Reel Talk with Julia

Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, should I sit down in a theater for 5 hours?

by Julia Kelm

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and 2 are Quentin Tarantino cinema classics, returning to the silver screen this Thursday, Dec. 4, at the Eureka Broadway theater. 

Those unfamiliar with these films, the plot follows the mysterious ex-assassin simply known as ‘The Bride’ — played by Uma Thurman. The Bride wakes from a coma and almost immediately seeks revenge against Bill and the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, all of whom betrayed her and led to the killing of her unborn son. 

These films, in typical Tarantino fashion, are intensely violent and chock-full of classic cinema references that would have Tarantino fanboys doing metaphorical backflips. I, on the other hand, find the first film great, but the second one is just okay.

Much like how the second act of Wicked was — from what I’ve heard — unsatisfying, and disappointing, Kill Bill Vol. 2 doesn’t even come close to meeting your expectations after a much more riveting start. In my opinion, the first film is almost perfect and my favorite Tarantino movie. It’s a basic idea for a revenge story; however, it’s so extreme and jaw-dropping, with innovative editing and cinematography, that it deserves its praise. Tarantino borrows from many other filmmakers, including black-and-white scenes and animation, leading to an interesting, almost mixed-media artwork in film format.

To summarize, Kill Bill Vol. 1 is an excellently presented action film that goes beyond meaningless violence and into what I would call contemporary art. With part two, you might expect everything good about the first film but better, or at least comparable in quality, right?

Kill Bill Vol. 2, while not bad, is much slower, dialogue-heavy, and is generally less satisfying as a viewer going from the action-packed, hyper-violent style of the first film. 

So would I recommend seeing Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair coming to theaters? I’ll say yes if you prefer seeing films in the theatre, haven’t seen the films or are a huge Kill Bill fan. However, if you’ve seen them and don’t care — why are you reading this review? — then I would pass on the opportunity.

You can watch both Kill Bill films for free by checking them out at the Cal Poly Humboldt library. You can also watch Vol. 1 by accessing the mysterious online school resource “Panopto.” If you can figure out how to access that, you can search for films there as well. Vol. 1 = 10/10 Julias Vol. 2 = 7/10 Julias.

Julia is a journalism major and the life and arts editor for the paper. She loves film and is a regular on Letterboxd. She also enjoys going on walks in the forest and taking pictures to relax. If you have a movie you want her to review, email her at jk328@humboldt.edu.