From Deseret News archives:

Kill Bill, Vol. 1

Published: Friday, Oct. 10, 2003 7:55 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
"Kill Bill, Vol. 1" may be the most violent movie ever made.

OK, that sounds like hyperbole, but consider this — heads fly, limbs are hacked off, women are beaten brutally and shot in the head, and blood flows like a river.

Ultimately, whether audiences will enjoy "Kill Bill" will depend on how they feel about writer/director Quentin Tarantino. Either you love him or you hate him, and this film is unlikely to change anyone's mind either way.

Yet, for those who can stomach "Bill's" peculiar brand of ultraviolence, this revenge yarn is an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride that will satisfy even the most carnage-crazed action fan. (It should be noted that at least one scene was changed from color to black and white to keep the film from getting a rating more harsh than R.)

Uma Thurman stars as a character known simply as The Bride. After spending four years in a coma, this former killing machine is awakened and takes revenge on those responsible for nearly killing her, as well as her unborn child and the man she was to marry.

Story continues below
And she has a long list of enemies, including Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox), a housewife who's now "retired" from the business, and O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu), who has now become the head of the Tokyo underworld.

You hate to use the word "subtle" to describe a filmmaker as bombastic as Tarantino, but there is actually some subtlety here, such as a Zenlike pause in the action that may be the most poetic thing he's ever done. There's also a brilliant animated sequence done in the Japanese anime style, which tells the origin of O-Ren, and which may seem like an odd digression; but it works in the context of what is essentially a live-action cartoon.

This film is certainly not for all audiences. Even the those with strong stomachs may feel a bit queasy after seeing some of the more blood-splattered sequences.

This is also the best performance Thurman has given in years. Her intensity here makes you believe a woman this spindly could actually wreak so much havoc with a sword, a knife and other weapons. Same goes for Liu, who really seems to be having fun being bad again. And kung-fu movie veteran Sonny Chiba owns every scene he's in (unfortunately, there just aren't enough of them).

This film also has one of the best soundtracks in recent memory. The RZA's score has the lurid tone of music from early chop-socky films at times, alternating with music that may bring to mind "blaxploitation" flicks.

"Kill Bill, Vol. 1" is rated R for nonstop violence and mayhem (shootings, stabbings, martial-arts combat and violence against women), graphic gore, frequent use of strong sexual profanity and crude sexual slang terms, brief drug content (hypodermic use), a scene of torture, a brief scene of rape, use of racial epithets and brief male nudity (animated). Running time: 112 minutes.


E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

Movie Info
Rated R for gore, profanity, vulgarity, brief nudity, drug use, racial epithets.

Cast: Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, David Carradine; in English and Mandarin, with English subtitles
FIND LOCAL MOVIE SHOWTIMES
Image
Andrew Cooper, Miramax

Uma Thurman stars in 'Kill Bill, Vol. I' as The Bride who is awakened and seeks revenge after spending four years in a coma. Standing over her is Daryl Hannah.

previousnext

Latest comments

Allen Iverson signs with 76ers again

What a punk! Ban him, it's the only way to start to get control of these...

I like this rivalry! This will be a really good measurement of BYUs abilities...

Letters: Public option needed

In the healthcare market, lower costs and higher quality go hand and hand....

Why is Y. ignoring spew of hatred?

if U fails to respond but not if the Y stays above the fray. UHypocritesU

This issue is tiresome. Can we move on. Who really cares? There are issues...

Galen, Ice core analysis has shown that the atmospheric CO2 level has...

Religion in politics is tiresome

The LDS scriptures have a verse specifically for this very topic. D&C...

Teen girl killed in Kaysville crash

That HORRIBLE intersection has had full engineering plans in-place for many...

Lori, we are so happy and proud you are Ms. Volleyball this year! You deserve...

Darts shake off rust for win

We are looking forward to hosting you on Friday night. See you at the...

Advertisements