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We open on a black screen, the sound of labored, ragged breaths the only indication that the film has begun. A quote appears on screen: “Revenge is a dish best served cold,” a quote that effectively sets the tone for the rest of the film. Kill Bill: Volume 1 is director Quentin Tarantino’s love letter to spaghetti westerns and samurai cinema. It follows the tale of a woman, nicknamed The Bride, trying to get revenge on everyone involved in the failed scheme to kill her and her unborn child. Donning a black and yellow tracksuit, an homage to Bruce Lee [Scheeden], she slices her way through her hitlist, refusing to cease until every name has been crossed off.

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As an auteur, each of Tarantino’s films contain key elements like explicit language, graphic violence, and memorable cinematography, all which are used in order to create Kill Bill, a film chock full of cinematic music and iconic visuals.

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In this film, as in many of Tarantino’s films, he utilizes title cards to signify passages of time, change of setting, or progression in the story. Kill Bill contains five chapters, and in each chapter, The Bride faces off with a different enemy. The title cards generally appear after a fight has ended and the next enemy has been briefly introduced. The titles are simple: white text on a black background that dissolves into the next scene which takes place in a new location. The minimalist transitions serve as a moment of peace in between the fast-paced action scenes that make up the majority of the film, they give the audience a chance to completely digest what they’ve just seen.

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Music plays a vital role in the film, consistently used to aid in paying homage to classic samurai and western films as well as setting the tone of the scene. The use of both diegetic and nondiegetic music is frequently played with throughout the film, as well as the complete omission of music. During many of the fight scenes, there is a focus on sound effects used to emphasize the sounds of a weapon as it makes impact with a character or a character’s reaction to being hurt. To further emphasize the drama of a fight scene, “Ironside,” a theme composed by Quincy Jones, features urgent synths and brass instruments meant to alert the audience of what’s to come.

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(Kill Bill Fight Theme) Ironside - Quincy Jones

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According to an article written by Joel Stice for Uproxx, a total of 41 deaths were seen on the screen. Powered by an insatiable need for revenge and a custom samurai sword, The Bride battles her way down her hitlist, flirting with death time and time again, and defeating anyone who gets in her way. These thoroughly choreographed fight scenes are filled with vivid visuals of severed limbs, blood splatter and background music which sets the tone of the fights.

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There is a reason why Kill Bill is considered a classic by so many. Tarantino’s signature combination of engaging visuals in combination with an iconic soundtrack creates a cinematic experience that leaves a lasting impression on the viewer. It’s a film that had me on the edge of my seat at all times, always wondering what was going to happen next. Even people who haven’t seen the entirety of the film before can recall the iconic imagery, a testament to how Tarantino has managed to make his films stand out from the crowd as an established auteur.