October 17, 2003

QT reveals all.

Chiaki Well, a lot, anyway.

I went out to dinner with Kinji Fukasaku and Kenta [Kinji's son] and I was going, "Man, I love this movie! It is just so fantastic!" And I said, "I love the scene where the girls are shooting each other." And then Kenta starts laughing. So I ask, "Why are you laughing?" He goes, "The author of the original Battle Royale novel would be very happy to hear that you liked that scene." And I go, "Why?" And he says, "Well, because it's from Reservoir Dogs!"

If you read only one article, review, blurb or gum wrapper on Kill Bill, make it this interview with Quentin Tarantino, originally conducted by Tomohiro Machiyama for Japan's Eiga Hi-Ho magazine and now appearing in English at Japattack.



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Posted by dwhudson at October 17, 2003 3:54 PM

Comments

A lot of people seem to think that the duel with Go Go Yubari is the best sequence in the film. Tarantino thinks it's the best thing he's ever done cinematically, like a "pure cinema" moment. I don't know. It doesn't feel all that pure a moment to me at all. My heart doesn't beat any faster. I don't hold my breath. If it's supposed to be "pure cinema" then I'm going to compare it to the duel in Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress. The visceral reaction was hardly the same.

Just riffing off the interview.

Posted by: Matt at October 18, 2003 2:44 AM

It's interesting that you say that, Matt. I'm just back after seeing it a few hours ago,and as the credits were rolling, my daughter (no, she wasn't technically old enough, but yes, we knew she really was and slipped her in anyway) immediately said, "Go Go was great."

I agree; she's something else. And I do think it was the most... involving sequence in Kill Bill, though there is very little sustained drama throughout. But a comparison to Kurosawa... well, that would be a tall order. For one thing, there's a single narrative arc building up to the battles in his films; here, it's a series of vignettes. You marvel (or don't) at each, but really, the only thing tying them together isn't so much a single narrative as a single idea: playful spectacle.

Well, I'm rattling off the top of my head here and may feel differently after sleeping on it. But for now, my initial reactions are: I enjoyed it. Just as a cinematic experience. But it's no Jackie Brown. That said, it's simply fun watching QT evidently have that much fun.

Oddly enough, my favorite sequence at the moment might be the scenes on the plane. The onboard swords are terrific; the descent into Tokyo, oh, I'm a sucker for that sort of thing (like the sets in Scorsese's New York, New York).

I should probably stop for now and let it sink in a bit longer; but yes, it was fun. I was not blown away, but I am definitely looking forward to Vol. 2.

Posted by: David Hudson at October 18, 2003 2:39 PM

That's the nail, and you just hit it on the head.

My eyes are not blessed for having seen Kill Bill, but they're certainly pleased that they did.

Posted by: Matt at October 18, 2003 5:51 PM