Kill Bill Volume 2 (2004)
Note: Spoilers galore. Haven't you
seen this damn film yet? Go now and watch it!
If Quentin Tarantino is not knighted,
honored and given every fucking film award that exists
for "Kill Bill Volume 2," then, Godammit, a travesty
has occurred. This is one of the most interesting,
visually stunning, crazy and amazing films you will
ever see. It has everything. It's like a cinematic
blender of the last century of film. (We should just
start calling Tarantino by the nick Mixmaster Q).
This is Q's journey through film history. A genre-bending
journey through the amusement park of cinema that
never fails to entice and excite. If Q puts something
up on the screen that doesn't tickle your fancy (and
that is highly unlikely), just wait 10 minutes or
so and the film will change, chameleon-like, into
some other scenario and style that will more than
likely please you.
Only Tarantino would start the continuation
of his film opus essaying revenge with a reel of film
shot in black and white. Yep, a single reel. No more
and no less. Serving as flashback and acting as what
would be, in every other film of this type, the first
sequence due to chronology, the segment comes at the
beginning of the second part of the film series. If
one considers it as a part of a whole film (and I
wonder if Mixmaster Q didn't intend this film to be
separated into two parts all along), this sequences
fits perfectly here as it is the start of Q's segueing
into the film noir segment of his work. Before the
film is over, he'll also traverse horror films, Hong
Kong martial arts training films, relationship films,
and includes plenty more examples of perfectly amazing
fight sequences.
Q takes an aside to introduce a
character, Bud, played by Michael Madsen. This is
what is so wonderful about his films. He takes ten
minutes here, smack-dab in the middle of his film,
to introduce a new character and allow us to enter
into his daily existence. Only Q is able to get away
with such massive cinematic asides. Only he creates
stories, characters, incidents, sets and set-ups so
wonderful that we don't mind the diversion away from
the main part of the story.
This set-up actually leads to an
integral part of the story, one where Uma Thurman's
protagonist is buried alive. And what an amazing "buried
alive" sequence it is. You see, Tarantino doesn't
do anything particularly new here, but he makes it
everything that he does do seem fresh and new. Bathed
in black for several minutes, the film still moves
briskly and bristles our nerves. Thurman is fantastic
here providing enough aural evocation of fear and
anger that we are completely drawn into the scene
even though the visual is nothing but complete blackness.
For minutes we too are buried alive with Thurman,
cinematically, and it is nothing short of an mind-boggling
experience. Tarantino drags us deeply into his film
and into his protag's situation using visual nothingness.
How many other filmmakers are capable of such an audacious
feat?
This assault on visuals is soon
followed by the most stunning and obvious homage to
Asian films Q has ever attempted. The introduction
of the character called Master Pei into the film is
followed by a lengthy homage (bordering on loving
spoof) of martial arts training films. It's one of
the most amazing homages/spoofs of this genre that
we have ever seen. And there have been a lot of them!
You bet this has been done hundreds of times. But
Q does it perfectly. Q does it better than it has
ever been done. Q, as is his wont, makes it his own.
It is his love of film and of cinematic genre that
makes watching his homage of such genres such a delight.
Where others attempt spoof, Q attempts homage and
the loving nature of his presentation provides just
enough spoof to make it all seem full of delight.
The highlight of the film, really,
is its midsection where Thurman finally meets up with
Daryl Hannah's lovely siren, Elle. The fight scene
staged here is worth the price of admission alone.
This segment is so awesome that it literally leaves
all the amazing action sequences in the first "volume"
of the film in the dust and makes them seem pale and
wanting by comparison. In a truly dazzling display
of cinematic chutzpah, Q delivers one of the most
amazing film moments of all time as Thurman and Hannah
run towards one and other and kick, each falling back,
both falls captured on film and issued to the viewer
in a stunning simultaneous split-screen shot. Here,
as elsewhere, Q takes one of the most typical tricks
in all of film and makes it his own. Finally, after
much action, the end of this fight features a resolution
so perfect and perfectly simple that it delights beyond
belief.
After this wonderful climactic sequence,
the rest of the film sort of resolves and falls away
from the intense heart of the plot. There are, however,
still many wonderful moments to go including another
appearance by a barely recognizable Michael Parks
and another flashback aside that shows us how Thurman's
killer discovered her pregnancy that is quite fresh
and unique.
And, although it can seem long and
laborious to the random viewer, for the real fan,
the film's finale allows David Carradine to stretch
out and deliver a wonderful and verbal finale with
Thurman is quite delightful. Q's dialogue sparkles
and Carradine practically cums delivering it. He has
so much fun here that we cannot help but become utterly
involved in the proceedings. Although a bit long and
occasionally cumbersome, this ending is totally satisfying
and elevates "Kill Bill" to the level of epic.
Quentin Tarantino is without a doubt
the most unique and cinematically adept filmmaker
working in the world today. His films are events.
His work is on the level of a master. Screw Mel Gibson,
if entrance to heaven was attained by cinematic prowess,
Tarantino would indeed be sitting at the right hand
of God himself.
Notes:
In English and Japanese with subtitles.
Also with Gordon Liu (AKA Chia Hui
Liu), Smauel L. Jackson and Bo Svenson.
Score by Robert Rodriguez. Tarantino
paid Rodriguez one dollar for his work here and Rodriguez
plans to return the favor by having Tarantino direct
a segment of his next film, "Sin City" for a fee of
exactly one dollar.
The end credits feature the names
of the actors over pictures of the characters they
play, including those who only appeared in Volume
1.
Those thanked in the end credits
include Austinites Tim and Karrie League, who run
the Alamo Drafthouse(s), and fellow directors Robert
Rodriguez (whom Q calls "My Brother") and Richard
Linklater.
Several people are mentioned in
a "R.I.P." section in the end credits including Charles
Bronson.
There is a blooper from "Volume
1" at the very end of the end credits.
Tarantino has claimed that there
may be a prequel to the film (which may be animated)
and there may be a story about "The Bride's" daughter
(or possibly Vernita Green's daughter from "Volume
1"), which would be filmed in 15 years.
The grave that The Bride is buried
in has a headstone with the name Paula Schultz. There
is a comedy called "The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz"
(1968) starring Elke Summer as the title character
and Bob Crane as a character named Bill.
Pei Mei, which literally translated
means "White Lotus" is a character in several 70's
Shaw Brothers films.
Bill's licence plate reads THX1138,
the name of a George Lucas film and also the license
plate of Suzanne Sommers' car in Lucas' "American
Graffiti."
Tarantino references several of
his own films here. Madsen, who starred in his film
"Reservoir Dogs" carries a silver Zippo lighter in
both films. Also, Bill refers to The Bride as a "Natural
Born Killer," which is the name of an Oliver Stone
film that Tarantino scripted.
At one time Warren Beatty was to
play the role of Bill but ultimately did not. Tarantino
has vowed that Beatty will appear in one of his future
films.
Mirimax has said that there will
be up to six different DVD releases of the two volumes
of the film.
Tarantino has a WWII film in the
works called "Inglorious Bastards" and at the time
of this film's release was trying to get a gig directing
a remake of "Casino Royale" with Pierce Brosnan as
James Bond.
Viewed in Pflugerville in April
2004 with my friend Christian.
