Kill Bill: Vol. 1

A former assassin embarks on a relentless quest for vengeance in Quentin Tarantino's iconic anti-hero masterpiece.

Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. 1 introduces us to "The Bride" (Uma Thurman), a former assassin left for dead by her colleagues in the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. Heavily inspired by the character of Yuki Kashima from Lady Snowblood (1973), The Bride embarks on a quest for vengeance, targeting her former comrades, including O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu) and Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox).

As an anti-hero, The Bride is shaped by her dark past as a ruthless killer and her singular focus on revenge. Her motivations are personal, rooted in betrayal and a desire for retribution, rather than justice or morality. She embraces violence without hesitation, showing little mercy to those who wronged her. Despite her brutality, we, the audience, sympathise with her pain and understand the emotional toll of her past.

The Bride embodies many traits of the female anti-hero – her relentless pursuit of vengeance, her balance of vulnerability and strength, and her morally ambiguous nature. While driven by rage, she also displays a profound sense of loss and maternal instinct, giving her character a complexity that defies traditional notions of heroism.

– Professor Angela Ndalianis, Professor Emeritus, Centre for Transformative Media Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology