Going Through Films #2
Kill Bill Vols. 1 & 2
Quentin Tarantino, 2003, 2004
June 6, 7
When I saw the Kill Bill duo the first time, it was dazzling, but there seemed to be no reason to slice the film in half. In fact, it seemed better suited to a three hour plus slog, complete with intermission (How come the don't have intermissions anymore? I think people would have a lot less trepidation about three hour movies, if there was a promise of a bathroom break halfway through). But in watching the films on back to back days, there's a definite tone change in the two halves. It's like Quentin put all his uptempo numbers on Side A and left all the ballads for Side B. I always said I wouldn't buy the flicks until the three disc special edition with a cut that merged the two movies comes out. After watching it though (from Netflix, not the store), I don't think that merging the two flicks is necessary. I still think that the movies would be best enjoyed back to back with a ten minute intermission. Even the really superfluous stuff, like Budd getting chewed out by his boss to the theme of demasculization that follows when people settle down (and especially when killers settle down). When Bill chastises the Bride for deciding to settle down, it's easy to imagine Quentin giving the same speech to the cinema as a whole.
Overall, watching this not too long after Grindhouse (although, my attempt to watch Grindhouse again was thwarted when the new 21 and over, beer dealing, old couch lounging State Theater got rid of the flick after just one week, replacing it with Wild Hogs of all things. Apparently, even in the grindhouse theaters, Grindhouse is a flop), Tarantino has pretty much solidified his status as one this generation's top filmmakers. Although it's kind of weird to watch a paean to low-budget sloppy cinema that's very highly budgeted, carefully planned, plotted, and executed. It's too bad that most filmmakers don't have this kind of resources and freedoms Although many probably think the opposite, Tarantino is one of the most feminist filmmakers today, in a fetishistic sort of way.
Quentin Tarantino, 2003, 2004
June 6, 7
When I saw the Kill Bill duo the first time, it was dazzling, but there seemed to be no reason to slice the film in half. In fact, it seemed better suited to a three hour plus slog, complete with intermission (How come the don't have intermissions anymore? I think people would have a lot less trepidation about three hour movies, if there was a promise of a bathroom break halfway through). But in watching the films on back to back days, there's a definite tone change in the two halves. It's like Quentin put all his uptempo numbers on Side A and left all the ballads for Side B. I always said I wouldn't buy the flicks until the three disc special edition with a cut that merged the two movies comes out. After watching it though (from Netflix, not the store), I don't think that merging the two flicks is necessary. I still think that the movies would be best enjoyed back to back with a ten minute intermission. Even the really superfluous stuff, like Budd getting chewed out by his boss to the theme of demasculization that follows when people settle down (and especially when killers settle down). When Bill chastises the Bride for deciding to settle down, it's easy to imagine Quentin giving the same speech to the cinema as a whole.
Overall, watching this not too long after Grindhouse (although, my attempt to watch Grindhouse again was thwarted when the new 21 and over, beer dealing, old couch lounging State Theater got rid of the flick after just one week, replacing it with Wild Hogs of all things. Apparently, even in the grindhouse theaters, Grindhouse is a flop), Tarantino has pretty much solidified his status as one this generation's top filmmakers. Although it's kind of weird to watch a paean to low-budget sloppy cinema that's very highly budgeted, carefully planned, plotted, and executed. It's too bad that most filmmakers don't have this kind of resources and freedoms Although many probably think the opposite, Tarantino is one of the most feminist filmmakers today, in a fetishistic sort of way.
posted by Jesse @ 6:11 PM
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