Kill Bill

ANALYSING INTRODUCTION TO KILL BILL (2003)

“Revenge is a dish best served cold” -Old Klingon proverb. 

This is the first thing to appear on screen, automatically informing us that film will be a sub-genre of horror, revenge. It not only tells us something about the type of film, but also, about the directors (Quentin Tarintino) sly comical sense of humour, bringing in references from Star Trek.

Next to appear is ‘A 4^th Quentin Tarintino Film’ this sounds slightly ostentatious however because of Tarintinos’ quirky methods he is able to get away with introducing himself in this manner.

  We are able to hear sound before any image appears on screen, this creates tension but also a sense of enigma as the audience question what this distressed breathing sound is and why it’s happening and so on. The first shot to appear is a high angle shot of a woman, beaten and covered in blood, and we learn she is the source of this heavy breathing. The use of the high angle shot fits well with the state she’s in, making her appear more vulnerable. The sound of footsteps creeps in, becoming increasingly louder giving the impression that someone is getting closer. The increase in the volume and speed of the footsteps could be interpreted as mirroring that of a heartbeat. A tracking shot follows the movement of the footsteps, making (who we later find out is Bill) appear mysterious, powerful and intimidating.

The use of black and white filming suggests that perhaps this was an event of the past, and goes hand in hand with Tarintinos typical non-linear editing.

The credits themselves are peculiar, and appear not as you would expect, with the protagonists coming up in small print and then larger fonts used for members of the production team etc.