peripathetic

Violence poised in calm
is how I'd describe Kill Bill Vol. 2. Now, don't get me wrong.

When I woke up, I went on what the movie advertisements refer to as a 'roaring rampage of revenge.' I roared. And I rampaged. And I got bloody satisfaction. I've killed a hell of a lot of people to get to this point, but I have only one more. The last one.

And yes, in contrast with Kill Bill Vol.1, this film has a lot less rampaging. It slides smoothly from the wedding massacre, which we didn't see first time, to The Bride's pre-bridal days. She is still tight, focussed, calm, but strung taut with an inner tension. Her master Pai Mei, brilliantly played, forces her to struggle valiantly and comedically to gain her skills. Cue another brilliant slide from then to now, with all sorts of specific escapades I won't go into because I don't want to spoil it for anyone not in America who hasn't seen it yet.

The way it's put together is the first thing you notice, and the first thing Tarantino emphasises with his titled freeze-frames. And you need them there to let you know when you are in the story, because it's all so damn smoothly done. The characters, too, are smooth - every single one of them sports the trademark sardonic calmness, often linked to the funny use of props. For The Bride, her sword. For Pai Mei, his beard. For Elle, her mamba. For Bill, his... gun. Every single character has balls, and knows exactly where to throw them for the best effect. Samuel L. Jackson gets in for a few minutes, and there's a brilliant appearance by Michael Parks as Esteban Vihaio near the end.

The Bride takes pride of place though, her importance, however, very very much linked to Bill's. For in this film, as she approaches the object of her revenge she necessarily regresses, if that's the right word, towards the person she was and the links she had. Which increases her rage. She's still her own person and out for revenge, but this is more personal than the comparatively mechanical bloodiness of Vol. 1, and all the better for it. It's like the difference between watching someone laugh, and actually laughing yourself. I just felt this film a whole lot deeper than I felt the first one.

So, cinematographically, it's a triumph with all sorts of trademarks, rich colours, an earthy calm quality at the chapel and temple. Fightwise, you can't beat Hatori Hanzo steel, and I just gave you something about the plot and characters above. A little bird told me that Nikki Bell, Copperhead's daughter from Vol. 1, will be returning to claim her revenge in a forthcoming anime. And by that time, someone ought to be have grown up enough to keep the revenge cycle going even further... a family tree watered and dripping with blood.

What a pedigree. Five stars, and I'd place it up there with Lost in Translation in this year's UK releases so far. Go see.