Summary
- Kill Bill Vol. 1 sets a new standard for American martial arts movies, with Tarantino's artistic flair making it unforgettable.
- The film tells the story of The Bride seeking revenge on the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, with epic action and a clash between Uma Thurman and Lucy Liu.
- The movie ends with The Bride finally defeating O-Ren Ishii, but the story continues in Kill Bill Vol. 2, where she faces more challenges and meets the enigmatic Bill.
Fans of Quentin Tarantino never have to look far for some excellent films, and to most people, that couldn’t be more true for Kill Bill Vol. 1. The 2003 classic set a brand new standard for what American martial arts movies could be, and Tarantino’s artistic flair only served to make the experience all the more unforgettable. Helmed by Uma Thurman as The Bride, Kill Bill Vol. 1 is simply one part of a much larger story that is waiting to unfold.
A classic story of revenge, Kill Bill Vol. 1 kicks things off with some stellar action, and the violence doesn’t come to a conclusion until The Bride has accomplished a major portion of her quest. With a classic final clash between Thurman and Lucy Liu, any Tarantino fans who’ve missed out on this epic will be doing themselves a favor by going back to check it out as soon as possible.
What Happens In Kill Bill Vol. 1?
Told out of chronological order from the start, Kill Bill Vol. 1 begins with the assassination of The Bride at the hands of Bill and his Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. All that’s known before he is shot and put into a coma is that The Bride was supposedly pregnant with Bill’s baby. While the Deadly Vipers do intend to finish off The Bride, Bill calls off the hit, making it clear that killing a defenseless target is dishonorable. Four years later, The Bride wakes up, takes out a few sleazy scumbags in the hospital, steals their car, and sets out on her quest to get her revenge on the people who tried to kill her.
The Bride targets Vernita Green, one of the assassins who has since taken on a much more mundane life. When she gets to her home, the two engage in a fight that leaves the living room in ruin before Vernita’s daughter enters the home, causing a brief pause in the action. Always having a backup plan, Vernita tries to lull The Bride into a false sense of security, attempting to shoot her with an obscured gun, but The Bride manages to lodge a knife squarely in the woman’s chest, killing her instantly. With that target down, The Bride crosses her name off her list and carries on to find O-Ren Ishii.
As one might expect from Tarantino, O-Ren Ishii’s backstory is told in dramatic and stylish fashion. Her life is a tragic one, witnessing the death of her family at a young age, and being driven mad with a drive for revenge. She would manage to get her revenge only a short while later at the age of eleven, and would then go on to become one of the most dangerous assassins in the world by the age of twenty. All of this backstory set up just how skilled O-Ren Ishii is long before she and The Bride would come to blows.
Before The Bride can take on one of the greatest members of the Deadly Vipers, she heads to get a sword made by Hattori Hanzo. Despite refusing to make a blade, Hanzo eventually does so when The Bride makes it clear that she has her sight set on killing the enigmatic Bill. With everything she needs to take on O-Ren Ishii, The Bride goes to kill the woman who has now become the leader of a group of Yakuza in Tokyo. Obviously, simply walking into Yakuza territory and attempting to assassinate their leader is anything but easy, something that should make it obvious that The Bride had quite the uphill battle on her hands.
How Does Kill Bill Vol. 1 End?
After some searching, The Bride was able to track down O-Ren Ishii thanks to just how notorious of a figure she was as leader of the Yakuza. Arriving at a restaurant filled with Yakuza members, The Bride makes her intentions to kill O-Ren Ishii known, though the Yakuza leader’s personal forces weren’t simply going to allow their leader to be slain. The Bride was forced to battle her way through dozens of skilled Yakuza thugs, sustaining some injuries, but leaving all who stepped up to her much worse off.
Once the Yakuza thugs had been dealt with, The Bride turned her attention back to O-Ren Ishii for a duel in the snow. Both women trade barbs before unsheathing their blades, immediately slashing at one another. Tired and hurt, The Bride looks like she may have taken on too tall of a task by taking on all the Yakuza and O-Ren Ishii, but after splitting Ishii’s scabbard, The Bride gains more confidence. A single mistake allows Ishii to land a massive slash across The Bride’s back, but the wound isn’t enough to kill her.
After some taunting, The Bride stands once more and they trade slashes, this time, the Bride manages to land a serious hit. With both women tired and injured, The Bride is finally able to overcome Ishii, slicing off the top of her skull. With O-Ren Ishii finally slain, that scratches off another assassin from The Brides list, causing her to prepare herself as she continues her vendetta, a journey that will eventually lead her to the man responsible for the attempt on her life, Bill.
While that is where Kill Bill Vol. 1 ends, the second part of the story Kill Bill Vol. 2 picks up immediately after the events of the first in order to continue The Bride’s path of vengeance. With a lot more backstory fleshed out and a meeting with the enigmatic Bill, the second part of the story is a must-watch for those looking to take on Kill Bill Vol. 1, even if a third entry may never come.
Kill Bill Vol. 1 is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.