Kill Bill: Vol. 1

A female assassin, left for dead on her wedding day, seeks revenge on those that wronged her.

Kill Bill: Vol 1 is director Quentin Tarantino’s homage to eastern cinema, from the Shaw Brothers movies of the 70s, to the anime of today. Tarantino has absorbed so much eastern pop-culture that he transcends the genres he’s borrowing from and delivers something completely derivative, yet absolutely unique.

The only criticism that can really be leveled against Kill Bill: Vol 1 is its lack of substance. This is the result of a conscious decision to embrace the source material rather than trying to rise above it. Tarantino makes no attempt to try and “elevate” the genre, and instead revels in its B-movie nature. Everything is amped: the costumes, the sets, the blood, the fights; watching the movie you get the feeling that once Tarantino started he couldn’t stop until he got it out of his system. It’s that kinetic.