Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)

The fourth film I've selected in 2003's KILL BILL VOL.1 written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first half of The Bride's revenge story and it is a compelling film by itself.

The opening shot is divinely grotesque black and white. The energy of this film is one that never wavers and it's practically hyperactive. In this film, more than ever, Tarantino employs some of his strongest imagery. The commitment of Uma Thurman in this film is astounding. She is unwavering and bold in her choices as this jilted bride and killer. She allegedly even came up with the idea for the first shot...brilliance.
The color palette of this film is so vibrant, so vivid. It's very appropriate in this hyperactive universe of colorful language and larger than life characters. It has a drastically iconic feel throughout and is obviously very influenced by modern pop culture.
The film works as a sort of grab bag of different homages and it plays like a collage of coolness. Everything from the music (which is all taken from other films) to the costumes (which are inspired by other films) invokes a feeling of familiarity. Though is treads territory covered by other films, it does it in a way that makes it new. The use of split-screen is fun and used a few times quite successfully.
It wouldn't be a Quentin Tarantino film without a few lingering shots of feet. Gotta love his blatant fetish for toes.
The anime sequence is one of the most interesting of the film. It traces O-Ren's backstory with very cartoonish violence and stark use of color. The section is a welcome jump into a new medium and it's great to watch, abbreviated as it is.
Though Bill is the supposed villain of the series, Lucy Liu's O-Ren is the true ferocious villain of this film (Elle Driver being the true villain of the 2nd film). Her determination and ruthlessness is harrowing and gruesome. She has built a world that bows to her every demand and she sets the bar high for The Bride for the ultimate showdown of this film.
The saturation of this shot and the juxtaposition of The Bride's eyes and her memory of O-Ren is stunning. There is a very deliberately motivated use of memories in this film. It is quite effective and the editing reenforces the Bride's passionate need for revenge.

Best shot in the film? It's possible. The creativity of this shot wows me.
Love the mood of this shot. It's more somber and serious than the rest of the film. There are high stakes: it's life or death. The costuming is stunning and the set is wonderful as well.
Oh, Quentin. Lovely. It's like a blood sandal. Fierce.
The Bride stands victorious, formidable as we knew she would (because there's a Vol. 2). The first film has a thrilling cliffhanger ending that left me dying to see the 2nd volume when I first saw it in theaters. It is my favorite Quentin Tarantino film and one that I enthusiastically recommend.