Kill Bill Scene - Volume 2

Comparing the way the bride is represented in the two scenes in Kill Bill.

In the first scene of Kill Bill, the bride is represented to be weak and vulnerable. This is portrayed through the use of high angle camera shots, which show lack of authority or power hence making her character less significant. The sound used in the first scene is key to understand how the character is feeling. The bride breathes heavily which carries connotations of fear and resentment, however juxtaposed in the way when she stops panting this signifies to the audience that she has given up therefore making her powerless. The use of lighting in the first scene is conveyed with the prop of the torchlight, this concept focus on mis en scene where the lighting and prop work together to portray the characteristics of the bride. The bride uses the torch light in order to create an escape but could also be used to indicate to the audience that she is still willing to fight for freedom which shows bravery however during the scene this bravery determinates and she turns off the torch light which could be interpreted as defeat and impending death. The black box in which the bride is located shows tightness, which could be conveyed as the tightness of her muscles because she’s terrified which again shows a sense of defeat. The claustrophobic plight of her behavior shows that she is frightened and unsure what to do. The use of the zoom shot on her eyes emphasizes her impending death.

In the second scene of Kill Bill, the bride’s motives change and she is seen attempting to escape. The use of the uplifting cowboy music allows the audience to understand that there is something positive about to happen. The bride breathes with relief and determination, which conveys power and bravery. The use of non-diegetic sound represents her heartbeat as she regains composure becoming heroic again and this is portrayed through her punching through the box. There is a rhythmic pattern for every punch there is a sigh of relief, which indicates to the audience that she is going to succeed. The camera shots include panning, which allows the audience to visualize her escape and empathies with her as well as low angle to show power and authority. The lighting changes throughout the scene, beginning with dark to soundly bright to foreshadow escape. Non-diegetic sound also gets louder and it gets to the climax and the music stops as soon as her hand is seen out of the soil indicating the climax has been reached. This conveys determination and success as well as the crane shot which ultimately signifies her heroic character.