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I just wanted to insert a note of surprise that people found _Kill Bill_ even watchable. I can't remember being that bored at the movies, especially a movie with this much action and a Yakuza homage to boot. I don't think I've ever agreed with Demby in my life, but I'm forced to admit that Kill Bill is pretty much a parable of autism. Once again, Tarantino contrives a non-linear narrative, but someone just tell me why? The narrative structure seems to have no real point--it's not even remotely interesting. And as for the characters, I can't say I found any of them really interesting or humanized, with the exception of the first 2 minute of the film when a close-up of Uma Thurman proves intriguing. Finally, I have found a film as dull as Natural Born Killers... Gregg Flaxman University fo North Carolina, Chapel Hill Quoting Dorna Khazeni <[log in to unmask]>: > I'm glad Sarah brought up Kill Bill. I saw it last weekend KB. I am > generally not a fan of Tarantino's work. I've found always an absence of > emotion in favor of clever cinematic, structural etc. choices. The magic > others see in certain moments usually doesn't happen for me. > > I found KB worked very differently. > > The over the top violence and fight scenes and were I think coupled with > sympathy for the characters. I'm not sure sympathy is the right word. But > it is a "humanization" of figures who essentially are like comic book > figures. I think the audience's rapport with the characters is cemented by > Tarantino's manipulation of genre. You respond to "the hero" figure that > resonates and recognize her quickly in the separate narrative segments. > > Anime and graphic novels allow for a huge amount of violence that is coupled > with a great sympathy for the lead, and certainly the Lucy Liu character > gained some affection by the end of that sequence. Given the bloody nature > of the story, I'm not certain a live-action rendition would have resonated > in the same way. > > The Godard comparison is very interesting and one that hadn't occurred to > me. I can't say the toes made me think of the JLG coffee cup. But overall, > T's ability to introduce elements of lyricism (an example would be the > visual lyricism of the snowy garden where the last fight takes place) would > bear comparison to Godard and his abrupt poetic insertions. This also > "humanizes" (here I'm not sure this is the perfect term) the characters. At > least it touches the audience with relation to the story on a different > level than the comic book/violence antics that are enjoyable but from which > we can remain detached. > > As you mention there is a continual association/dissociation with the > characters that occurs. (This in a very intangible reminded me of Lynch's > treatment of the character in Mulholland Drive). At times you are so in > cahoots with him as you watch this absurd tale about absurd characters and > at other moments you become a traditional viewer going with the genre fight > sequence or what have you. > > I think the most striking thing about the film is the very seamless way in > which Tarantino shifts tone throughout, moving from the absurd, violent or > comical to draw on elements of genre and to achieve moments of real drama. > > --------------- > From: Sarah Nichols <[log in to unmask]> > Date: Thu, 16 Oct 2003 08:15:12 -0700 > Subject: Kill Bill > > > I recently saw Tarantino's Kill Bill and was interested in discussing it. I > am especially interested in the way that he seems to alternate between the > objectification of his subjects and his humanization of them. Is he > humanizing them at all? ( Or is Uma Thurman just a body hurling through > space, killing everything in her path [well, almost everything]. Is the > anime "backstory" for Lucy Liu's character a way to humanize her?) > > Also, for some reason, the close-ups of Thurman's toes reminded me of the > coffee cup in Two or Three Things I Know About Her. > > Anyone's thoughts would be welcome. > > Sarah Nichols >