Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

December 29, 2019 11:22 AM

An assassin is shot by her ruthless employer, Bill, and other members of their assassination circle but she lives to plot her vengeance.
posted by ruben (6 comments total)

These are certainly good movies, and fun in a morbid kind of way but rather over mytholized. Like my pretentious making up a word just there, cute maybe but not much more significant.

And there is something just not quite good about making movies about really wretched people hurting other really wretched people, again like an overused joke, might still be funny sometimes but on reflection, perhaps more a laugh reflex.
posted by sammyo at 9:53 PM on December 29, 2019 [2 favorites]

I really loved these films as a teenager, so I'm interested to watch them again as an adult to see how they've aged.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 10:04 PM on December 29, 2019 [1 favorite]

I've always found KBv1 to be one of the most rewatchable films - when it was turning up on TV I'd find myself watching from wherever I wandered in. v1 is all dazzling set pieces, and sometimes I just need a bit of brutality, and it doesn't disappoint there, even after sixteen years. With more familiarity, the horror of the film - the reality of The Bride's situation - became clearer, and although the brutality still dazzles it's the story of her breaking free of the hold of a gaslighting misogyinist. But I suppose that's my comment on v.2 and probably not a popular position as the thread unfolds.

Tarantino is a very odd man - using the most sophisticated resources to make the dumbest things, like kewpie dolls cast in gold. While I suppose most of Hollywood is interested in making plastic Fabergé eggs.
posted by Grangousier at 12:11 AM on December 30, 2019 [29 favorites]

That's probably the best description of what Tarantino does (and what Hollywood does, for that matter) that I've ever seen, yeah.
posted by tobascodagama at 7:51 AM on December 30, 2019 [2 favorites]

Honestly, while I can appreciate the tribute to various genres, the best thing about this movie to me is the theme song.

Also, remember this is the movie that nearly killed Uma Thurman, and have her permanent damage, because Tarantino wanted a better shot.
posted by happyroach at 1:15 AM on December 31, 2019 [2 favorites]

This is definitely the more actiony of the two, mostly because of the absolutely jaw-dropping sequences in the House of Blue Leaves, but the bit in Vernita Green's house is also great. (AFAIK, the only time that Tarantino has seriously discussed a sequel to one of his movies was to muse about doing a sequel to KBv1 in which Green's daughter seeks out the Bride for revenge.)
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:12 PM on January 1, 2020 [2 favorites]