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Kill Bill: Volume 2 2004 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
R, 134 min. (violence, language, brief drug use) |
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Starring: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen, Gordon Liu, Michael Parks, Samuel L. Jackson, Bo Svenson, Quentin Tarantino (voice of Pai Mei)
Producers: Lawrence Bender, Quentin Tarantino
Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino
Cinematography: Robert Richardson
Distributor: Miramax Films
Released: 4.16.04 (Wide) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
After his brilliant but self-indulgent first installment, Kill Bill: Volume 1,
director Quentin Tarantino seemed to have tempered his more nuanced, fluid verbosity in favor of highly stylized,
extensive action sequences; although effective, some fans wondered if he had abandoned his gift for conversational
drama. Well, Kill Bill: Volume 2 should quickly calm those fears. The well documented split of Tarantino's
original vision (Kill Bill) has produced two almost disparate but well-made films. The first focused on the brutality
of the human need for vengeance, while this new film studies the characters and relationships that gives the first film's
blood-soaked epic meaning. The two episodes are chalk full of irony, but I think the biggest irony comes from the fact
that taken together, Kill Bill is probably a masterpiece, on par with Pulp Fiction. Unfortunately, because
of the need for more green, Tarantino won't receive the accolades he deserves for his intended version of the film.
However, Volume 2 is still a very good picture, able to stand on its own in a way that Volume 1 could not.
Volume 2 is contained within its own context, emphasizing the reasons behind the characters' attitudes and actions. While
there is still some dazzling action, this is a film that marinates in explanations and motivations, and for many viewers will
be the more balanced, more satisfying motion picture. Others will prefer the kinetic madness of Volume 1's dizzying fight scenes,
which acted as an outlet for its repressed anger. Personally, I think both films have equal merit; each effectively utilizes
its core. I enjoyed both films within their respective boundaries, yet I can't help but wonder what an exhilarating experience
the two films as a whole would have provided. We'll have to wait for the combined DVD version to explore that theory.
Volume 2 picks up where Volume 1 left off, with a quick flashback to The Bride's (Uma Thurman) horrific shooting, which
highlights a wedding dress rehearsal (just before the massacre) where Bill (David Carradine) calmly confronts her marriage to a used record store
owner. Fast forward to the present and The Bride is on her way to eliminate Budd (Michael Madsen), who now lives in
a trailer in the desert and works as a bouncer at a strip club. Things don't go as planned and The Bride finds herself in
quite a predicament, which allows for another flashback when she trained under Pai Mei (Gordon Liu with voice provided
by Tarantino), a legendary Kung Fu master that dislikes women and white people. Eventually The Bride recovers in time
to confront Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah), in of all places Budd's trailer, which is all but destroyed in the ensuing fight. By the
time The Bride reaches Bill for the final showdown, we have learned much about her past and then are somewhat startled
by a revelation that temporarily halts her quest for vengeance.
Tarantino has wisely chosen to develop his characters through frequent flashbacks and lengthy talks that allows the viewer
to fully comprehend the depth of ill-feeling that The Bride (who we learn is actually Beatrix Kiddo) has toward her
former colleagues. She is interrogated by Bill with Tarantino's slick verbal acuity, thereby informing the audience of Bill's
perspective in the proceedings. He's an evil man to be sure, sadistic and selfish, but Tarantino portrays his villain with
a softer side that is hidden behind an almost impenetrable exterior that Bill uses to shield himself from vulnerability.
Their confrontation is quick, deadly, and ironic considering that The Bride turns the tables on the man who ruthlessly
ambushed her at her own wedding with a secret that is the final rejection of his lonely lifestyle.
Volume 2 is a continuation of Tarantino's obsession with various homages to the martial arts genre. Visual style
and musical accompaniment reflect his desire to equate his film with 70's martial arts films, including the snap closeup and
zany behavior of the kung fu master toward his pupil. Observe Pai Mei's over-the-top mannerisms, especially the constant
flipping of the long white beard for extra effect. This is one of the better chapters of the two films, because it provides
the opportunity for Tarantino to combine meaningful backstory with humorous interjection of satire and a willingness to poke
fun at his own film. He continues with other visual chicanery, employing black-and-white, split screen, and even by changing
the aspect ratio to 1.33:1 for one scene. He uses these interchangeable techniques for specific moments in a film that is
deceptively complex, even though the storyline seems quite routine. Tarantino is quietly making statements about the
fragility of human connection and the unquenchable need for justice in the absence of accountability.
Tarantino also has a knack for good casting choices, and the Kill Bill project is no exception. Thurman embodies
the ultimate avenging angel figure, and her gradual shift from red-eyed terminator to sympathetic executioner is one
of her best roles to date. Carradine fits the bill (no pun intended) nicely as the callous but human villain, while Madsen and
Hannah (in a performance that could re-energize her fading career) give solid support. And Gordon Liu almost steals the
picture with his well-versed portrayal of a master figure.
If Volume 2 has a weakness, it's in the somewhat overlong extraneous material that could have been easily excised.
But Tarantino needed enough running time to fill the film's stand-alone standard. As aforementioned, it's obvious that the
Kill Bill enterprise was intended as one film, thus the slight disjointed nature between the two films. With the opportunity
to see Volume 1 and 2 spliced together, Kill Bill will almost certainly take on another dimension, a level of filmmaking that
is customary for a director that is pushing himself to excel every time out. Let's just hope he doesn't wait another six years
to find the motivation to direct again.
© 2004 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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