The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1990)

Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Volume 2 is a terrific form of entertainment, a blistering and meditative piece of fiction that gets to the heart of savage warriors. The best sequels enter new territory, ushering in a fresh sense of adventure. Tarantino’s film flips the script and embarks on a journey that transcends what came before. Through the unique melding of western and eastern elements, Tarantino gives us a proper continuation of an already promising revenge saga. The end result is a bruising sequel that stands on its own two feet.

After taking out O-Ren and the Crazy 88 in Japan, the Bride straps on her cowgirl boots and heads for Texas, the home place of Bill’s brother, Budd. Of course, the Bride is destined to battle Budd, Elle, and Bill. That much we know. But make no mistake about it--this is not a story of great predictability. Even with a simplistic story of revenge, Tarantino treats each and every story beat with tremendous care, forming a series of events that keep us glued to the screen.

Volume 1 was a fast piece of fiction, focused on the efficient, Samurai-like exploits of the Bride. In Kill Bill: Volume 2, the environment feels more in tune with western fiction. The running time has been inflated, and as a whole, the action has been slightly minimized, with the intent of exploring the characters that coexist within this movie universe. Like the classics of western cinema, Kill Bill: Volume 2 has a slower pace, adding context to relationships already established in the first volume. The story has more room to breathe, and in turn, the characters begin to resonate even more so.

Tarantino has a history of building strong, independent women. In Jackie Brown, Pam Grier was the smartest character in the entire picture. Death Proof was a film that constructed a likable group of women, expertly balancing individualism and teamwork. In Inglorious Basterds, Melanie Laurent was a master planner, able to hide her most inner demons in plain sight. In Kill Bill: Volume 2, Tarantino’s ultimate female creation cements herself as one of the most iconic heroines in cinematic history.

In some films, women are given one-note roles, devoid of intrigue and layers. If a woman takes on such a role, she enters a cinematic realm of repetition. Thankfully, Kill Bill: Volume 2 is not one of those cases. Uma Thurman is asked to flex a lot of her acting muscles. Her performance is wide-ranging and chronicles multiple points of the Bride’s life. In a brief flashback, we see the Bride’s early days with Bill. When she talks to him, she’s like a giddy kid, completely in awe of the man she’s with. With Pai Mei, she’s a frozen child, filled with insecurities and awkwardness. With Esteban, she’s very adult-like. She speaks in a confidently sensual way, with the intent of charming the man for information.