Arts & Entertainment
 

Tarantino learns to advance story with soundtrack

By Geronimo Rodriguez
The Daily Cougar

Anyone who's experienced a Quentin Tarantino film knows his films aren't complete without an earful of solid sounds. Tarantino will never reach Sergio Leone or Stanley Kubrick's level of wrapping scenes with such fitting songs or scores, but the Knoxville, Tenn., native knocks down the door when compared to most directors' diluted music tastes.

In the Kill Bill: Vol. 2 soundtrack, Tarantino, who seems like an avid Leone fan, borrows Ennio Morricone for a couple of scores -- Il Tramonto, L'Arenato and A Silhouette of Doom -- to set up scenes -- Leone style. Morricone branded his sounds on a number of Leone films, adding a flair to the spaghetti western that can't be put into words. Tarantino even has Bill (David Carradine) tote around his instrument of choice. Although he never trumps Leone, Tarantino knows how to tie up music with actions.

With Malcolm McLaren's "About Her," the director sets up a chilling scene between Budd (Michael Madsen) and Uma Thurman's Bride. The song fits Thurman's resilient character, and leads viewers to believe she's ready to whip out her Hattori Hanzo sword. A couple of seconds before this scene unravels, Tarantino enlists the help of Johnny Cash's "A Satisfied Mind" -- no other sounds would ramble through the tobacco-chewing Budd's trailer park -- to show the director's range.

The soundtrack also offers sound bytes from the film, including Bill telling the Bride about the legend of Pai Mei and the showdown between the former lovers. Learn to recite the dialogue if you'd like, but, just as he did with the Pulp Fiction soundtrack, Tarantino is just highlighting some of the film's more memorable scenes.

Kill Bill: Vol. 2 soundtrack

Various Artists

The verdict: "Pork chops taste good."

Send comments to dcshobiz@mail.uh.edu