How Tarantino establishes thriller genre in the opening sequence of “Kill Bill”.
- Auteur director: Quinton Tarantino
Camera Angles:
- Close up of Bride’s face identifying audience with characters emotions (agony/half dead) as well as establishing the Bride as the main character.
- Close up of Bill’s feet building suspense with each footstep as the enigma (Bill) gets closer to the bride.
Lighting:
- Black and white pallet, noir lighting paying tribute to classic film noir as well as adding aesthetic pleasure to the mise-en-scene and establishing genre of film.
- Black and white noir lighting showing/establishing the scene as a flashback- classic convention used by Tarantino with his circular narratives.
Enigma:
- Why is she in such pain? What happened before?
- Handkerchief with Bill’s name on building the enigma further without identifying his face building suspense further.
- Hear bill’s voice “Do you find me sadistic?” (Suggesting he might me a Sadist) giving more away around enigma without revealing.
- Bride reveals at end of scene that Bill is the father of her baby revealing more of Bill, Bill then shoots her showing his coldness of morality.
Sound:
- Sound bridge in beginning of heavy breathing establishing feel and suspense before scene comes in.
- Diegetic sound of footsteps building suspense.
- “It’s your baby” adding new twist and leaving scene with cliff hanger gripping the audience to keep watching.
- Soundtrack in opening: Nancy Sinatra- Bang Bang (my baby shot me down): connoting Bill and Brides previously been together. Brutal/ shocking gun shot at end of scene kicks in the soundtrack. “Bang bang he shot me down” representing Bill shooting bride.
- Soundtrack: Nancy Sinatra Daughter of Frank Sinatra who was thought to have been involved in the underworld of organised crime- links with mafia further establishing genre of film showing Tarantino’s knowledge of not just film but also music.
Location:
- Unglamorous abandoned locations (juxtaposed in next scene with perfect looking house.)
Costume/Props:
- Bill: Big cow boy boots inferring he may be a redneck showing his lack of morality and how he believes he is better than everyone.
- Handkerchief with Bill’s name on showing his egotistical personality possibly representing he is a narcissist (meaning totally obsessed with self – control freaks – dangerous people. Deriving from the Greek myth.)
Next scene notes:
- Fight scene establishes hybrid genre – action/adventure (not quiet grounded in reality)
- Tarantino challenges classic gender representations of both thriller and action genre by having two women fight rather than men.
- Little girl coming home during fight scene reminds audience of the realism of the films – although action adventure and not completely in reality (defying gravity and not dying etc.) the girl coming home gives a sense of returning to reality.
