The Bride kills Bill cold in Vol. 2
By Jeff Renfro
Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill Vol. 2" both concludes and expands on the themes of the first installment. The film answers all of the questions posed by the first, even the ones that the audience did not know to ask. "Kill Bill Vol. 2" brings together Tarantino's knack for crafting outrageous circumstances with a maturity that was only hinted at in "Jackie Brown."
The film begins with a shot of The Bride (Uma Thurman) driving a car in front of an intentionally cheesy backdrop that harkens back to classic Hollywood cinema. She quickly recaps the last film and restates her ultimate desire to kill Bill (David Carradine). The Bride then visits the trailer of Bud (Michael Madsen), Bill's brother and former member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. Without giving away too much of the movie, The Bride is required to use a specific martial arts technique.
The film then goes into a beautiful flashback scene in which The Bride is trained by Pai Mei (Chia Hui Liu). The flashback is heavily influenced by 60s/70s era martial arts movies, right down to the grainy film quality. The Bride goes on to battle Elle Driver (Darryl Hannah) in one of the greatest fight scenes ever. You have to see it to believe it.
The character of The Bride is fleshed out much more in this film. She becomes a truly great character. Tarantino balances her super-human physical abilities with a sense of emotional weakness. Thurman conveys a strong desire to not only reap her revenge, but also to move on from this period of her life. She faces each new challenge with an initial dread and searches within herself to find the strength to continue. She is fueled by hate for much of the movie, but actually manages to become a compassionate character in the end.
No review of a Tarantino film would be complete without the adjective "visceral." Normally, it applies to the graphic imagery that he employs, but in this case, it is the emotional conclusion that goes straight for the heart. Where "Kill Bill Vol. 1" rejected dialogue and emotional connections, "Vol. 2" embraces sweetness. The action is still there, but it is spaced between scenes of biting dialogue and philosophical musings.
The two films are more than just a simple revenge story. The characters seem to deserve what they are getting. Bud puts up a fight when The Bride comes for him, but he does not fear the death that will probably be the result of their confrontation. The characters (especially Bill) do not regret or apologize for their pasts, but welcome retribution. The characters are shaped by the choices they make, and cannot escape their pasts. The El Paso Chapel Massacre that is the inspiration for The Bride's rampage is a result of her desire to leave her life behind. Her fate, and the fate of her victims, are intertwined, just as their lives were.
Grade: A-
û Contact Jeff Renfro at (408) 554-4546 or jrenfro@scu.edu.