Kill Bill II-->editing, makes the movie all the better.

The Kill Bill series utilized many editing techniques in order to convey meaning, relationships, narrative development, and themes. In the scene prior to scene 11 we see Elle on her way to Buddy's trailer. She is on a mission, and as an audience we follow the car through tracking shots that were shot from the side and front of the car. In order to emphasize her speed, tracking used a low angle shot towards her turning wheels. When she is in the trailer of Buddy, the camera moves to a long shot looking toward the desert. He added slow-moving music and high lighting and as an audience our focus is moved toward Beatrix Kiddo coming out of the desert. The high lighting looks like the sun and creates a feeling of heat, thirst and we can feel the exhaustion of the character. The scene then cuts back to the trailer where Buddy and Elle are having a conversation about the supposed death of Beatrix Kiddo and the exchange of the Hanso sword. When the camera goes back to the desert Beatrix Kiddo is on a high cliff in the desert like an animal looking for its' prey. Tarantino then used an extreme close-up of her eyes and intense music to display that she is ready for her attack on the trailer. However, Elle's intention was not to buy the Hanso sword from Buddy. She put a Black Mamba snake is his suitcase full of money, and he gets bit in the face by the snake. As he laid dying, the camera utilizes a low-angle shot to convey the power of Elle. It is then that we get into the original scene that I chose in Kill Bill II.
The first shot that we see is Elle kicking open the door of Buddy's trailer. Tarantino added sound effects to make this feel like a forceful kick. We then get an extreme close-up of Elle's eyes which show shock and surprise that Beatrix Kiddo is alive. Tarantino uses a medium shot to show Beatrix's legs flying toward Elle's torso and zooms in close to her feet. While these character's duke it out Tarantino manipulates time. Often when there is a kick or punch that he wants to emphasize, he puts the camera in slow motion and as the strike occurs, he makes the camera go back to normal or even a faster speed. Tarantino uses lighting, sound, and manipulates time in order to convey power and the relationships of the characters. Tarantino also uses flashback in order to show the true evil of Elle. We find out through a flashback with subtitles that Elle had killed the master who trained them in martial arts. Of course as this story unfolds, the camera moves to an extreme close-up of Elle's eyes and we hear a wicked laugh. All of these things enhance the action of the film and carry the audience toward the final battle with Bill. In the next scene Tarantino used his usual transition in this film: a black screen with a particular chapter number and title. All of sudden we see a long shot of a beautiful Spanish vista. The lighting would display that it was early morning and it almost looks as though the dew is still fresh on the trees. He adds beautiful Spanish music which starts off slow almost sounding like a choir. Again we are moved to an image of a car, but this time it is Beatrix Kiddo in the driver's seat. Tarantino adds narration so the audience knows where Beatrix is going. She talks to Esteban Vajeijo and finds out where to find Bill.
Tarantino uses many editing techniques and angles to carry us through this story of revenge. These techniques emphasize power, characters' emotions, and movement. The editing adds to the experience because it creates mood and enhances the development of the film.

Kill Bill II

Kill Bill Volume II
In Quentin Tarantino's film Kill Bill Volume 2, chapter 9, scene 11 displayed a variety of camera movements in order to convey the emotions of the characters, and to provoke a specific emotion from the audience. However, prior to discussing this scene, I need to give those of you whom haven't seen the movie a little background information.Beatrix Kiddo (Uma Thurman) was an assassin for Bill, but decided to leave her life when she found out that she was pregnant. She was pregnant with Bill's baby but she never told Bill. She decided to leave her life as an assassin, and not have the baby grow up with Bill as a father. In the meantime, she found a man who wanted to marry her. However, when she was at her wedding rehearsal, Bill found her and was very upset. He spoke with Beatrix Kiddo and convinced her that he was o.k. with her marrying another man. He also agreed that he would come to the wedding. On the day of the wedding, Bill and his cohort of assassins attacked the wedding and killed everyone. While Beatrix Kiddo lay on the floor dying, Bill pulled out a gun and shot her in the head. Her last words were the baby is yours.Beatrix Kiddo woke up from her coma, and believed that she had lost part of her life and her baby. She decided to go on a mission of revenge and kill all who tried to end her life, with Bill being the final target. In chapter 9, scene eleven, we see the attack on Ellie (Darryl Hannah) and exquisite camera shots that display anger, battles of power and the intensity of the fight.Ellie was in the process of leaving the trailer of Buddy (Bill's brother), after having killed him. The first shot was an extreme close-up of Ellie's face. Tarantino did this so the audience could see the fear and shock in Ellie's eyes. After all, she thought that Buddy had already killed Beatrix Kiddo. However, Beatrix Kiddo was not dead, because she had gotten out of being buried alive, because of her training in martial arts. The next camera shot is a medium long shot where the audience is focused on the middle of Ellie's torso and the feet of Beatrix Kiddo flying toward her. The medium long shot captures Ellie being thrown toward the wall of the trailer. Beatrix Kiddo and Ellie battle it out with the camera being focused on both characters. However, when the characters used extreme force toward each other, the director switched to a close-up shot. In the close-up shot Tarantino focused on the eyes of Ellie and Beatrix Kiddo. Tarantino also used high-key lighting in order to put focus on the sword. When one character began to win the fight a low angle shot would convey the power of the character. Back lighting would also emphasize the powerful character and visually represent their position in the fight. If the character were losing power in the fight, Tarantino would use a high angle shot that would put the character in the submissive position. The use of angles and lighting was interesting because most of the background in this scene consisted of low-key lighting in order to emphasize the dark world of murder in which the characters' lived. At two points within this scene Tarantino manipulates time. The first time he did this was when Ellie got knocked into a counter. As she got up, the camera used slow-motion to exaggerate the cut on her face and the pain of her injury. The second manipulation of time was when Ellie was in a medium long shot flying toward Beatrix Kiddo in a martial arts motion. As she approached Beatrix Kiddo the camera switched back to normal speed and she went threw a wall. This manipulation of time was interesting, because it built a climax toward Ellie being thrown into a wall. In order to emphasize the motion of flying in the air, Tarantino incorporated cartoon-like music to emphasize the fall that was supposed to crush Beatrix Kiddo.Filmmakers use many techniques to emphasize power, characters' emotions, and movement. By incorporating appropriate camera angles and sound the frame is enhanced. A well-done scene would portray meaning, representation, relationships and be well developed. I hope that filmmakers are inspired to imitate the artistic stylings of Quentin Tarantino, and I hope to see more films from him in the future.

Katie H Answers My Post:

Katie said...
Hello, Sarah!I find your advocacy for computer literacy and access at North HS an admirable pursuit. I, too, believe that it is imperative that the education system in our country recognizes the role of technology in the daily life of global citizens. Without keeping pace and staying abreast of the latest media tools, future generations of American students will be at a loss in comparison to their global counterparts. Not only will they be unable to compete for the same jobs, but they will lose their edge when it comes to analyzing media outlets with a critical eye. They've got to use their tech-knowledge...or they'll lose it!
3:51 PM

Media Studies in High School

Sarah Staples North High School
Minneapolis, MinnesotaSeptember 14, 2006

Current Curriculum:I volunteered at North High School in 2003, and the school does not have many computers. Students need to have more access to computers, so they are better prepared for life outside of high school. Many students had trouble completing their required assignments because they didn't have computers at home. Students at North High School have an excellent and knowledgeable staff who are ready to incorporate more media into their curriculum. However, the teachers are being handicapped by not having as many computers as they need for their students. It is obvious that North High school values media studies, and more access to computers would bolster student learning. I have enclosed a letter on how I could foster student learning through having access to computers.
Dear Principal Skinner,
Being a language arts instructor, it is vital that I utilize my knowledge to foster student learning. Having more acessibility to computers would improve the student literacy levels in our high school. It is imperative that educators recognize that "81% of students in grades 7-12 have e-mail accounts, 75% have have at least one Instant Messanger screen name, and that 97% believe strongly that technology use is important in education" (Richardson, 6). It is imperative that we look at these statistics and incorporate more media into the language arts program at our school.
Computers would aid in student learning in language arts, because students would have better access to primary sources which our library may not have. Students would beable to conduct better research for their required essays. It is vital that students' learn how to search for these sources online, and this skill is necessary for academic success. Students need to have the opportunity of a hands-on experience so they are not passive recipients of knowledge.
I would like my students to have the opportunity to create a blog. Blogging gives students the opportunity to share their ideas with peers, teachers and even parents. This would be especially helpful for those students who reluctant toshare their ideas in class. Blogging would give me the opportunity to post their assignments, reminders and quicker feedback on their work. Having a blog space would allow students the opportunity to participate in conversations that would foster critical thinking skills. Computers would give students the opportunity to share their ideas with people from around the world. Multicultural literature could be enhanced through establishing contact with a schools from around the world.
I recognize that school budgets often don't accomodate us with the latest technology. However, the program that I mentioned is free and would enhance my success with students. I wonder if we could start a fundraiser or seek out donations from the community. I believe that we owe our students the opportunity to work with computers, and that their learning would be enhanced. I look forward to discussing this letter with you in the near future.
Sarah Staples
posted by Stop it Staples! @ 3:00 PM 2 comments