“Kill Bill” was the fourth film made by Quentin Tarantino. Well, that depends on who you ask. Due to its problematic length, discovered when editing the footage, producers placed pressure on the filmmaker to cut his project into two parts so that Tarantino could not only retain all of the scenes that he loved, but also let each half of the film shine on its own. Thus, “Kill Bill: Vol. 1” was released in theaters in October 2003 as Tarantino’s fourth theatrical release, and “Kill Bill: Vol. 2” was released in April 2004 as his fifth. Though each film rightfully received heaps of praise and box office glory, I watched both films and was left unconvinced. I loved the aesthetic of each project in its own way, but I could not help but feel that each did not have enough weight to substantiate its existence. As a result of this, I left both films feeling like I had an incomplete experience. It was not until I witnessed this great saga in its original, uncut version that I fully understood the masterpiece that Tarantino had crafted. “Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair” is how viewers were meant to experience this story, and it was worth the wait.
The runtime of this film is four hours and 30 minutes with an intermission included. Sitting down for such a long period of time, especially as a busy college student, sounds like a prison sentence to unproductivity. Somehow, as the credits rolled, I was left still wanting more. This is not due to the feeling of incompleteness that I had experienced with each prior volume, but because I wanted to stay with the characters in the world that Tarantino so meticulously crafted. Each chapter within the film contained so much life and vivid imagery that you could not help but be enthralled. I also believe that because the film had such a long run time, it was allowed to breathe comfortably and take its time to fully explore character dynamics and relationships, and there was no rush to get from point A to point B. This tactic would most likely not work if the film wasn’t so visually stimulating, with action scenes coming at you from left and right. By the end of the screening, I felt as though I had actually been productive because of how much I was simply able to experience.
This film’s only downside was what I expected it to be. Because there is added footage that did not make it in the original releases, the camera quality of some scenes becomes a tad grainier and takes away from the overall viewing experience slightly. However, I was understanding of this because, though these shots were lower quality, they helped bridge continuity errors and also provided additional lore for the world of the characters.
This movie would not have been what it was without the theatrical experience. I believe that this is important to note because, as studios deemphasize theatrical releases, films like this would simply fall through the cracks and not be discovered on the scale that they were meant to be experienced. I sat in a packed theater of fans watching this film, and there were moments where everyone laughed, cried and everything in between. This bloody, pulpy film finally received the respect that it has so long deserved by being granted a complete theatrical release, and I could not have been more blessed to experience it. This movie is why you go to movie theaters and have shared experiences with others.