Kill Bill Volume 1 (2003): Quentin Tarantino, Uma Thurman and Artful Revenge
Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill Volume 1 (2003) was the first entry in a two-part film… with Volume 2 released one year later. Originally, Tarantino intended Kill Bill to be one epic film but, clocking in at over 4 hours, the producers felt it would be better presented if split in two parts. The martial arts saga concerns a bride, who seeks revenge on an assassination squad led by Bill, after they try to kill her and her unborn child during her wedding rehearsal. One of the most stylish and violent films to come out in the past few decades, the cinematography is superb and the editing is artful… switching from black & white to vibrant color, from animation sequence to stark silhouette with smooth ease. From ancient monasteries to hip dance halls, the sets are intriguing and lively. Uma Thurman is fiercely badass as the bride, taking on over a hundred opponents. David Carradine is great as Bill. The rest of the cast is wonderful as well, including Lucy Liu as O-Ren Ishii, Vivica A. Fox as Vernita Green, Michael Madsen as Bud, Daryl Hannah as Elle Driver, Michael Parks, Julie Dreyfus, Sonny Chiba, Chiaki Kuriyama and Gordon Liu.
