Kill Bill scene analysis

The scene is shot in black and white showing that it is a flashback set in the past. This is often used in film noir. Low key lighting is used to create shadows using both light and dark to make it mysterious. This sets the scene for the rest of the movie and tells the audience how it all began.

The scene starts with a median shot showing the bride walking through a church. The camera is tracking backwards as she walks to follow her and show her movement. She is shown as happy as she is visibly smiling. This establishes the good mood and the calm religious location with the church imagery around her. There is then a point of view long shot of a doorway showing outside which is lighter focus on that showing she is should go there.  Her expression changes with a reaction shot, when she hears the sound of a flute; she has a panicked expression on her face and is clearly breathing heavily. This gives the scene an air of tension, as the audience know that something ominous is about to happen and that the bride is afraid.  This shows whatever made the sound is bad news. She walks out to the door with her back turned to Bill showing she doesn’t want anything to do with him.

There is a montage of close ups on the bride and Bill’s faces. This is similarly used in the good, the bad and the ugly (1966) as it goes back and forth between the two shots as the music builds: this creates tension between them. The close ups are used to show purely the characters’ emotion in the scene and the small changes that happen. The screen is split through the middle between the actor and the background. The bride is always on the left side which contrasts to Bill who is always on the right side: this is to show distance between them. On the opposite side of the screen to them, there is always negative space insinuating a difficult past between them.

It shows both characters standing still in individual shots with the camera panning and tilting while they walk. It shows both of the characters feet as they walk – this is a trademark of Quentin Tarrantino. When they come together it becomes a two shot scene being symmetrical using rule of thirds for framing. The mood has changed from being uncomfortable to being relaxed around each other as they are now looking into each other’s eyes and smiling. This shot goes on for a long time and they use it to show the exposition through dialog.