In the beginning of the film it uses a proverb which says "Revenge is a dish best served cold" -Old Klingon Proverb- The use of this sets the tone for the rest of the film and shows the audience that revenge is one of the key themes.
The beginning also uses a sound bridge of the character Beatrix/Black Mamba/The Bride breathing heavily and whimpering this gives connotations of worry and panic, conveying it to the audience as at this point the opening credits are still rolling so we as an audience are unable to see the character, or what is going on. The use of this diabetic sound is to create suspense and confusion to the audience.
The beginning of the film is a classic Noir thriller as it uses the black background and white text when the opening credits roll. It then has the whole beginning scene in black and white again being a classic convention of a Noir thriller. The use of the harsh black and white tones used in the opening scene also creates intensity to the audience as all you can see is the harsh black tones of the blood that are on the characters face.
Within this shot it also uses the rule of thirds to show that the characters facial expression should be the focus of the shot, however the veil is also important as it will make the audience feel empathy towards Beatrix. The use of shadow in this shot is also very important as it is very dark making it nearly impossible to see half of Beatrix's face; this creates confusion to the audience as it is hard to see the characters expression. The entire opening scene only uses two shots making it simple and therefore forces the audience to focus on simply two different things again creating suspense.
When considering the character types Beatrix is a classic femme fatale she is this archetype as she is mysterious and has a lot of power. Having a female protagonist in the film is challenging conventions as she is strong and a fighter, which is rarely seen within the thriller genre.
The only other character that we meet in the opening is Bob, we never see his face however his entrance is simply a tracking shot of his feet walking across the floor over to Beatrix. The first piece of dialogue in the entire film is 'Do you find me sadistic?' as this is the first piece of dialogue it clearly shows the type of person that Bill is and his character archetype. It seems as though Bills character is a 'psychotic individual' as throughout the opening scene he doesn't try to help Beatrix, and then finally ends up shooting her. Even though we do not see Bills face his clothing gives a big clue about his personality, this is from the use of his statement jewellery and the handkerchief with his name on it. All these factors show that Bill is a very conceited person yet it also shows how he is extremely well off. The use of using Bill as a cultural reference also helps set where the film is, the fact he wears cowboy boots, is tanned and also has a American accent gives the clue as to where the film is set. Due to us being unable to see Bills face throughout also makes him an Enigma another stereotype of the thriller genre.
The use of location is claustrophobic and seems as though it is desolate. This is a convention of the thriller genre and then can create the enigma and mystery of the film early on.
The character of Beatrix being a non-conventional female character links to characters such as Rey from Star Wars Force Awakens. Although a very new film shows that women can be strong within themselves. However, still can be hyper-sexualised as for example, the costume that is worn by both characters is rather revealing.
On the other hand Bill also links to a female character also from Force Awakens called Captain Phasma. Captain Phasma is a female character who's face is never shown. She is constantly dressed in the classic Storm Trooper armour and is like all the others. This shows how within Force Awakens gender stereotypes were challenged.
Better than your previous case study. By the way Bill has an American accent, not a South American accent.
ReplyDeleteYou have proficiently identified and interpreted the way Tarantino injects thriller conventions into the opening to Kill Bill 1. I am pleased you have explained Bill as a generic archetype "psychotic" .
Another convention of the thriller genre is the use of enigma is used in this opening because Bill's face remains out of shot.
The Bride is in a sense a femme fatale but a progressive representation of the archetype because she is not passive victim like Eve in Once Upon a Time in America but goes on a journey of revenge.
Level 3 C+ :
Next Steps:
1) Endeavour to start using more technically sophisticated presentations that the blog offers. For example Prezi, or power points or ISSU.
2) Start referencing other thriller films that you have researched (Summer Task and Once Upon a Time in America) and make comparisons.