Kill Bill Vol. 1 & Vol. 2

Director Quentin Tarantino originally wrote and filmed *Kill Bill* as a single, roughly four-hour revenge epic. However, Miramax Films decided to split the project into *Vol. 1* (2003) and *Vol. 2* (2004) to keep the runtime manageable for theaters. This allowed the studio to release two profitable films instead of one very long one.

Uma Thurman plays the protagonist known primarily as "The Bride." Her real name, Beatrix Kiddo, is bleeped out in the first film and fully revealed in *Vol. 2*. Her codename within the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad is Black Mamba.

Quentin Tarantino, famous for curating his own soundtracks, relied heavily on existing tracks rather than original composition for the *Kill Bill* films. RZA, the leader of the Wu-Tang Clan, produced several original beats and cues for the films. The soundtrack famously features Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" and a battle whistle from Ennio Morricone.

The films heavily reference and utilize Wushu, a modern, performance-oriented Chinese martial art. The Bride's iconic yellow tracksuit is a direct homage to Bruce Lee's outfit in the 1972 film *Game of Death*. The movies also incorporate elements of Japanese swordsmanship (Kenjutsu) and spaghetti western gunplay.