Kill Bill vol. 2

[Chris Knipp]

Saw it today. I think I like Vol 2 better than 1, but more than LOTR I think the parts ought to really be considered as one movie. With a long intermission, let's say. I. will put together detailed comments in the next few days. Thanks for the Dave Kehr reference, because I am not expert in the stuff Tarantino makes reference to. Definitely this establishes Tarantino as a huge cinematic artist. It's all so beautifully put together, so focused, so pretty visually, and so clear, in construction and logic as well as dialogue and image. But it also alienates people who don't get it and don't like QT even further -- so I'm thinking; or were they sufficiently alienated already? I wasn't aware he had so many enemies; but come to think of it, The New Yorker (whose reviews I often respect and always read) trashed Pulp Fiction when it came out, on the basis of the structure.

Johann--You are right that there is some implausibility in Vol.2 and the escape from the living grave is a good choice; but come on! It's all pure fun! You're not supposed to take it seriously. By the same token we are all more critical this time around because the themes and setup of Kill Bill are no longer a surprise any more, and we can look at the lengths of scenes and the casting and stuff like that more cooly. I'm not entirely overwhelmed with the use of Carradine or of Madsen. T has this tendency to use actors because they have a cult value for him regardless of their suitability otherwise, or their age, or anything else, and this emotional, cultish casting doesn't always work.