Film review: Kill Bill Vol. 1(long)

[Leaky Eye]

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[JoshuaD]

I think volume 2 makes volume 1 alot better. I was disapointed by 1, until I saw 2. Then I was happy with both.

I prefer to think of them as just one movie.

[Blarg]

I thought when seeing this that the film was fun, but ultimately quite disappointing. The characterization was especially flat,and I didn't find O-ren and even remotely believable character, even within the world of the film.

I also enjoy some of Tarantino's visual style, but it was obvious he was way out of his league when it comes to filming fights. Granted that there were limitations in Uma's athletic abilities, as she is not a lifelong kung fu master, but still Tarantino fell distressingly into the overly flashy MTV type quick cutting of fight scenes that has become the American norm, because we just can't seem to handle action sequences properly, and are of the mistaken idea that what really makes a fight look good is an editor. We have to go back to Gene Kelly's and especially Fred Astaire's dance movies to see how action really should be shot, with wide angles and extended shots, letting you see the performer's whole body move through space. You can cheat and trim that down quite a bit to hide an actor's lack of athletic abilities, but there becomes a point of diminishing returns that is actually usually the first thing modern American directors leap for -- a point where you can't really tell if it is the actor herself making a movement, and start not to care. The magic of the performance is broken, and it no longer seems a breathtaking revelation and easy to follow; the magic of the editing bay is substituted, things become muddled and you wonder whose arm is whose, and you realize that you might as well be watching CGI or a stunt double, and probably are. The life gets drained out, but maybe you still applaud the director for good enough fakery that at least you can appreciate the flying colors without being able to pin down the exact moments of fakery.

Tarantino's talents are in some ways exceptional, but they run toward dialogue and story, and here was a film that didn't have much of interest regarding either.

I'd agree with your 3.5 rating, and recommend seeing it while being prepared for disappointment and a little forgiving of it. Much like I feel when I go to a horror movie, knowing the thing probably won't hold water, but that with any luck I'll enjoy some really fun moments.

[KDawg]

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I didn't find O-ren and even remotely believable character, even within the world of the film.


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I agree to an extent, but, at least we are given something with her. We are given nothing with vernita green and just a very small sketch of what Gogo Yubari is really about, but there is something to her. Granted a female, let alone a chinese/american/japanese one, is in the most unlikely realm to lead the Yakuza, we are given whatever odd reasons there are for her ascendency. She is shown to be one of the baddest members of the group, and that makes her interesting.

[Blarg]

I definitely found her more interesting than believable.

[KaneKungFu123]

I dont want to read all of this thread, but i will say that i thought the fight scenes were really boring. if he wants to make a fight movie, then get people who are professionals that know what they are doing.

[pryor15]

i find that MTV style pretty boring myself, since we've seen it all before and how interesting can a stunt double really be? in general i find things that are over-edited to be tiresome.

you're absolutely right about the Fred Astaire comment and you can see a sort of modern application of that in Crouching Tiger, if i remember it correctly. it's so much more exhilarating to see it in the wide shot.

i saw a documentary on PBS (?) about stunt doubles and the girl who doubled for Uma Thurman in Kill Bill was in it. I found the documentary to be much more interesting than Kill Bill. of course, it was a pretty cool doc.

[Blarg]

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is a good comparison, because the male lead of that movie, like Uma in Kill Bill, was also not a martial artist. Yet he was filmed so that he came across believably as one. For a kung fu flick fan, there are a lot of tricks Tarantino didn't pick up.

[Grue]

I sorta enjoyed this movie but I think casting Uma or basically anyone who has not had extensive martial arts training was ludicriously unbelievable and made it suck. QT was trying to emulate the old kung fu movies, well the cool stuff about those movies was that the actors could actually kick ass in real life, not be some sad washed up hollywood chick.

[-Skeme-]

You're reviewing 1 half of a movie, you know.