Oh, Manchester, So Much To Answer For

Kill Bill Volume 1 is exceedingly violent (especially in terms of blood), incredibly shot, and ridiculously entertaining. It's not a masterpiece of cinema, no. But it is mostly pretty great. Uma Thurman gives a very brave performance as The Bride; I can't imagine anyone else in that role. Kill Bill is quite clearly a labor of love on the part of Tarantino, his homage to the samurai films which have so influenced his work, and it works. I'm definitely eager to see Volume 2. One caveat, however: Kill Bill was originally a three-hour film, which Miramax sliced into two parts. Besides questioning their logic on that level (since when is a three-hour film too long?), I understand - because this 1.5-hour film felt like three hours. That's not a complaint, just a response to the film.