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How to Watch Kill Bill?
"Kill Bill" is the fourth (and fifth) film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, in which he used all of his favourite techniques and genres - westerns, samurai films, martial arts, pop culture references, action girls and bare feet - and combined it all into one hellish revenge drama.
Conceived by Tarantino as one complete film, Miramax split it into two parts (Volume 1, released in 2003, and Volume 2, released six months later in 2004) because of its length. Watching them together, you get a great four-hour action film filled with deliberately excessive violence and cool directorial techniques. That is, first of all, to perceive and watch "Kill Bill" you need two parts as one whole.
The story, told in "chapters" and in Tarantino's trademark non-linear manner, centres around a girl from the assassination squad known mostly as "The Bride" who wants to live a normal life. Her former crew, the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (DiVAS for short), aren't too happy about it, and during the Bride's wedding rehearsal, they break into the church and kill the entire wedding party, before beating the Bride spaghetti-western style until she loses the ability to move.
When the guests are finished, gang leader Bill approaches Bride and puts a bullet in her head - right after Bride tells him she is pregnant with his child. Four years later, Bride wakes up from her coma and vows revenge on DiVAS and anyone else who gets in her way, saving Bill for last.
When the guests are finished, gang leader Bill approaches Bride and puts a bullet in her head - right after Bride tells him she is pregnant with his child. Four years later, Bride wakes up from her coma and vows revenge on DiVAS and anyone else who gets in her way, saving Bill for last.
If we put the chapters in chronological order, it goes like this:
Chapter 3 O-Ren's Story This chapter covers the life of O-Ren Ishii, the protagonist. Her anime-style story is shown in full.
Chapter 4: The Man from Okinawa The main character travels to the island of Okinawa, Japan, where she meets with the weapons smith Hattori Hanzo to purchase a sword he has made for her to use as a weapon of revenge. Having learnt that her enemy is Bill, Hanzo makes a special sword for her.
Chapter 8. Hard Lessons from Pei Mei This chapter is entirely devoted to Beatrix's memories of her training with Pei Mei. Applying the skills she learnt, she managed to get out of the grave and headed to Budd's trailer.
Chapter 6. The Bloody Tragedy at Two Pines Chapel This excerpt recounts the terrible carnage that played out at Two Pines Chapel during a wedding rehearsal led by the Deadly Vipers gang.
Chapter 2:The Bloody Bride During an inspection of Two Pines Chapel, the police discover that the bride (the film's protagonist), who had been injured in a massacre that had occurred shortly before, is still alive. Ellie Driver comes to the hospital where the bride, whose name has not been established, is sent to kill her; however, after receiving a call from Bill, Ellie retreats without completing the task.
Chapter 4: The Man from Okinawa The main character travels to the island of Okinawa, Japan, where she meets with the weapons smith Hattori Hanzo to purchase a sword he has made for her to use as a weapon of revenge. Having learnt that her enemy is Bill, Hanzo makes a special sword for her.
Chapter 8. Hard Lessons from Pei Mei This chapter is entirely devoted to Beatrix's memories of her training with Pei Mei. Applying the skills she learnt, she managed to get out of the grave and headed to Budd's trailer.
Chapter 6. The Bloody Tragedy at Two Pines Chapel This excerpt recounts the terrible carnage that played out at Two Pines Chapel during a wedding rehearsal led by the Deadly Vipers gang.
Chapter 2:The Bloody Bride During an inspection of Two Pines Chapel, the police discover that the bride (the film's protagonist), who had been injured in a massacre that had occurred shortly before, is still alive. Ellie Driver comes to the hospital where the bride, whose name has not been established, is sent to kill her; however, after receiving a call from Bill, Ellie retreats without completing the task.
Four and a half years later, the woman regains consciousness and escapes from the hospital.
Chapter 1.The Second Victim This chapter tells of the fight between the protagonist and Vernita Green.
Chapter 5: The showdown at the House of Blue Leaves The protagonist arrives in Tokyo, where she puts up a fight at the House of Blue Leaves club, killing O-Ren and wiping out most of her 88 Rabbids clan.
Chapter 7The "Paula Schultz" Dungeon Beatrix is attacked by Budd and is thrown into a grave labelled "Paula Schultz". There she is forced to remember her training with Pei Mei. The sword made by Hattori Hanzo falls into Budd's hands.
Chapter 9: Ellie and Me In Budd's trailer, a deal is struck between him and Ellie Driver - she offers him the Hattori Hanzo sword in exchange for $1,000,000. However, in addition to the money, Ellie infiltrates the trailer with a poisonous snake, which leads to Budd's death. After Beatrix's visit, a fight with Ellie begins, which ends with the loss of the latter's second eye.
Chapter Last. Facing off, Beatrix discovers Bill and the daughter he has raised all these years. A brief introduction to his daughter is followed by a conversation with Bill that escalates into a fight. As a result of this battle, Beatrix kills Bill by using a "five-fingered punch", after which she and her daughter leave.
Chapter 1.The Second Victim This chapter tells of the fight between the protagonist and Vernita Green.
Chapter 5: The showdown at the House of Blue Leaves The protagonist arrives in Tokyo, where she puts up a fight at the House of Blue Leaves club, killing O-Ren and wiping out most of her 88 Rabbids clan.
Chapter 7The "Paula Schultz" Dungeon Beatrix is attacked by Budd and is thrown into a grave labelled "Paula Schultz". There she is forced to remember her training with Pei Mei. The sword made by Hattori Hanzo falls into Budd's hands.
Chapter 9: Ellie and Me In Budd's trailer, a deal is struck between him and Ellie Driver - she offers him the Hattori Hanzo sword in exchange for $1,000,000. However, in addition to the money, Ellie infiltrates the trailer with a poisonous snake, which leads to Budd's death. After Beatrix's visit, a fight with Ellie begins, which ends with the loss of the latter's second eye.
Chapter Last. Facing off, Beatrix discovers Bill and the daughter he has raised all these years. A brief introduction to his daughter is followed by a conversation with Bill that escalates into a fight. As a result of this battle, Beatrix kills Bill by using a "five-fingered punch", after which she and her daughter leave.
What are some of the storytelling techniques and scene-stealing tricks we see in films?
True, it must be said at once that Tarantino's cultural code is very rich, and it's almost impossible to unravel all of his references and Easter eggs.
A Romance with an Age Difference: Bill, an old assassin and martial arts warrior who grew up in the 1940s, explicitly says or implies that he had relationships with several of his students several decades younger, including Bride, Ellie Diver, and most likely Sophie.
Antihero: The Bride. She can be a brutal killer, but there are also things she won't do if she can - like killing a man in front of his child.
Artistic shift: Between the two parts, both in appearance and perception. On a macro level, a smooth transition to black and white film during the climax in the first part.
Like many of Tarantino's other films, there are many scenes with female bare feet. The most notable is the infamous "big toe wiggling" scene.
The Bride is a gorgeous blonde who has been beaten, stabbed, bled, shot and even buried alive, yet she kicks the arse of just about everyone she meets, and is a woman who many call very beautiful. No matter how much blood and bruises she gets, none of her wounds leave visible marks that mar her beauty.
Antihero: The Bride. She can be a brutal killer, but there are also things she won't do if she can - like killing a man in front of his child.
Artistic shift: Between the two parts, both in appearance and perception. On a macro level, a smooth transition to black and white film during the climax in the first part.
Like many of Tarantino's other films, there are many scenes with female bare feet. The most notable is the infamous "big toe wiggling" scene.
The Bride is a gorgeous blonde who has been beaten, stabbed, bled, shot and even buried alive, yet she kicks the arse of just about everyone she meets, and is a woman who many call very beautiful. No matter how much blood and bruises she gets, none of her wounds leave visible marks that mar her beauty.
Bittersweet Ending: Невеста отомстила, убив Билла и взяв опеку над Биби, но все ее друзья (включая наемных убийц, которые на нее ополчились) и семья погибли, и она осталась одна и вынуждена была начать все с начала. Мало того, ей придется выяснить, как наладить отношения с Биби после четырех лет разлуки.
Bookends - как дуaлогия, "Убить Билла" начинается и заканчивается тем, что Невеста не решается убить кого-то в присутствии его ребенка, отсылает ребенка, планирует сражаться в другом месте, подальше от ребенка, и, наконец, вынуждена убить своего противника в относительном антиклаймаксе, потому что он попытался напасть на нее с ослабленной бдительностью.
Последнее, что Невеста спрашивает у Билла перед началом свадебной репетиции (и последующей бойни), - это "Я хорошо выгляжу?". Спустя годы, когда Беатрикс бьет Билла техникой "Пятиконечная ладонь, взрывающая сердце", он спрашивает ее: "Как я выгляжу?".
Bookends - как дуaлогия, "Убить Билла" начинается и заканчивается тем, что Невеста не решается убить кого-то в присутствии его ребенка, отсылает ребенка, планирует сражаться в другом месте, подальше от ребенка, и, наконец, вынуждена убить своего противника в относительном антиклаймаксе, потому что он попытался напасть на нее с ослабленной бдительностью.
Последнее, что Невеста спрашивает у Билла перед началом свадебной репетиции (и последующей бойни), - это "Я хорошо выгляжу?". Спустя годы, когда Беатрикс бьет Билла техникой "Пятиконечная ладонь, взрывающая сердце", он спрашивает ее: "Как я выгляжу?".
Chekhovian skill (which will come in handy later):
- The bride uses the tree kick that Pai Mei taught her to get out of the coffin.
- With this move, she rips the eye right out of the eye socket. She learnt it from Pai Mei and then used it to defeat Ellie.
- Pai Mei's "Five Pointed Palm" Heart Explosion Technique. Bill tells the Bride that Pai Mei doesn't teach this technique to anyone, and ends up getting it from the Bride.
Iconic attire: The Bride's famous jumpsuit, which itself is a reference to a similar costume by Bruce Lee.
Colour motif: The Bride's colour is yellow. There are yellow stripes on the hilt of her blade, her motorbike is yellow, and (most obviously) her iconic jumpsuit is yellow.
Colour motif: The Bride's colour is yellow. There are yellow stripes on the hilt of her blade, her motorbike is yellow, and (most obviously) her iconic jumpsuit is yellow.
Cool Car: Pussy Wagon, which actually belongs to Tarantino (it's not his everyday car, he kept it after making the film), and which would later appear in Lady Gaga's "Telephone" music video. You can see it parked in Tarantino's driveway on Google Maps.
Crying with laughter: The bride is on the bathroom floor when she realises that after Bill's death and the arrival of her daughter, she can start a new life.
Dumb Blonde: Unruly Sophie Fatal calls the Bride that, even after she's had a limb chopped off.
Everybody Loves Blondes: Master Killer Bill has a preference for blondes. He has had at least two female apprentices, both beautiful blondes (Bride and Ellie Driver), and his pimp father notes that he was in love with Lana Turner after seeing her in The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) as a young boy.
Crying with laughter: The bride is on the bathroom floor when she realises that after Bill's death and the arrival of her daughter, she can start a new life.
Dumb Blonde: Unruly Sophie Fatal calls the Bride that, even after she's had a limb chopped off.
Everybody Loves Blondes: Master Killer Bill has a preference for blondes. He has had at least two female apprentices, both beautiful blondes (Bride and Ellie Driver), and his pimp father notes that he was in love with Lana Turner after seeing her in The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) as a young boy.
A change of genre: Volume 1 is an ode to kung fu films. Volume 2 is an ode to the western, as well as a deconstruction of the first volume.
Living MacGuffin: Bill is the ultimate target of the plot and the Bride's revenge.
Significant Name: The Bride is known as "Black Mamba", as one of the Vipers. The Black Mamba is considered the deadliest snake in the world (Ellie's description is true).
Living MacGuffin: Bill is the ultimate target of the plot and the Bride's revenge.
Significant Name: The Bride is known as "Black Mamba", as one of the Vipers. The Black Mamba is considered the deadliest snake in the world (Ellie's description is true).
References:
- To "Crime Fiction" when the Bride runs her finger over a half rectangle and says, "This is how it's going to be almost square."
- By the same film, when a mosquito bites the Bride and she soon comes out of her coma.
- When Bill ends his parable of Superman vs. Spider-Man by calling Bride a "natural born killer".
The 70's: many, many references, visual and sound references in the soundtrack...:
- In the very first moment of the film, the quote "Revenge is a dish best served cold" appears, attributed to an old Klingon proverb that is a reference to the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
- "My name is Buck, and I came here to fuck" is an altered line from the film "Eaten Alive! " (1976).
- By the same film, when a mosquito bites the Bride and she soon comes out of her coma.
- When Bill ends his parable of Superman vs. Spider-Man by calling Bride a "natural born killer".
The 70's: many, many references, visual and sound references in the soundtrack...:
- In the very first moment of the film, the quote "Revenge is a dish best served cold" appears, attributed to an old Klingon proverb that is a reference to the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
- "My name is Buck, and I came here to fuck" is an altered line from the film "Eaten Alive! " (1976).
Old Master: Pai Mei is the quintessential example of this concept (if evil, or at least a jerk), a legendarily deadly martial artist rumoured to be over a thousand years old who taught Bride and Elle everything they know about martial arts. Bill himself is also this to Bride as the leader of DiVAS. Paying Evil for Evil: This is a story about a former assassin who kills assassins. The Police Are Useless: The only police officers we see are the ones at the scene of a mass murder.
Transition to English: This often happens during conversations/dialogues in Japanese (Bride/Hanzo, Bride/Gogo, O-Ren addressing Yakuza bosses, etc.), and in the conversation with Pai Mei, Bride can only say a few words in Cantonese in between English.
Transition to English: This often happens during conversations/dialogues in Japanese (Bride/Hanzo, Bride/Gogo, O-Ren addressing Yakuza bosses, etc.), and in the conversation with Pai Mei, Bride can only say a few words in Cantonese in between English.