And thwart itself. It's obviously intentional, but why?

- removes any credibility by opening with a close one-on-one fight, which should have been a walk in the park if Uma had already wiped out 100 samurais.

- gives an emotional back story to a character we've already been told is evil (the girl whose family was killed)

- opens with an example of screen violence at its most powerful, then follows for the rest of the film as a guide in making it completely superficial

- random use of black and white

- the "revenge theme" music (the siren when she recognises a target) that's supposed to have the audience in frenzied anticipation of the bloodbath to follow by the end of the film, loses its effect if you've got to wait 4 months between volumes

- for a film so concerned with style its presentation of Uma Thurman (who frankly has very suspect nostrils for a hollywood lead) is distinctly non-glamourous esp. compared to Pulp Fiction. We first see her hunched over a steering wheel like an old woman.

- aimlessly wavers between serious (the wedding, the rapes, her baby, the anime) and the silly (pretty much the rest of the film)


What the fuck is he playing at?

(he also contradicts common perceptions of what a Tarantino film is, but that's a different matter)