Quentin Tarantinodoes not viewKill Billas two separate films.
That should be acknowledged upfront as fair.
So while the story was released asKill Bill: Vol.
1andKill Bill: Vol.
2, theyre two sides of the same tale.
Be that as it may, theres no denying that theyre two incredibly different sides.
Even their diverging genre influences and the color palettes are as separated as East and West.
There is the wild spectacle ofVol.
1and the emotional violence ofVol.
But which one is better?
But then again, so much of what occurs inKill Billmight be described as silly and unnecessary.
It doesnt stop it from being sublimely entertaining.
Granted that is just one of many of the slick images in Tarantinos slickest 111 minutes on celluloid.
Kill Bill: Volume 1might very well be the apex of QT cool… andVolume 2certainly marked a decline.
Alec Bojalad:I already feel terrible.
Because, for as great asKill Bill: Vol.
2captures the entirety of the emotional and visual spectrum that a single, unifiedKill Billfilm would have.
And it does so without use of its gorgeous, yet extraneous, first half.
As you said,Vol.
1contains some undeniably striking imagery.
Who among us isnt delighted to see human beings turned into fleshy blood sprinklers?
Like the best Tarantino efforts,Vol.
2is such a vibrantly chatty film.
Its also more of a self-contained, at times literally claustrophobic experience.
1is vast and chaotic (shout out to O-Ren Ishiis anime backstory) while significant portions ofVol.
All of this is not even to mention thatVol.
2has an ending, and Vol.
1, by definition, does not.
1provides more spectacle whileVol.
2provides more emotional resonance.
Suggesting thatKill Bill: Vol.
1lacks a true conclusion.
The act of homage and reference has never been stronger in a QT joint, and withVol.
Silly rabbit, tricks are for kids.
Beyond the too-cool-for-school vibes though is the actualsoundofKill Bill.
Both volumes have killer soundtracks curated and refined by RZA, butVol.
1is the undeniably better selection.
1had a wider, and yes cooler, soundscape to draw on.
Tarantino is revered for the soundtracks he builds in nearly all his films, andVol.
1might contain his aural masterpiece.
Nothing inKill Bill: Vol.
But yes, a collection of superior lines doesnt necessarily make for a superior movie.
Thankfully, Id still putVol.
2s aesthetic and sense of place well aboveVol.
1.In the intro for this piece, you mentioned the East/West divide at the center of the two films.
While I agree thatVol.
1has a distinctly Eastern flair whileVol.
2is more of a Western, I also think thatVol.
2combines the best of both worlds.
Mixing Kiddos Pai Mei training with gorgeous shots of the American frontier blends Tarantinos influences beautifully.
Thats largely where my Vol.
1unnecessary hersey comes from.
And far be it from me to complain about a Quentin Tarantino script beingtooreferential, butVol.
1may just be too masturbatory for my tastes.
Its too much for my TV-addled brain to take.
David:Alec, I hear ya.
That Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique is a brilliant way to conclude the biggest rivalry in these flicks.
I mean they are calledKill Bill!
And when it comes to a little fisticuffs showmanship,Vol.
1still has you beat.
While I respect the more deliberate and elegiac tone ofVol.
Meanwhile the entire last half hour ofVol.
2is a goddamn water park show if all the water were dyed fire truck red.
And really, I just prefer the latter.
2has a level of substance and completion thatVol.
1just cant achieve by virtue of its incomplete status.
1lofts the ball up in the air forVol.
2, which in turn absolutely crushes it.
