Homework: A-A clip genre analysis: Kill Bill

This is the final scene from Kill Bill vol. 1:
I chose Kill Bill because I think it is an amazing film, it is one of my favourites, and is an iconic action film.

Narrative

Kill Bill doesn't follow Todorov's typical theory of equlibrium, disruption and restoration. The first film is part of a two volume set, so the restoration comes at the end of the second film. The opening scene of volume one is between the main character (The Bride) and the villain (Bill), ending with the villain shooting the main character. The main body of the film is about the main character's revenge to kill Bill (hence the title). Her only way to finding and killing Bill is by finding and killing the rest of the group of assassinators, called the Deadly Vipers Assassination Squad (DVAS). All of the situations are fight scenes, between the protagonist and her enemy. Typical sounds include sound effects, like the sound of someone being hit, or being thrown against a wall. These sounds are exaggerated, used to amplify the theme of fighting, conflict and violence. The main theme of this film is revenge. From The Bride's perspective, it could be considered good vs. evil (she is good, Bill is evil), however she has bad aspects, and murdering a lot of people for your own interests full of vengeance would probably not be considered 'good' and she is not doing these things for the greater good, or for protecting society. 

Iconography

Weaponary is a huge aspect of this film, and many of the characters use swords as their choice of weapon. Instead of big guns and snipers, most of the characters opt for swords, allowing there to be extravagant and violent fights between the characters. 

Block colouring, mostly black, is used for costumes, such as the Crazy 88 (one of the enemy's groups) wearing dark, black suits and black masks to hide their faces. A lot of the other characters also wear smart clothing, for example Elle Driver (another of The Bride's enemy's) is wearing a dark suit during her fight scene with The Bride. 

The Bride's iconic outfit is a yellow, leather jumpsuit. Hers is the only outfit which is a bright colour, and the bright colour and tight-fit represent her feminity. 

The lighting varies, from natural to artificial, depending on the setting. In household settings, the lighting is clearly artificial, but in more natural settings, such as the desert the lighting is mroe natural. Most of the lighting is artificial, as the The Bride is interupting her enemies on their day-to-day life, many of the scenes are sets in their homes or in hotels, illustrating her intrusion.

Special effects are a major aspect of the Kill Bill volumes. Taratino uses sound effects during the fights to emphasise the violence in the fights. Fake blood is also used during the fights, however this is used in almost a comic way, as the blood spurts from the harmed body, is a way that is clearly staged. This gives the film a comic side, but it could be argued this makes the film even more creepy and sadastic. Slow-mo is used often through-out the film, again during fight-scenes, a typical convention of action films.

Characters

Heroine: The Bride. She is called this, as she was attacked during her wedding, adn her revenge is based upon this. Throughout the film, the audience is not given her real name, it is covered artificially so you cannot find out.  
The Bride is not a typical hero but has aspects that make her recognisable. For starters, she is a female protagonist. However, she shows strength, courage and intelligence, important aspects of an action hero. 

Villain: Bill. Bill and The Bride were once in a relationship, and Bill and the DVAS attempt to murder The Bride because she was pregnant with Bill's child and left him. There are other villains, none as major as Bill, but many that The Bride must face while searching for Bill, for example the DVAS. 
 Bill, also, is not typical. He does not necessarily want to take over the world, in fact it is not really known what any of the enemies are doing with their lives. He tried to kill The Bride in an act of revenge, but he too shows aspects of a conventional villain. He is clever, cunning and wants to bring harm and danger to others. 

Princess: There is not really a princess in the film; it is about a woman's revenge, she is not tryign to save anyone.

Helper/donor: donors are an important part of the Kill Bill volumes. It is because of the donors that The Bride knows all the knowledge and wisdom that allows her to find and kill Bill and the DVAS. Hattori Hanzō is the main donor in vol. 1. He is a renowned swordsmith who trained Bill, but is now retired. He makes "his finest sword" for The Bride, as he is ashamed of what Bill has become and feels like he owes it to her. In vol. 2 there is also a major donor, Pai Mei, who trains The Bride in kung fu and teaches her the lethal "Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Tehnique", which The Bride eventually uses to kill Bill.

Setting

The story follows The Bride as she travels around, looking for different characters. This means there are a variety of settings in Kill Bill.Many take place in the character's home, for example Vernita Green. The Bride stops by during the day, disrupting Vernita's life, illustrating surprise and intrusion. Using settings like homes create a sense of security and comfort, and so this makes the violent intrusion even worse. This is relfected when Vernita's daughter arrives home from school, emphasising the shock and surprise of The Bride's visit and the brutal intrusion into their home. Most of the settings include lots of glass, and other smashable materials, as well as objects which can be used as weapons, such as kitchen knives. This allows for very physical fighting, with lots of characters being thrown against walls which smash around them, adding to the atmosphere and emphasising the raw violence in the fights.