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Kill
Bill Vol 2 Movie Review: The Bride’s tale of revenge concludes as Quentin Tarantino brings us the second volume of his homage to everything he loves about cinema and boy is it good. After the frenetic pace of the first film, Tarantino slows it down and re-introduces his trademark superb dialogue. Gone is the blood bath to be replaced by character driven moments and back-story. We find out what happened at the wedding and are introduced to the remaining members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, including its illustrious leader Bill. If volume one was Tarantino’s nod to Japanese martial arts cinema then this instalment pays homage to the spaghetti western and the Hong Kong kung-fu movie. Budd and Elle’s chapters are all western, rapped in extended, gritty dialogue with betrayal, greed and a face-off thrown in for good measure. Then we have The Bride’s training with Master Pai Mei, which is old school, 1970s Hong Kong kung-fu movie. Tarantino captures this brilliantly with extremely quick zooms into the face for a reaction shot and the outrageously funny dialogue between the master and apprentice. Then we come to the final showdown, which is vintage Tarantino. This is all about dialogue and the meeting of two great warriors. Throw in some revelation, followed by joy, followed by anger and you concoct an ending that is both riveting and completely satisfying. The fantastic script is brought to life by the astounding cast. After proving that she can handle the action, Uma Thurman reminds us that it was her acting prowess that brought her to Tarantino’s attention in the first place. Dealing out revenge in this volume asks even more of the actress but this time it is more emotional than sheer skill and force. This is a career-defining role for Thurman and should push her back into the superstar league. Quentin Tarantino has a habit of resurrecting careers and he does it again for David Carradine. This is a man who was a superstar in the 70s after starring in the hit TV show “Kung-Fu” but his career has been in permanent stall ever since then but as Bill he electrifies the screen every time he graces it. This role should rejuvenate his box office potential and remind filmmakers of his talent. Michael Madsen and Daryl Hannah are superb as Budd and Elle. Madsen plays Budd as the broken man but just like a wounded animal he is at his most dangerous when he is fighting for his life. Hannah is another actress to benefit from the Tarantino career resurrection magic with a captivatingly evil performance. Elle Driver is one vicious bitch that could so easily become a screen icon in the echelons of screen villainy. It is Gordon Liu as Master Pai Mei who steals the show however. An amalgamation of every Kung-fu master to ever hit the sliver screen with a sprinkling of Yoda, his performance brings some much-needed comic relief to the film. The training sequence is brilliant but is made all the more enjoyable by Liu’s presence. He makes you want to grow a really long beard. Volume 2 is just as good, if not better than the first and proves again that Quentin Tarantino is a cinematic genius. In these two movies he has created a masterpiece of modern cinema that pays homage to the films that drew him into the business in the first place. Kill is Love.
Star Rating = * * * * * Last year, Quentin Tarantino unveiled Kill Bill, Vol.1, which was a brilliant homage to kung-fu cinema as well as being one of the most violent films ever to hit the screen. Now, he is back with the rest of the story with Kill Bill, Vol. 2. However, this film is truly an opposite of the first installment. Tarantino delivers a symmetrical tragedy, rather than just Uma Thurman’s Bride running around chopping off limbs as she did in Vol. 1. The characters also are more define and you actually feel for them. At the finale of Kill Bill, Vol.1, we learn that the revengeful Bride’s unborn child actually survived her attack and comatose state, which was relinquished by the child’s father and her ex-lover, Bill. The cliffhanger left audiences in wonder of what will happen next, and though structurally and texturally different in Vol.2, all of the questions are answered. Shifting from Japan to Texas and Mexico this time around, the film moves more like a melodramatic Western rather than a non-stop kung-fu action film. Next on The Bride’s list is of course Budd, who is now an alcoholic bouncer at a strip club. He is still however a killer. The last name before Bill’s is Elle Driver, who is the one-eyed tall blonde that took her place when she left Bill. The battle between these two is a superb. Lastly there is Bill, but this time around, The Bride just does not come at all with her sword, it is more played out by mind-games. The film first flashes back to the wedding where the massacre happened as the audience meets The Groom (Christopher Nelson) and understands The Bride notions of leaving Bill. With only his voice heard and hands being seen in Vol. 1, Bill is introduced playing his flute before he encounters The Bride at the church. This sequence is the start of two other flashbacks, which give valid depth to Bill and The Bride’s relationship. One shows The Bride receiving her kung-fu training from Bill’s master, Pei Mei (played by legend Gordon Liu), who is an exact replica of a master one would see in a classic kung-fu movie. As the finale between Bill and The Bride grows closer, this film gets better and better, and though it is converse of Vol.1, this is a great film from Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino lets the dialogue, instead of the action, be the factor in this last installment. There are still many fights and some blood, but the encounters are more drawn out. The scenes with The Bride’s training with Pei Mei are shot reminiscently of past kung-fu films, Pei Mei himself is a trip and the gestures Tarantino gives him are just fantastic. The camera work is also suitable to each of the film’s sequences, such as tracking shots, dominant close-ups, as well as Tarantino’s use of black and white. The psychological notions by Tarantino’s camera work are also effulgent, such as the moments when The Bride is trapped in a wooden coven; it will honestly make you feel very claustrophobic. The script itself brings everything in full circle and the dialogue in the final act is so “Tarantinoesque,” with many references to pop culture, society, and humanity. Tarantino also unleashes irony, allegories, and intriguing symbolism throughout the film. There is not that much cursing or stereotyping in this film, which has been a criticism of Tarantino’s work in the past. This film is more than anything a tragic love story, a crazy tragic love story, but that is what it is. It is difficult to touch on the best moments in this film due to serving up spoiler information, this film is not disappointing, and it in fact makes the first film and the volumes as a whole better. The only nit-picky concerns with this film are some of the outcomes, one being a major character’s final fate and where is Julia Dreyfuss’ character, who was the only survivor on O-Ren’s payroll in the first film. However, the more viable questions are answered, as to what happens to the characters, what actually happened at the church, what The Bride’s name is, how did Elle lose her eye, and the introduction of The Bride’s daughter. Uma Thurman returns as The Bride, and once again she kicks major butt with her commanding presence and balanced emotions. David Carradine is finally seen as Bill, and he is outstanding as the ruthless talkative killer. Carradine is a perfect cast for the role, his non-verbal cues are excellent. Michael Madsen and Daryl Hannah are also admirable in their roles as the last two members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. Kill Bill, Vol.2 is a true treasure for cinema lovers, it pays tribute to so many different genres, but more than anything it is a striking story. Tarantino is a great filmmaker and he has woven together a prominent film that will be talked about for years to come. Grade: A- 04/16/04
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