Kill Bill, vol. 2: The Only Good Part was Watching David Carradine Die

[kitty]

Kill Bill, vol. 2: The Only Good Part was Watching David Carradine Die

Before you read this review, I must make this standard disclaimer: I was not one of those hordes of people who liked Kill Bill, vol. 1. I did not think Uma wiggling her big toe and waving around a samurai sword in a bastardized Bruce Lee spandex unitard was "totally rockin', dude" and I didn't get all weak kneed over O-ren Ishii's dragon lady persona and her band of Kato knock-offs. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, vol. 1 just plain sucked.

That being said, in many respects, Kill Bill, vol. 2 is a faithful successor to the first.

Picking up right where vol. 1 left off, the Bride (Uma Thurman) is two kills closer to
finishing her Hit List, and must now face two more of her former assasin compatriots -- Elle (aka California Mountain Snake) and Budd (aka Sidewinder) -- all culminating to her ultimate goal, to (aptly) kill Bill (aka the Snake Charmer).

Vol. 2 suffers from the same fatal flaw as the first: a complete lack of substantial plot. Though well hidden under a guise of nifty violence, when one thinks back on the film, one realizes that nothing of note really happens. Instead, both films are intensively character-driven (and pretty much carried solely by Uma, herself) and are an Asiaphilic parody (or 'homage', as reviewers put it) of the eastern martial arts cult genre; vol. 1 was essentially a live-action anime film, while vol. 2 watches more like an old-style kung fu flick.

Gone are the gushing geysers of blood and the 20 minute fight scenes. Director Quentin Tarentino replaces the surreal feel of vol. 1's violence with lingering shots and mandolin music, all designed to emulate the feel of classic kung fu films. For the most part, vol. 2 benefits from this transition (albeit with questionable exoticist and racist connotations), though this interrupts the pace between the two movies and their subsequent ability to work together as a two-part movie. What was pop culture energetic, with little substance transforms into a sombre breathlessness, as the impending doom of Bill's demise approaches. While, in vol. 1, Bill's posse seems to take the threat of the Bride's vow of vengeance lightly, vol. 2 starts with the realization that she may indeed succeed in wiping out her former compadres.

Vol. 2 improves (somewhat) on vol. 1 by indulging in a minute amount of character development, though sacrificing the fast-paced beat that attracted many to vol. 1. In vol. 1, Vernita Green (Vivica Fox) is completely undeveloped, serving only as a cold appetizer to whet the bloodthirsty appetites of moviegoers, while O-ren Ishii (Lucy Liu) is so stoicly played that there is hardly any room for emotion, let alone a study of what made Ishii the woman she was (outside of the outstanding anime cut that explored Ishii's origin story). In vol. 2, however, Budd's (Michael Madsen) sadistic streak, rekindled by his brush with the Bride, is juxtaposed with a rather potent side-scene which modestly delves into his retired life as a nudie bar bouncer, castrated of all of his former power. And David Carradine, though his acting style is about as contrived as William Shatner's, actually manages to bring some depth to the character of Bill, much as Samuel Jackson did with the character of Jules Winnifield in Pulp Fiction (though obviously to a much less degree, given Carradine's notable lack of acting talent). The conflict of Bill's character is interesting, as he explains why he shot the Bride and triggered this whole set of events. As he says himself, he "is a murdering bastard" who is nonetheless in love with the Bride, and while this archetype has been played before, Carradine still manages to hold our attention.

Of course, in many senses vol. 2 is as much a disappointment as its predecessor, especially in a film that was developed around a character concept (and not a story concept) and centers around archetypes. Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah) is about as deep in the second movie as she is in the first, a cardboard cut-out representation of the stereotypical psychotic beauty. Furthermore, after the almost caricatured action of vol. 1, vol. 2 delivers a rather lacklustre climax to the Kill Bill series, offering unsatisfyingly short fight scenes and flashy but visually lacking deaths.

And, one cannot forget the exoticist, racist questions evoked by the entire Kill Bill phenomenon. Vol. 2, like vol. 1, is more of a caricature than an honouring of the pulp martial arts genres of the East. A scene involving the Bride and her master, Pai Mei (a crotchety, hyperfeminized old Cantonese man played most embarassingly by Gordon Liu) could've been taken right out of Steve Oederkirk's offensive 'Kung Pow: Enter the Fist'. Pai Mei is depicted as comicly effeminate, endlessly stroking his long white beard, pinky upturned, much like a new-age resurrection of Fu Manchu. Though the entire scene featuring Pai Mei was played as an obvious 'homage' to the kung fu films of Gordon Liu's fame, one must question when 'homage' turns to 'parody', and when Tarentino reaches the point of appropriating the martial arts cult genre for his own, humorous purposes, much as the Bride merely uses Hattori Hanzo, the swordmaker, and Pai Mei as teachers to serve her own purposes. I myself was infuriated to watch an entire theatre of viewers (Asian men included) laugh unflinchingly at an on-screen representation of yet another emasculated mockery of the Asian man and his culture.

There are at least two instances of Tarentino using racial epithets to carry across his point -- and this time, he targets the Japanese. Both Budd and Pai Mei refer to 'Japs' in relation to Hattori Hanzo. While one might argue that Budd, as a representation of Tarentino's favourite 'hick' caricature, might plausibly use such a slur, it is strange for Pai Mei, considering his dialogue is entirely subtitled, and 'Jap' is a word that became common usage in American culture, and not Cantonese. Again, one wonders if the use of racial epithets in Tarentino's works are truly artistic or merely decorative, like a child pushing the limits merely to see what he can get away with.

David Carradine, finally, seemed to have been cast in the role of Bill only because of his prior role in the Kung Fu series, during his heyday, and certainly not because of any acting merit. As if a flasback to the TV series, Kung Fu and Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Bill is basically a resurrection of Carradine's old character, and is first introduced in vol. 2 again playing a Chinese flute, and later telling old Chinese folklore. He is the Asian man without actually being Asian -- just as he was when he replaced Bruce Lee in the Kung Fu series, and Tarentino seems to not only be okay with Carradine's questionable ethnicity in the movie, but indeed finds it noteworthy enough to include in his 'homage'. Truly, Carradine represents, to me at least, the very essence of how Hollywood treats Asian film and Asian actors, and I have hated him for a long time because of this.

Tarentino, like Bill and the characters in his movie, utilizes aspects of martial arts and culture without being a part of it -- and one is certain that if Tarentino were a nobody, his fascination with kung fu films would qualify him as an Asiaphile. And yet his pseudo-artistic cred in Hollywood has allowed him to go all out and create a hack job like Kill Bill without a word to the contrary by most critics. I won't lie -- I liked Jackie Brown and I loved Pulp Fiction.

But the best part of Kill Bill was watching David Carradine die.

[younggiftedandblack]

Good review as always KG. Just a FYI Carradine didn't start in the original fiming of the movie. They started shooting with Warren Betty in the role of Bill and it wasn't until he and QT didn't see eye 2 eye on everything that he was dropped and Carradine was brought in.

I'm going to try to catch this sometime this weekend. I'm already sure my view will be completely opposite of your however.

[mr. x]

havent seen either

anyway i agree with the Carradine thing that the only reason he's here is cuz he's chinese

wait a minute he isnt?

[kitty]

Originally Posted by younggiftedandblack

Good review as always KG. Just a FYI Carradine didn't start in the original fiming of the movie. They started shooting with Warren Betty in the role of Bill and it wasn't until he and QT didn't see eye 2 eye on everything that he was dropped and Carradine was brought in.

I'm going to try to catch this sometime this weekend. I'm already sure my view will be completely opposite of your however.

interesting, but i wonder why carradine of all people was tapped as a replacement... it's not like he has a career anymore, at all.

[TB4000]

Originally Posted by kittygirl

interesting, but i wonder why carradine of all people was tapped as a replacement... it's not like he has a career anymore, at all.

Because he's one of those staples of '70's kung fu, and it's cool and hip to include a retro thing in your movie if you're Tarantino.

[hooligan]

thanks for spoiling the movie. i didn't want to see this anyway. : P :D

[kitty]

Originally Posted by hooligan

thanks for spoiling the movie. i didn't want to see this anyway. : P :D

what spoiler? that carradine dies?

the movie IS called 'Kill Bill'. I figured that if you didn't already know that he was going to die in some way shape form or fashion than... well...

but I didn't spoil it, trust me. There are plot twists I didn't even touch.

[ellsworth81]

no two ways about it .... this movie looks like a download

they should've used christopher walken ... he's all over the "bill" role

so uh .... when does a new pulp fiction movie come out????

[Yeahman]

I COMPLETELY disagree with kittygirl.
I loved the 1st one and the 2nd one just completes the first. Remember that originally it was supposed to be 1 long movie. By breaking it up into 2 volumes, they seem sort of unbalanced. The 1st was pure action. The 2nd is mostly story and character development. To tell you the truth, I was awed by the 1st one. I didn't think the 2nd was as good in terms of the "wow" factor. But again, it's meant to be 1 long story.

I liked the character of Pai Mei. Even during the movie, I thought that his hatred for the Japanese was a plus. Your average white American probably doesn't know the difference between Japanese and Chinese. Tarantino went out of his way to make the distinction clear.

[SunWuKong]

actually, i thought the Pai Mei portrayal was very accurate of old kungfu TV series and movies. he didn't choose Gordon Liu for no reason. it's because he's played a character like Pai Mei many times already in HK. Pai Mei is the typical old master that's very harsh on his students. and yes, in the HK productions, they do indeed wear their hair and dress like Pai Mei did - which, if you check out some historical Chinese paintings, is not entirely inaccurate, and i didn't think it was feminine. the beard touching may seem excessive, but if you watch a kungfu TV series from the 70s or 80s, that's really what they did. and i have to say i loved the bit when Uma Thurman's character was trying to eat with her hand and Pai Mei threw her rice on the floor and told her to eat like an animal on the floor. that bit is done all the time in kungfu stories.

all in all, i thought everything about Pai Mei was very accurate of HK productions except for some of the dialogue. i just cracked up laughing with some of that dialogue, especially the part where he was yelling at her to speak Cantonese.

Pai Mei aside...

it's a Tarantino film. i mean, you don't watch one of his films for substance or plot. you watch it for it's directing, camera work, editing, and cinematography. this is a movie, not a book. he does some interesting stuff that not many people in Hollywood does.

[kitty]

Well, I agree that his entire get-up was very typical of old kung fu flicks, as well as his general mode of acting, and ESPECIALLY the lighting and cinematography of the scene which captured the look of those movies very well.

BUT... I was in an entire theatre that laughed hysterically every time he touched his beard. It has an effect on how Asians are perceived in the media.

Oh, and incidentally, Tarentino wanted to play Pai Mei himself, but didn't have time being the director and all that. Hmmm... Tarentino seriosuly contemplating yellowface...

Originally Posted by ye110man

I COMPLETELY disagree with kittygirl.
I loved the 1st one and the 2nd one just completes the first. Remember that originally it was supposed to be 1 long movie. By breaking it up into 2 volumes, they seem sort of unbalanced. The 1st was pure action. The 2nd is mostly story and character development. To tell you the truth, I was awed by the 1st one. I didn't think the 2nd was as good in terms of the "wow" factor. But again, it's meant to be 1 long story.

I liked the character of Pai Mei. Even during the movie, I thought that his hatred for the Japanese was a plus. Your average white American probably doesn't know the difference between Japanese and Chinese. Tarantino went out of his way to make the distinction clear.

Well I respect your opinion and respectfully disagree. I went in trying to be pretty even-handed recognizing that I hated the first one but was willing to give teh second one a chance. For about twenty minutes, I thought it might work.

Even though it was supposed to be one movie, it WASN'T, and to be fair, it didn't WORK as a two-part series. It feels choppy between the first and the second, and the style of the first movie doesn't mesh well with the style of the second. For a large part, it's because Tarentino only BEGAN to edit the second movie when the first had already hit theatres, and I think the second suffers because of it.

regarding pai mei's hatred of the japanese - that's a fine sentiment. what i misunderstand is his usage of the word 'jap' which -- to be fair -- makes no sense. Pai Mei could have easily conveyed his hatred for the japanese without using an Americanized slangword which (as far as I know) is meaningless in Chinese.

[achtungbaby]

Originally Posted by SunWuKong

actually, i thought the Pai Mei portrayal was very accurate of old kungfu TV series and movies. he didn't choose Gordon Liu for no reason. it's because he's played a character like Pai Mei many times already in HK. Pai Mei is the typical old master that's very harsh on his students. and yes, in the HK productions, they do indeed wear their hair and dress like Pai Mei did - which, if you check out some historical Chinese paintings, is not entirely inaccurate, and i didn't think it was feminine. the beard touching may seem excessive, but if you watch a kungfu TV series from the 70s or 80s, that's really what they did. and i have to say i loved the bit when Uma Thurman's character was trying to eat with her hand and Pai Mei threw her rice on the floor and told her to eat like an animal on the floor. that bit is done all the time in kungfu stories.

all in all, i thought everything about Pai Mei was very accurate of HK productions except for some of the dialogue. i just cracked up laughing with some of that dialogue, especially the part where he was yelling at her to speak Cantonese.

I actually got the impression that Pai Mei was Tarantino's respectful nod towards HK-style kung fu productions -- but they were admittedly subtleties that probably only someone who could speak Cantonese and Mandarin could truly appreciate. For example, Kasie pointed out that Pai Mei demanding Thurman's character to speak Cantonese was paying respect to the fact that so many kung fu films were shot in Cantonese but later dubbed in Mandarin. And I definitely didn't think Pai Mei was effeminate -- even before he's on-screen, we know the guy has single-handedly slaughtered a whole temple of Shaolin monks (who can't be pussies, after all) and has slapped around Bill when he asks for Thurman's character to be trained.

I loved the beard-stroking -- perfect, after he watches Thurman pick up the chopsticks and attempt to eat the rice:)

I also thought the bit where Pai Mei yells about how he hates the Japanese was great. Not that Tarantino is the white guy trying to stir up hate amongst Asians, I think he was echoing a message to white folks from the first volume in Lucy Liu's character: we all don't look alike and we've got our differences. Sure, he could have edited out some of that stuff but it was left in deliberately, and for the better.

My main critique of this volume (and I suppose volume 1 to a certain extent) was that the entire collection was supposed to be a homage to different movie genres, but Tarantino clearly was more interested in the Asian ones. I didn't catch much of the spaghetti stuff -- maybe I wasn't looking hard enough.

Slightly off-topic: I have mixed feelings about Tarantino. I love his films, sure, but I've always been slightly annoyed with that nascent Asiaphile prescence he seems to carry around, dressing up in Asian garb and all that. At the same time...you have to respect his absolute adoration of Asian cinema -- he clearly knows more about these films than most of us, and I do think that as long as he continues to temper his fetishizing of such films with a need to respect their authenticity, I'll probably continue watching:)

[kitty]

he dresses in asian garb?

[achtungbaby]

Originally Posted by kittygirl

he dresses in asian garb?

Yeah, my memory is failing but I seem to recall him wearing a Chinese traditional jacket or something for the VCR release of Chungking Express. He has a short intro where he discusses why his Rolling Thunder productions is re-releasing it in the U.S., Wong Kar Wai's influence on him and his movies, etc...but I couldnt' take my eyes off of what he was wearing.

[kitty]

Originally Posted by achtungbaby

Yeah, my memory is failing but I seem to recall him wearing a Chinese traditional jacket or something for the VCR release of Chungking Express. He has a short intro where he discusses why his Rolling Thunder productions is re-releasing it in the U.S., Wong Kar Wai's influence on him and his movies, etc...but I couldnt' take my eyes off of what he was wearing.

oh my... reminds me of that whole brittney spears fiasco...

to me, QT is like a Hollywood endorsed uber-Asiaphile.