The Limits of Bill-Killing

I went to see Kill Bill yesterday in Philly--not exactly a book, but worth reviewing anyway. If you haven't seen it yet, don't "meander further into the bush"; run do not walk to the nearest movie theatre. It's a kick-ass film with a very interesting limitation. I've got more to say about it below...

Usually I don't find violence amusing. But I have to give Quentin Tarantino his due. I was laughing out loud at parts of this film. And it's not like he's parodying violence. Nope, you're supposed to take it sort of seriously. But the soundtrack is so great that you can see some comic relief in the radical discrepancy between what you're hearing and what you're seeing. Uma Thurman, code name Black Mamba, is out to kill every member of an elite death squad that was sent to kill her on her wedding day (she was also pregnant in the white dress). Somehow, she survived and she's got a death list. Two of the people on this list bite the dust in Kill Bill, Vol 1--the second volume is set to be released in February, I think. The film is a stylized representation of violence, a veritable homage to Hong Kong cinema. And the best part is that there are literally kick-ass women here. It's great to see women seeking revenge and really taking charge. We've had a bit of a drought when it comes to female action heroines (Xena notwithstanding).

But why is it that "the child" must always feature as the cornerstone of and the limit case for female revenge? Black Mamba's out to get "the crowd" because, presumably, they killed her unborn child. She balks at killing one of her enemies when the enemy's child shows up from school and throws the whole wrestling, breaking glass, throwing knives at each other scene into relief. Female revenge seems to be sponsored by the block parent program. I just wonder if there could ever be any other reason why women might want revenge and why vengeful women might stop at killing their enemies. Now there would be a stroke of genius that could work hand in hand with his brilliant filmmaking techniques.