archives. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2011, from http://www.tarantino.info/wiki/index.php/Main_Page Wikipedia - Kill Bill. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_Bill Wikipedia - Quentin Tarantino. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quentin_Tarantino