Naturally, I had heard a lot about KILL BILL before and after it came out, but it wasn't until I took a trip to Banff, Canada (a stunningly beautiful ski resort in the middle of nowhere — yes, even those that are slaves to their websites have to take a break from time to time) that I finally had the opportunity to watch it. The turnout was small; no more than forty other people took their skis off to enjoy the many eviscerations that this movie promised. The low numbers were to be expected — the film had been released two weeks earlier and many people that had wanted to see it had already done so. What surprised me, though, was the mass exodus of about ten of the forty at about the halfway point. Some seemed confused, others disgusted.

Quentin Tarantino hadn't made a movie since 1997 (JACKIE BROWN), and his fans were dying to see something new from the directing genius. Unfortunately, KILL BILL disappointed many of his followers, who simply didn't understand the references and symbologies that filled almost every frame of this picture. Much of Tarantino's style and film-foundation is based on the dozens and dozens of Asian movies he watched in his youth and continues to watch to this day, and he decided that is was time to pay homage to these "teachers" from the past.

Sadly, many of those that viewed KILL BILL were oblivious to this fact, or simply refused to deal with his purpose in making the movie. The result: a mix of delighted and angry fans — some appreciating the passion that went into this project, and others wanting a rehash of past Tarantino films (it's kind of like going to Los Angeles' best Indian restaurant and claiming it sucked because it wouldn't serve you sushi).

Looked at in ignorance, one might think the story (an assassin known as "The Bride" seeks revenge against those that attacked her wedding, killed her guests and, after shooting her in the head, put her in a multi-year coma) simplistic, the scenes jumbled and nonsensical, the violence there for its own sake, and all sense of reality thrown out with the dishwater. What they didn't understand was that almost every scene was a loving reenactment of some classic moment in other movies. To save others from this confusion and, perhaps, disappointment, I'll explain some of the tie-ins that KILL BILL is all about.

KILL BILL 101

In a way, KILL BILL is reminiscent of Truffaut's THE BRIDE WORE BLACK. In that film a woman's husband is murdered and she takes it upon herself to hunt down the killers and butcher them. However, the whole "revenge" kick plays a major part in endless Asian martial arts flicks, and any homage to Asian cinema would be fractured if he didn't employ the same plot device here.

Mixing Yuen Wo Ping's (THE MATRIX and CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON) usual brilliant choreography (allowing us to enjoy the many brisk fight scenes that addicted so many of us to this style of movie) with Robert Richardson's cinematographic skills, we get the action we crave and the artistic nuance that's often ignored in Western productions — washed out scenes one moment and others that are vibrant with color can symbolize a character's emotional state or the general mood of what's transpiring.

However, to really appreciate KILL BILL, you need to be made aware of the following Asian delights: O-Ren Ishii's (Lucy Liu) childhood story pays homage to Japanese anime (cartoon). Uma Thurman's yellow jumpsuit is a copy of what Bruce Lee wore in GAME OF DEATH (Bruce died before he could complete that movie). Sword maker Hattori Hanzo is played by Sonny Chiba, one of Japan's foremost action stars many years back (his THE STREETFIGHTER is a classic). On top of that, Chiba's scenes introduce an important Japanese concept to the West: A master swordsman needs a peerless weapon, and a tiny bit of that mythology is looked at here.

Is that all? Not by a long shot! Rape is an oddly common theme in Asian film, and so Uma's victimization is yet another "must." THE KISS OF DEATH (later remade in the West as I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE) is just one of many examples. And when Ms. Thurman's "Bride" was shot and left for dead by five members of the "Deadly Viper Assassination Squad," we get a not too subtle reminder of the classic FIVE DEADLY VENOMS.

When "The Bride" faces off in a restaurant against eighty armed foes, we're forced to compare it to a key scene in CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON and in so many other films that also featured the old "one vs. many" paradigm (check out our site reviews of ZATOICHI and LONE WOLF AND CUB if you want to explore other movies that feature one man versus tremendous odds). By the way, some people thought it silly that a perfect, very tranquil Japanese-style garden greeted"The Bride" and "O-Ren Ishii" when they stepped out back for the final showdown after the big (and oh so frenetic) restaurant fight scene. What these confused puppies failed to understand was that the final showdown in Bruce Lee's classic FISTS OF FURY (also shown as THE CHINESE CONNECTION) was also in a garden of this type.

Want more? Okay: Limbs flying and blood gushing? Tip your hat to LONE WOLF AND CUB and other Samurai films, while the more contemporary work of director Takashi Miike (ICHI THE KILLER being one over the top example) also features a kind of frenetic action/violence that's almost unheard of in the West. Who was that dude with the Green Hornet mask? None other than Gordon Liu Chia Hui, the bald-headed hero of the classic 36 CHAMBERS OF SHAOLIN. And who was that deadly young woman in schoolgirl grab (we won't even get into the genital mutilation!)? What, you haven't watched Kinki Fukasaku's cult favorite, BATTLE ROYALE? If you had, you would have recognized Chiaki Kuriyama from BATTLE, who seems very natural in such clothes. Before leaving Miss Kuriyama, I should mention that the ball and chain weapon she used against "The Bride" was highly reminiscent of the weapon featured in the classic Shaw Brothers movie ONE ARMED BOXER VS. THE FLYING GUILLOTINE.

There's more, lots more (for instance, he borrowed bits and pieces of the music from many of these films), but I think you now have a greater appreciation for what Mr. Tarantino tried to achieve. KILL BILL can be looked at as a crash course in classic Asian/martial art cinema, as trash (if you simply refuse to educate yourself), as simply interesting (if such films are not to your taste), or as a masterpiece (though that label is something that only true fans of this genre can apply).

One problem: Miramax. This company has a deplorable history of shredding Asian films with cuts and dubbing. I found it ironic that KILL BILL ended up on their plate. However, Miramax (known as "Mira-axe" to many fans of Asian films) always demands a creative price from whatever film they touch, and this remained true for Tarantino's work. The slashing of the movie (originally meant to be one long film) into two put coins into the company's coffers but also hurt the continuity of the movie. Thus we're forced to wait until February when KILL BILL: Volume 2 will be released. Will it be worth the wait? That depends on your "Asian cinema IQ," doesn't it? In the meantime, rent some of the movies listed in this review, we might yet turn you into an addict of the genre!