Kill Bill: Vol. 1

"When fortune smiles on something as violent and ugly as revenge, it seems proof like no other, that not only does God exist, you're doing His will." The story of me watching this film began about two or three years ago, when I tried to get my mother to watch Deadpool with me for the first time. Appalled by its crude humor and over-the-top violence, she suggested we watch Kill Bill: Volume 1. Based on that alone, I went into this film expecting something akin to the vulgarness of Deadpool. Instead, I found an incredibly stylized, razor-sharp film—so meticulously crafted that it quickly secured a spot in my top four. Kill Bill, in my opinion, excels most in its stylistic decisions, paired with its asynchronous storytelling. With each jump the narrative makes in time, it shifts in tone just as sharply. The film begins with a chilling introduction between our protagonist, The Bride, and the overarching villain, Bill—the fourth (?) event in the current timeline: "Do you find me sadistic? You know, I bet I could fry an egg on your head right now, if I wanted to. You know, Kiddo, I'd like to believe that you're aware enough even now to know that there's nothing sadistic in my actions. Well, maybe towards those other... jokers, but not you. No Kiddo, at this moment, this is me at my most... masochistic." This scene is followed, not only by a jump to after the following events of the film have already passed, but by a complete shift in the film's tone. We go from a grim, noir-styled monologue by a horrifying villain to an action sequence in which a gun is literally fired from a cereal box labeled "KABOOM." It's surreal, sort of jarring, but brilliant in every way. Building on this idea of stylistic shifts, my favorite moment of the entire film is O-Ren Ishii's backstory. The abrupt shift from live action to full-on anime—just to explore this single character's backstory—was such a bold, unexpected, neat choice. This shift isn't just some cool gimmick, it allows the film to depict the grotesque tragedy of O-Ren's childhood in a way that uniquely fits her. Another one of my favorite aspects of the film were the title cards introducing each character. While I know this film obviously came out years beforehand, it felt very Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, another that film I love.> Side note, I googled it, and apparently Scott Pilgrim was inspired by Kill Bill! Neat! Also, the film's soundtrack is great. "Woo Hoo" by The 5.6.7.8's was a personal favorite of mine. I feel like I'm just rambling, so, in short, Kill Bill: Volume 1 is an amazing film. While its plot may be a straightforward rampage, it is anything but simple. Through its fearless stylistic leaps and non-linear narrative, Tarantino transforms violence into an art; this film is timeless. Also, I definitely need to rewatch this soon. The version I watched had no captions for the Japanese parts.