FAQ for
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) More at IMDbPro »

The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags have been used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.

For detailed information about the amounts and types of (a) sex and nudity, (b) violence and gore, (c) profanity, (d) alcohol, drugs, and smoking, and (e) frightening and intense scenes in this movie, consult the IMDb Parents Guide for this movie. The Parents Guide for Kill Bill: Vol. 1 can be found here.

This film (unlike Tarantino's other flicks) takes place in a different world, where you are allowed to carry your swords on the plane with you. During the shot where you see her sword, it is specifically designed to show other passenger's swords as well, to get you to think about this. And if you look closely, you will also see that the plane has special holders for the swords.

In vol. 1, we are supposed to think of her simply as a killer. We don't know her or her background (or her name), so we cannot connect with her on the same level. We don't really know why she is after the vipers, except for the fact that they tried to kill her and her baby. Perhaps she did something to screw them over that we were never shown, and they had a good reason to 'get back' at her. We do not know the whole score in the first volume, so she is just an unknown killer. In vol. 2 we learn her story and why she deserves her revenge. In vol. 2, she earns a name.

Because in some cultures they teach you a way to tell many different things just by looking at the lines of the palm. So it is assumed that she read those lines to judge the amount of time she was out. Notice the close up shot of those lines before she says "4 years?"

No, just like we are not supposed to believe that arterial spray is that insane and that a very, very old Chinese man can stand on the tip of an outstretched sword (as happens in vol. 2). The film generally does not take a hard, realistic tone. It's possible that it could have been near the beginning of Buck's eight hour (or possibly longer) shift when The Bride took him out. Perhaps the next nurse coming in decided not to check on them for a while because s/he had other things to do, and no one found the bloody mess in the room for over thirteen hours. They were in the coma ward, where nurses possibly didn't check on the patients that often. By the time he was found, with all the usual shock of the discovery of a double-homicide, it's entirely possible they didn't get around to checking his truck by the time the Bride left.

Obviously, we don't know, seeing as how it wasn't explained. But the best theory is that Bill used Hanzo's teachings for evil. He solely used it to kill people for profit and personal gain. As far as we know, Bill had no spiritual or moral benefit from his training.

If you look at the windows while the House of Blue Leaves scene is taking place, you can see the snow starting to fall. A small snow storm therefore may have started when The Bride first came inside. For example, when O-Ren walks over the dance floor with the few Crazy 88s towards the begining of the scene, there is a nice shot of a window and you can clearly see the snow falling.

"Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" by Nancy Sinatra: Opening titles, "I was five and he was six/we rode on horses made of sticks/he wore black and I wore white/he would always win the fight/bang bang" etc. Also plays when The Bride enters Hanzo's sushi shop, but only a brief riff.

"Music Box Dancer" by Richard Abel: Sounds like an ice cream truck; the Bride pulls up and stops in front of Vernita Green's house, checks her list, and rings the doorbell.

"Ironside (Excerpt)" by Quincy Jones: Commonly referred to [in the script anyway] as the Bride's "Vengeance theme," the screen turns orange as flashbacks of The Bride taking a pounding are shown. Means ass-kickery will ensue.

"That Certain Female" by Charlie Feathers: Cop drives through desert in car to wedding chapel; he's got sunglasses on his dashboard, wears a cowboy hat.

"Twisted Nerve" by Bernard Hermann: Elle whistles as she walks from her car to The Bride's room, the same tune a strange man whistles as he walks down the hall in Twisted Nerve. Elle gets dressed into her nurse's outfit and draws red liquid into a syringe.

"7 Note In Nero (7 Notes In Black)" by Vince Tempera & Orchestra: The Bride kills the man who was going to rape her; begins shortly after the blackout. The Bride finds out her legs aren't working, falls flat on her face, finds a buck knife [how . . . well, not ironic, but still], and slices Buck's Achilles' Tendon.

"Truck Turner" by Isaac Hayes: The Bride searches the parking deck for Buck's Pussy Wagon. She finds it, checks the keys--yep, that's it.

"The Grand Duel, M10" by Luis Bacalov: The "Wiggle your big toe" scene.

"The Grand Duel (Parte Prima)" by Luis Bacalov: 1st part of the anime sequence.

"I Lunghi Giorni Della Vendetta" by Armando Trovajoli: O-Ren's father is killed by the Yakuza.

"Run Fay Run" by Isaac Hayes: Sniper O-Ren shoots a man in an entourage of limousines; he's got a beautiful woman on each arm.

"Bang Bang (Excerpt)" by Nancy Sinatra: The Bride enters Hanzo's sushi shop.

"Wound That Heals (aka Kaifuku Suru Kizu)" by Salyu: The Bride looks over rack after rack of swords in Hanzo's attic.

"The Lonely Shepherd" by Zamfir: Hanzo inspects and gives the sword to The Bride.

"Armundo" by David Allen Young: The presentation of Sofie Fatale, GoGo Yubari and Johnny Mo.

"Yakuza Oren 1" by The RZA: O-Ren speaks to the Crime Council after decapitating Boss Tanaka.

"Green Hornet" by Al Hirt: The Bride arrives by plane in Tokyo, walks through the airport. Gogo drives O-Ren through town surrounded by men on motorcycles. The Bride flies through town on her yellow motorcycle.

"Battle Without Honor Or Humanity" by Tomoyasu Hotei: The Bride speeds away at the stoplight; O-Ren and subordinates walk through House of Blue Leaves.

"I Walk Like Jane Mansfield" by The 5.6.7.8s: Ends as O-Ren enters.

"I'm Blue" by The 5.6.7.8s: Plays during the scene involving O-Ren's dart and Gogo's investigation.

"Woo Hoo" by The 5.6.7.8s: Long shot of The Bride walking through restaurant to bathroom, Sofie walking to bathroom, ends with The Bride hearing Sofie's ringtone.

"Ironside (Excerpt)" by Quincy Jones: The Bride sees Sofie in the ladies room. Vengeance theme.

"From Man to Man" by Ennio Morricone: The Bride calls out O-Ren Ishii. O-Ren watches The Bride slice off Sofie Fatale's arm, and the restaurant patrons exit the building as she bleeds profusely.

Soundeffects by Flip Sting: The Bride vs Gogo--The Bride backflips over Gogo's ball-and-chain.

"Crane" by The RZA: The Bride, surrounded by Crazy 88s looks at them in the reflection on her sword.

"I Giorni Dell'Ira (Day Of Anger)" by Riz Ortolani: The Bride removes a Crazy 88s eyeball; we switch to black-and-white.

"Champions Of Death" by Shuzsuko Kibushi: The Bride faces off against Johnny Mo's two swords upstairs.

"Super 16 (Excerpt)" by NEU!: O-Ren retreats to the garden.

"Police Check Point" by Harry Betts: The Bride fights Crazy 88s, flips over one's back.

"White Lightning" by Charles Bernstein: The Bride is cornered with a speared Crazy 88; gets an idea.

"Nobody But Me" by The Human Beinz: The Bride, two swords, slices off legs of Crazy 88s.

"Banister Fight" by The RZA: The Bride and Johnny Mo face off whilst standing on a banister. The Bride slices his legs off.

"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" by Santa Esmeralda: O-Ren removes her shoes, and she and The Bride fight; ends when The Bride's back is sliced open.

"The Flower Of Carnage (Shura No Hama)" by Meiko Kaji: O-Ren drops her sword; she's been scalped.

"Yagyu Conspiracy" by Toshiaki Tsushima: Background music of the "second reason" speech The Bride makes to Sofie Fatale while she lies in the trunk of her car.

"The Lonely Shepherd" by Zamfir: The Bride writes her death list on the plane/end titles.

"Urami Bushi" by Meiko Kaji: End titles.

When The Bride and Vernita are having coffee, The Bride says "Not a Godd*** F****** thing you've done in the subsequent four years, including getting knocked up, is gonna change that," and then later says that it would be fair of her to kill not only Vernita but her daughter and the good doctor. That said, by the timeline the movie sets up, it's actually impossible for Vernita to not have been already pregnant during the Two Pines massacre. The Bride woke up four years, six months later and Nikki was four years old in Kill Bill I. Thus, Vernita would have to have been at least three months pregnant at the time. The doctor could still have been the father (although how he got hooked up with the still-an-assassin Vernita is unknown) and it's not a plothole that The Bride would have no idea Vernita was pregnant, since they'd been out of touch.

Because he dared not speak his name, as Bill was a disgrace as a student, using Hanzo's teachings for murder and profit.

It says "Fuck U."

The uncensored DVD edition of Quentin Tarantino's homage to the Asian cinema has been released only in Japan so far, and therefore is simply one of the most discussed versions. Tarantino mentioned the longer Japanese version in an interview even before the theatrical release, thus additionally heating up the discussion. The final scene, which can be seen in full color in the JP version only, and also other extended scenes of violence made this version extremely popular. A detailed comparison between the theatrical version and the unrated version with pictures can be found here.