KILL BILL 1 : TITLE SEQUENCEBILL 1 THE TITLE

Explain how Tarantino establishes thriller genre conventions in the title sequence. Choose a minimum of 5 aspects of mise-en-scene. Remember all points must be illustrated with examples from the film clip/screen shots or clipsor screen shots from other films.

Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew5EYd5_i6M

Think about explaining the purpose of:

• Location

• Lighting

• Colour – use of black and white – what sub genre of thriller is Tarantino referencing and why?

• Sound to include diegetic and non diegetic sound

• Costume, make up, accessories (particularly what is revealed about Bill)

• Camera angles and movement

• Inter-textual references to films or TV dramas that use similar techniques (sound bridge for example) and generic aspects of mise-en-scene. Explain the purpose.

• Cliff hanger – explain the appeal of the cliff hanger.

• Identify and explain the purpose of any inter textual references

Next slide …extended task for the ambitious.

CASE STUDY: INTER TEXTUAL REFERENCES IN “KILL BILL 1” (CHAPTER 2) AND THE OPENING SEQUENCE OF DAVID LYNCH’S CRIME NOIR DRAMA “BLUE VELVET”.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPfjd2bayVs

Kill Bill 1 (Chapter 2)• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDEzzFtrCTs

Blue Velvet opening sequence

1. Explain how Tarantino references David Lynch’s Blue Velvet at the beginning of the scene when The Bride/Kiddo confronts Vernita at the beginning of her mission for revenge.

2. Explain why Tarantino makes this reference. (Think about how suburban America is represented in both texts and what lies beneath this idyllic surface).

3. You may also want to link the way Tarantino and Lynch’s use highly saturated colour which also references the opening to “LA Confidential” and the use of colour in the computer game “La Noir” or any other films or TV dramas you have researched that create this hyper reality. Also note how the American dream is ironically represented as fake.

4. A similar set design and colour is used in Peter Weir’s “The Truman Show” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdwuW8n3JYA which is about an unsuspecting insurance salesman who finds his whole life is a TV reality show. The notion of appearance (fake) and reality are major themes which can also be linked to Kill Bill 1 and Blue Velvet and The Wizard of Oz .

5. In “The Wizard of Oz” the theme of illusion and reality is used. The land of the Munchkin's is fake, the wizard is fake and all exist in Dorothy's imagination and her desire to escape reality. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm3ypbAbLJ8

For planning here is the link to the title sequence of The Killing (Denmark) You may wish to upload this onto your blogs and briefly identify the clues which indicate the TV drama is a noir thriller. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMz2xWpL0N0

KILL BILL VOL. 1 Case Study 2

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The 4th film by Award Winning director Quentin Tarantino. Starring: Uma Thurman, Luc Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Daryl

Hannah and David Carradine. Nominated for 1 Golden Globe First released on the 10th October 2003.

LIGHTING/ COLOUR

In the opening to this film, we can see Chiaroscuro lighting on the Brides face. (A)

Chiaroscuro lighting means light on dark and the use of this lighting here suggests that “Kiddo” has two sides to her. An innocent side seen during the opening and a bad, more violent, side seen during the rest of the film.

The use of Black and White in this scene signifies how the Bride is feeling. She is close to death, colourless, feels betrayed and is in danger.

Tarantino is referencing Noir Thrillers here to suggest the audience is about to watch a violent film.

COSTUME

As we can obviously tell, the woman on the floor is a bride, she is wearing a veil.

The only other character we meet is “Bill” We can tell this character has the power between the two. One reason we

know this is because he has a handkerchief with his name, “Bill” embroidered on it. For one this is a rather obnoxious act and suggests Bill is wealthy and influential. What's more it also informs the audience who this character is. As the film is called “kill Bill” we have evidence to suggest that this character is wanted dead, i.e. his important. (B)

Another reason why we learn bill is powerful is because he’s always above the bride on the floor and she looks extremely concerned when he approaches her.

The character of Bill, on top of the personalised handkerchief is wearing rings and bracelets, again implying wealth. (C) Furthermore, he is wearing cowboy boots (D). This is a cultural signifier of Bill and was used by Tarantino to show status and significance. The boots are the only sound in the scene apart from the brides heavy breathing which creates tension and anticipation of what this character will do to the Bride.

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

CAMERA ANGLES

This entire opening sequence contains only two shots. This is to increase realism and concentration.

One of the shots is a close-up of the beaten up bride’s face (E) .She is bruised and bloody. These shots are intense and create a sense of panic.

The one other shot that is seen in the opening scene is a short tracking shot of Bill walking towards the bride (F). He is walking very slow which intensifies the scene.

(E)

(F)

SOUND

All the sound in the opening of Kill Bill Vol 1 is diegetic apart from when the song “Bang Bang” by Nancy Sinatra kicks in. Nancy Sinatra’s father, Frank Sinatra, is accused of having links with the Mafia. On top of this, from the lyrics “my baby shot me down” we can infer that the bride thats being “shot down” had some kind of connection to Bill, maybe her lover. This is consolidated when the bride says “Bill, its your baby”. Could this be the reason as to why Bill is assassinating her? This creates a powerful cliff hanger.

We can hear a sound bridge at the start of the clip of the bride breathing heavily. This is a distressing sound as we infer that someone is hurt/ in danger.

Like previously mentioned, the only other sound we can hear is the sound of Bills footsteps that grow ever closer/ louder. This dramatically increases tension and suspense. The Diegetic sound in this scene creates an enigma and a cliff hanger as to what has lead to this situation, who Bill is and why he has killed the bride. Furthermore, diegetic sound adds to the sense of isolation.

INTER TEXTUAL REFERENCES

When the Bride approaches Vernita Greens house we can see an establishing shot of a stereotypical American home. (G) This shot can also be seen in other areas of the media such as Blue Velvet (H), The Truman Show (I), Family Guy (J)and L.A Noire (K).

These examples of over saturation and colour suggest normality in this idyllic neighbourhood, what is revealed in all these situations is that things may not be as they seem, the American dream is ironically false.

(G)

(I)

(H)

(J)

(K)