Arts & Entertainment
 

Tarantino's knack for layered characters, gory plot lines excuses movie's late arrival

By Geronimo Rodriguez
The Daily Cougar

The latest Q & U creation should leave no questions about Uma Thurman's unflinching on-screen prowess as she tangos with Quentin Tarantino's answer to those wondering if the film geek's cinematic touch was gone.

Tarantino binds Kill Bill: Vol. 1 with Kill Bill: Vol. 2, a film equally heavy on martial arts and soaked with a bride's quest for revenge, only Thurman's Bride glows slightly more in the second installment. Perhaps because of Thurman's influence, the blood-rich plot finds breathing room and reflects on The Bride's relationship with David Carradine's Bill before she sat down and made a list of five people to kill. But Tarantino, as violent as his films are, has a way of creating thick characters in that they can carry a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a samurai sword in the other.

Thurman's Bride, whose name is revealed as Beatrice in Vol. 2, has no rival in the world of cinema with regard to women characters. It's not about a swagger like Pam Grier's Foxy Brown, but her character grows the more she struggles. The first volume began with a hypnotizing scene where Bride is about to bleed to death from a shot to the head. But the second volume takes a leap forward, throwing its character into one of the most horrific moments in recent history with the memorable graveyard scene. The brilliance of the scene lies in the fact that Tarantino relies a great deal on leaving viewers to believe that Bride's only escape is to reach for the devil's hand.

Tarantino delivers enough in scenes where there isn't much action, and one must think he could even make a push-up contest seem interesting. He begs viewers to pan his settings in search of a flaw, but he knows all too well there won't be one in sight.

The film begins where the first left off ? with Bride kicking tail and a handful of deadly assassins thinking of ways to stop her in their dry Tarantino-style dialogue. The story rewinds to Bride's training days with the relentless Pai Mei (Gordon Liu) as well as her memories of Bill, the companion and teacher and not the jealous lover. The script's pulse beats with Budd (Michael Madsen) and Ella's (Daryl Hannah) mannerisms, again, reflect Tarantino's ability to create characters as thick as a slice of cheesecake. Add to that strings upon strings of rich dialogue to taste what made Tarantino a movie household name back in 1992 with Reservoir Dogs.

Tarantino, who is currently working on Inglorious Bastards, might not have the power to hit the screen as hard as he has with Kill Bill, but that's what everyone said after Pulp Fiction. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 could stand alone in comparison to what Hollywood's "heavy hitters" churn out, but when slapped with Vol. 2, Tarantino delivers a slick saga that'll haunt his peers for years to come.

Kill Bill: Vol. 2

Rated: R

Starring: Uma Thurman, David Carradine

Miramax Films

The verdict: All Tarantino needs to do now is pay those late fees.

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