Kill Bill: Vol. 2The most important battles we face are the ones we wage with ourselves, when we are forced to examine what it is that we must accomplish, and why. In the first part of Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, "The Bride"/Beatrix Kiddo (Uma Thurman) is motivated for revenge against the man she loved and thought loved her, Bill (David Carradine). Her "roaring rampage" to snuff out her former accomplices and assassins is fairly straightforward, and her success is evidenced by her prowess. But how did Beatrix get to be the deadliest woman in the world? And what will be her legacy in the wake of her vengeance?
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Compared to our first entry, Kill Bill: Vol. 2 highlights the moments leading up to the infamous "Massacre at Two Pines"--a scene showcasing Bill's introduction in a fashion with no small reminiscence to David Carradine's famous role as Kwai Chang Caine from the "Kung Fu" television series--a dress rehearsal for the wedding, a performance by Beatrix (as Arleen), an act which Bill calls her out on later. It's not just the moments preceding the massacre which are revisited in a flashback, but many other significant recollections of Beatrix's which come back to fill in those gaps left in our understanding of her motivation to leave Bill, and even earlier than that, her dealings with Bill in their early days, as well as her rigorous training under Pai Mei (Gordon Liu). A secretive and unrelenting Chinese martial arts master who destroys and rebuilds Beatrix, Pai Mei is the quintessential venerable martial arts genius. Through his tutelage, Beatrix is able to not only develop as a deadly warrior, but also a more complete--less dependent--woman. The story explores how Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah) was also a student of Pai Mei, although far less successful, and her response to the berating and harsh training was also far more venomous, defeating the ultimate purpose of the instruction. When push comes to shove--literally--Beatrix has an edge over Elle because she has mastered herself, rather than by cheating and taking an easy way out, learning nothing in the process. This deeper meaning beneath their conflict--not to mention the implication that Elle was an ex of Bill's, or a second-stringer at least--reveals Elle to be another kind of reflection of Beatrix, much like O-Ren Ishii was to her in the first volume, both installments culminating this externalized conflict with a dramatic sword fight. And Bill's brother, Budd (Michael Madsen), represents another kind of assassin, one who is regretful of his involvement in Beatrix's assassination at all, wallowing in guilt and resentful of his brother's attempts to assuage his conscience. Budd hurls himself into demeaning work as a kind of self-inflicted punishment; he may be a bit of a hick, but we sense that he's really more accustomed to finer things, and he--like Beatrix--has lost the taste for the life of an assassin...though that hardly means he won't defend himself.
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 is the more introspective entry in the pair of films, the "yin" to the "yang"; not to suggest that the film is without the fast-paced and stylish confrontations of its predecessor, but it is also tempered with moments of warmth and gentleness, especially in regards to Beatrix's final confrontation with Bill, and when he introduces her to her daughter, aptly named "B.B." Not until the closing credits do we get the indication that--like his squad of assassins, all named after deadly snakes--Bill carries the handle of "Snake Charmer". The significance of this title is somewhat obvious in the context of the names of his staff, but it is even more notable when Beatrix and Bill are reunited, and Bill executes one of his most powerful of styles to disarm and contain Beatrix's wrath: love. Bill's attitude toward B.B. is as a loving father, a teacher, a playmate. Bill is her parent, and exploits this against Beatrix...and yet Beatrix allows herself to be taken into that fold--if only for a short time--because it is a dream which she has longed for, even if she and Bill have unfinished business. Bill, as well as his minions by and large, are also brought down by an ironic reversal of a defining characteristic, their own weapon turned against them. In Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Vernita is a knife specialist, and is killed by a knife, and O-Ren is sensitive about her heritage, but becomes overconfident after judging The Bride on being a "caucasian" playing with samurai swords. In the sequel, Budd's empathetic nature gives him an edge predicting when he is being targeted, but is turned against him when he betrays his self-inflicted asceticism, and though Elle consistently employs a deceitful way of capitalizing on the weaknesses of others and manipulating the odds in her favor, when her own handicap is exploited, she simply can't take what she dishes out. But Bill has always been the catalyst in this bloody tale, his broken heart being the very first misstep in the whole of the affair which ultimately leaves corpses abundant. Bill is a villain who loves, a rare combination, and a strong counterpoint to the bevy of immediately recognizable tropes in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 from other works, like Pai Mei, or the wise, old Mexican lothario/pimp (played by Michael Parks, who also played sheriff Earl McGraw in the first movie). Bill dispenses parables to illustrate his points to Beatrix, attempting to reveal his broken heart to her, and convey how he "overreacted" and regrets his actions. He is generally wise, and acts accordingly, presenting himself as intelligent, but somewhat arrogant. When Beatrix finally overcomes Bill and his unique style of confrontation, the end is a literalization of his broken heart, and is a moment where Bill learns something which he did not know, a hubris which closes the book on this tale of blood and swords, of scorn and judgment, of discovery and revelation.
Recommended for: Fans of kung-fu action films and thrilling suspense, but Kill Bill: Vol. 2 is also a story which asks whether our actions are truly worth the consequences and whether we are truly prepared to deal with the irreversible choices we make upon others.
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 is the more introspective entry in the pair of films, the "yin" to the "yang"; not to suggest that the film is without the fast-paced and stylish confrontations of its predecessor, but it is also tempered with moments of warmth and gentleness, especially in regards to Beatrix's final confrontation with Bill, and when he introduces her to her daughter, aptly named "B.B." Not until the closing credits do we get the indication that--like his squad of assassins, all named after deadly snakes--Bill carries the handle of "Snake Charmer". The significance of this title is somewhat obvious in the context of the names of his staff, but it is even more notable when Beatrix and Bill are reunited, and Bill executes one of his most powerful of styles to disarm and contain Beatrix's wrath: love. Bill's attitude toward B.B. is as a loving father, a teacher, a playmate. Bill is her parent, and exploits this against Beatrix...and yet Beatrix allows herself to be taken into that fold--if only for a short time--because it is a dream which she has longed for, even if she and Bill have unfinished business. Bill, as well as his minions by and large, are also brought down by an ironic reversal of a defining characteristic, their own weapon turned against them. In Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Vernita is a knife specialist, and is killed by a knife, and O-Ren is sensitive about her heritage, but becomes overconfident after judging The Bride on being a "caucasian" playing with samurai swords. In the sequel, Budd's empathetic nature gives him an edge predicting when he is being targeted, but is turned against him when he betrays his self-inflicted asceticism, and though Elle consistently employs a deceitful way of capitalizing on the weaknesses of others and manipulating the odds in her favor, when her own handicap is exploited, she simply can't take what she dishes out. But Bill has always been the catalyst in this bloody tale, his broken heart being the very first misstep in the whole of the affair which ultimately leaves corpses abundant. Bill is a villain who loves, a rare combination, and a strong counterpoint to the bevy of immediately recognizable tropes in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 from other works, like Pai Mei, or the wise, old Mexican lothario/pimp (played by Michael Parks, who also played sheriff Earl McGraw in the first movie). Bill dispenses parables to illustrate his points to Beatrix, attempting to reveal his broken heart to her, and convey how he "overreacted" and regrets his actions. He is generally wise, and acts accordingly, presenting himself as intelligent, but somewhat arrogant. When Beatrix finally overcomes Bill and his unique style of confrontation, the end is a literalization of his broken heart, and is a moment where Bill learns something which he did not know, a hubris which closes the book on this tale of blood and swords, of scorn and judgment, of discovery and revelation.
Recommended for: Fans of kung-fu action films and thrilling suspense, but Kill Bill: Vol. 2 is also a story which asks whether our actions are truly worth the consequences and whether we are truly prepared to deal with the irreversible choices we make upon others.