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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 22, 2004)
Tarantino’s *KiII Bill: VoL 2’ stands well on its own Tarantino’s new film lacks the kungfu punch of ‘Vol. 1’ By Steven Neuman News Reporter Forget all the film-geek babble about Quentin Tarantino splitting one film into two — "Kill Bill: Volume 2" is es sentially a sequel, and sequels as a rule aren't very good. It's too hard to live up to the hype. As a sequel this movie is de cent at best but when taken as an indi vidual work, its stock rises considerably. Primarily, the movie has an entirely different pace that translates into the overall aesthetic of the film. Everything is slower, and whereas "Vol. 1" was a furiously fast tribute to kung fit films, "Vol. 2" is a methodical study of classic westerns. It feels like clockwork slowly ticking toward an inevitable end. The rest of the movie is designed to reinforce this perception. The film picks up with The Bride, played by Uma Thurman, who is off to kill the last mem bers of the now-defunct REVIEW Deadly Viper _ Assassina tion Squad (DiVAS). She killed two of the mem bers the first time around, but the ac tion is put on hold as the movie finally begins to flesh out The Bride's past with Bill, played by David Carradine A flashback to The Bride's fatal wedding rehearsal, where Bill gunned her down, is perhaps one of the most striking sequences in recent cinematic history. The black-and-white LAURA KEMP and ERIK MUIDERMAIM LO NUESTRO i JOHN SHIPE and ^trilllEW r',ext to Adam s Place Restaurant 434-LUNA Dinning Room open 5 pm to 9 pm weeknights 10 pm weekends cinematography has an earthy graini ness that alludes to the western genre, but also recalls Dorothea Lange's De pression-era portraits. When the creased face of Bill — essentially a dis embodied voice in "Vol. 1" — finally appears, his visage is strikingly worn and weathered, a factor only height ened by the stylized photography. The whole look of the film is an homage to every possible source of in spiration, with references so deep and obscure that only Tarantino could know them all. However, the cumula tive effect is a comforting, albeit dis continuous, atmosphere of pop cul ture that intentionally tries to evoke strong emotions in the viewer through familiarity. The East-West fusion heightened the stylized gore of "Vol. 1," but when Tarantino tries to stylize the spaghetti-western in "Vol. 2," the whole thing drowns in an echo cham ber of self-referential cinema artifice. Perhaps the most successful ele ment that survives the Cuisinart effect of Tarantino's direction is the music. The RZA reprises his work from "Vol. 1," and his sensitivity to the film is once again well-placed. Robert Ro driguez, who scored his own "El Mari achi" movies, gives this score a sensi bility that fits perfectly with the American southwest and Mexican set ting in "Vol. 2." The movie also tells the tale of how The Bride, a.k.a. Black Mamba, be came the most talented of Bill's assas sins, and why she decided to leave him and the killing business. Thur man's scenes with Gordon Liu, who plays her white-haired martial arts master Pai Mei with an exaggerated 338-4000 018855 3 pm, Friday April 23rd trsity Commons Food, Mnks & Prizes! Rain Date: Sat* 24th @ 1pm Everybody's Invited! *Sign-up deadline: Thurs. April 22nd, 6pm umversiTY COMMONS apartments 90 Commons Drive, Eugene, Or 97401 Courtesy Clockwise, from left: The Bride (Uma Thurman) prepares to breach Bill’s (David Carradine) California mansion; Pai Mei (Chia Hui Liu) trains The Bride for her work as an assassin; Bill attacks The Bride off-guard; and The Bride finally gets the upper hand against her kungfu master in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill: Vol. 2.” charm, possess a peculiar chemistry that is lightly tinged with perfect comedic timing. Similarly, a later scene where The Bride dispatches a would-be assassin — almost immedi ately after learning she is pregnant — is also well-timed and fraught with dark humor. Daryl Hannah's screentime is lim ited, but her rendition of the one-eyed assassin Elle Driver is unrelenting. She is cold, calculating and stunningly sharp, but Tarantino fails to utilize her potential. This is perhaps the movie's greatest flaw because, if anything, Hannah leaves you wanting more. Much has been made of Carradine's turn as Bill, but frankly it's nothing spe cial; he's essentially playing himself. On the other hand, Michael Madsen, who plays Bill's brother Budd, is mas terfully aloof, yet cool. As far as the action is concerned, "Vol. 2" is a bit of a disappointment. There is no climactic epic battle like in "Vol. 1" and the swordplay is limited, although the catfight between Driver and The Bride in a trashy trailer is spectacularly gruesome. By the end, somehow re venge isn't quite what it's all about. "Kill Bill: Volume 2" is currently playing at the Gateway Cinemark 17 theater and at Regal Cinema World 8 at Valley River. Contact the business/science/ technology reporter at stevenneuman@dailyemerald.com. Come Celebrate “Hiking Day" Sat. April 24th Come in and enjoy a day of FREE discussions, seminars and resources for getting the most out of hiking in Oregon. * 11am -12 pm * Shoe/Boot Fitting and Foot Health Clinic. * 12 pm - 2 pm * Book Signing • Bill Sullivan local author of 12 books including “Cabin Fever”. * 2 pm - 3 pm * Effective Packing Tips for a Day Hike. * 3 pm - 4 pm * Hiking Safety Clinic. * 4 pm - 5 pm * Wilderness Navigation Clinic. - FREE PARKING - Hours: 10-6 Mon-Sat /12-5 Sun www.mckenzieoutfitters.com 566 Olive St. Downtown Eugene 343-2300 Today’s crossword solution Musique Gourmet Classical Music Opera Broadway Filmscores CD's SACD'S DVD'S Open Noon - 5:20 Sundays Noon - 4:00 Closed Tuesdays Behind Bradfords Across from Library 0 942 Olive St. | FREE PARKING 349-0461
