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Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

Edited Reaction Alongside the regular multi-part full, you now have the option of watching an edited version of the full movie reaction with 10-15mins of Picture-in-Picture. You can watch this edit in the player, or alternatively you can download it to your computer using the button underneath each part.

Comments

Ryan

Daryl Hannah's death (?) scene in this film is very similar to the one she had in Blade Runner. As far as I've ever been able to tell, no one has ever confirmed this is deliberate, but with Tarantino being the giant movie nerd he is, it's pretty definite. And curiously enough, it's completely different from the original scripted scene, where Beatrix simply wins the sword-pushing contest and nicks her carotid artery, followed by them wordlessly coming to an accord and realizing they could have been friends this whole time. I have serious doubts that this could have actually been made believable without the viewer being privy to the script's poetic description, which I'd guess is why he changed it. This also meant that for a while a lot of people were expecting a third film about Vernita's daughter going after the Bride for revenge, with Elle as her blind sensei, playing into a common kung fu character archetype. Tarantino acknolwedged that she did deserve her revenge just as much as Beatrix, but it appears that his falling out with Uma over the stunt accident killed any chance of it happening, if he ever did truly intend on making it.

Ryan

The music for the coffin escape is from Ennio Morricone, a composer who I truly believe is up there with the likes of Mozart and Beethoven. Here's where it's originally from. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZLPD6de6Dk

Anonymous

Unless I'm doing something wrong, part one of the full of this is not available.

Anonymous

Yeah, I just refreshed, saw it's up now. Thanks, and sorry for any bother.

Anonymous

Yeah, Jess, the second you mentioned how you were hoping the movie would be free of your triggers, I immediately noted, “Well, unfortunately for us all, that’s not the case, and I do apologize about that, Jess.” I'll most likely have to split my comments up. Between the two Kill Bill films, the second is one is my favorite of the two films themselves, and of Tarantino’s filmography. Roger Ebert summed it up well as he often did by calling it “an exuberant celebration of moviemaking” and writing: “I liked it even more than Kill Bill, Volume One. It's not a sequel but a continuation and completion, filmed at the same time; now that we know the whole story, the first part takes on another dimension... Of the original Kill Bill, I wrote: “The movie is all storytelling and no story. The motivations have no psychological depth or resonance but are simply plot markers. The characters consist of their characteristics.” True, but one of the achievements of Volume Two is that the story is filled in, the characters are developed, and they do begin to resonate.” An aspect I quite love about the film that’s quite neat is how Volume One is very much an old Japanese Samurai film transplanted into the twenty-first century. Volume Two changes gears some and feels more akin to a Spaghetti Western transplanted into the twenty-first century. Tarantino compliments and highlights this by featuring music from his favorite film composer, the late great Ennio Morricone. Some standout selections are the haunting use of Il Tramonto from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, the excellent showcasing of Per Un Pugno di Dollari from A Fistful of Dollars, the superb use of Il Mercenario (L'Arena) from The Mercenary, and the brilliant presentations of a few pieces from Navajo Joe, chief amongst them the primary theme, and the piece entitled Silhouette of Doom. It was therefore quite nice that you noted and appreciated how the films went through tonal changes and how it made for a most unique experience. It is great you loved Pai Mei and his fierce fucking brows and fabulous beard flicks. He put the Bride through the ringer. Michael Madsen is fantastic as Budd, particularly how he expresses genuine understanding of the Bride’s drive for revenge. Of course, he’s not just going to roll over and let it happen. Not to mention he’s sore at her for breaking his brother’s heart and he reminds us that he is quite an unsavory fellow. Which seems to be a theme with these films of characters that seem charming and/or not that threatening yet are quite monstrous when they want to be, for instance, later we see in this film an example of that with Esteban Vihaio, fabulously portrayed by the way by Michael Parks. It's never outright said, but Budd’s burying the Bride alive is his way of determining who is more deserving of death, him or her, hence the lapse in pragmatism. I was most worried for you in the buried alive sequence given your claustrophobia, and you were on my mind whilst watching it this time. All things considered, you handled it much better than I thought you would, though you raise the excellent point of watching the film in a well-lit room in the comfort of your own home. I would imagine, as you observed, were you to see it in the darkened room of a cinema, things might go differently. Concerning the snake, that also, I was most worried about. If it helps, watching it again this time further proves my thought that your phobia of snakes has rubbed off on me. In viewings past, the scene is horrifying sure, but watching it this time, the second I saw the snake, I jumped out of my skin. Yeah, it is most unfortunate that Daryl Hannah’s scenes were in relation to your triggers, particularly because by all accounts, Dary is a lovely lady. Fortunately, Elle is the most openly vile of the villains in these movies, which naturally, I'm quite fond of, especially seeing how brilliant Daryl is in the role. The bit with her eye gets me to squirm every time, more specifically the shot of the eye getting squished.

Anonymous

Now onto my favorite aspect of both films, Bill. If I had to make a list of favorite Tarantino characters, Bill would be number one. David Carradine so thoroughly dominates the film in all his scenes. This is on full display during the opening flashback of the wedding rehearsal with the delightful Samuel L. Jackson cameo, lovely that you caught that by the way. The way David and Uma Thurman convey primarily through the dialogue alone their past history is breathtakingly good. I loved how you had a superb reaction to that sequence. Then comes the climax to this tale of bloody revenge. And it is this aspect of the film that makes it my favorite of the two. Like you said, you expect an extravagant action sequence. What we get instead is a most melancholic and bittersweet conclusion of regret and heartbreak, figuratively and literally, and despite all expectations, it works beautifully. Uma and David both brought their A game to the scenes. Again, Bill dominates with his masterful monologues, which, much though I love them to pieces, I did get a laugh on how you found them a smidgen too much, and I laughed too when you commented on Bill being just a trifle long winded. I mean, you’re not incorrect, he is, but of course, I'm not one to talk, thus I certainly won’t begrudge you that opinion. I loved both the Bride’s and your own reaction to Bill admitting he overreacted. What I particularly love is Bill never strictly speaking apologizes, rather, per his own admission, he tells the Bride the truth, and what really makes it stand out is never once does he ever claim he was right in his actions. Just the rather refreshingly self-aware observation that given who and what he is, information the Bride is intimately familiar with, his actions were, from his perspective, the only natural reaction. He knows he’s a monster, he knows nothing he says or does will change or fix anything, and in the end, he accepts his fate, and it is a surprisingly poignant moment. By the way, I loved you counting his fianl steps, and you are correct, he took six steps in the end. Bill must be some kind of badass to accomplish that. Or maybe like you noted, perhaps the pivot didn’t count. Uma, likewise, is fantastic in the final scenes when she goes through all the emotions. Yes, a surprisingly happy ending for her and her daughter. Thank you so much for these Kill Bill reactions, Jess. And now we conclude the Tarantino reaction series. Nice to hear that Pulp Fiction is your favorite of the ones you saw. I am curious if that will remain the case if you were to see any other films of Tarantino’s. For now, I like that that one was your favorite. This really was most lovely these past few months revisiting these films with you. I hadn’t seen them start to finish in a while. To sit down, watch the films again, share them with you and hear your thoughts, feelings, and perspectives was a most delightful experience. Again, I thank you for the experience, very, very much, Jess.

Ryan

With Tarantino, long-winded characters are just something you kind of have to get used to. I remember Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was the only time it really got in my nerves, mostly because I’d caught on to where the film was going and was impatient to get there.

Anonymous

I can see that. I don’t necessarily agree, but I can see that. I'm generally fine with the long winded nature of the Tarantino characters as I love the writing. The only time it does wear some on my patience is Death Proof, and even then, they weren’t boring.