A Few Words About A few words about...™ Kill Bill: Volumes 1 & 2 -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[David Wilkins]

I'm still trying to figure out why a welcome installment of 'A Few Words About...', turned into a two page argument over titles and issues that have nothing to do with this thread.

Good grief, there are some pissy, frustrated people out there. Something tells me it isn't even home theater that they're frustrated about, but an available target that happens to be standing still.

Anyway...it's great to hear your opinion on KB 1&2, RAH. At least I know that I needn't fear the pre-order button.

 

[cafink]

Changing to black and white for the "House of Blue Leaves" sequence was an artistic decision. By all accounts, it seems to have been prompted by practical/political/business concerns (chiefly, getting an "R" rating), but the method by which these concerns were met is still an artistic choice, isn't it? As such, I'm glad to see the U.S. theatrical version preserved on Blu-ray disc. Of course, I'd also like to see the international versions with the full-color sequence and other changes. It's unfortunate that the rights issue apparently makes it unlikely that they'll ever both be included on a single release. Nevertheless, I intend to purchase both the U.S. release and the Japanese version when/if it becomes available (just as I have done on DVD), as I believe both are artistically valid and worth owning.

 

[TravisR]

Same here.

 

[Ed St. Clair]

I should have only posted this one quote.
It's what my rambling are really about.
And the question that most interested me.

I'm dropping this.
Robert Harris is too good of a guy & his time too valuable to continue.
It's all so a waste of this great forum.
I just took notice of his general comment about an unfortunate number of HD DVD'ers.
In my world wide web searches I'd not come across anything like what Mr. Harris spoke too.
(again, this is only about since the fall of HD DVD, neither of us are speaking too B4 HD DVD's demise)

So "The Whole Bloody Affair" (p.i.) is over!

Hope everyone throughly enjoys the 2 releases.

 

[Edwin-S]

^^^^
I'm still trying to figure out what you were actually driving at with all of those quotations. I see several problems with some of your interpretations of those quotes, but I won't elaborate since you are dropping the subject. 'Nuff said.

 

[Jari K]

I have to say that I´m a bit confused too. First post of this thread is great, though.

 

[Yumbo]

"A Time to Kill". "What about Bob?"

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

At least in this instance, I tend to agree w/ that line of thinking though I haven't actually seen the NC-17 version.

_Man_

 

[Jari K]

Do you have a proper link/quote etc about that? I don´t claim, that it was 100% "because MPAA" or something (I´m sure that in some ways QT "approved" this alternate version), but I have my doubts that QT would actually prefer this sequence in b&w (at least after seeing it in color myself)...

 

[David Wilkins]

Huh?

 

[MatS]

Kill Bill (2003) - Screenplays for You - free movie scripts and screenplays

wouldn't this have been written prior to filming? (draft script)
also we all know how effective the opening sequence was in b&w as well so there was intention to use this stylistic approach in the movie

why are we to believe the b&w version wasn't the original intent with the color version being the "alternate" version

 

[TravisR]

If the black and white is what is intended why wouldn't it be black and white everywhere in the world and in The Whole Bloody Affair version?

 

[Edwin-S]

I know I cannot be sure of original intent but I like that that sequence goes to B&W. I like to think of that sequence as having a violence level so high that it literally drains the film of color. I actually think it highlights the violent nature of that whole sequence. To me the colour version of the sequence would just be another typical action scene with jugs of spurting blood. I probably would have started laughing at its colourful extremism.

Either way, it is too bad that both versions cannot be provided in a single release.

 

[Ed St. Clair]

If it "was" filmed in B&W, how is it all so in color? QT colorizing "KB", blasphemy! (JJ)
I don't believe it was filmed in B&W.
However, it truly does lead into the original artistic intent argument (which previously I'd never bought into cause of the Japanese version).
GREAT find!!!

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Maybe the original intent (during the writing phase) was to do that scene in B&W, and then, he changed his mind at some point (or was simply never fully decided) and went w/ a color shoot.

Then again, how certain can we be that the script at that link is indeed QT's original intent (and not just some version approved by the studios)?

Personally, I get the feeling that QT's just the type of filmmaker (especially for this kind of flick) who might change his mind back and forth on something like this until the last minute (and certain outside influences like MPAA ratings might only be a factor in pushing him one way over the other rather than forcing him to adapt completely unexpectedly).

_Man_

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Of course, there is the fact that even if a film is presented in black and white, it's a lot easier to shoot in colour, then have the release prints (or portions thereof) printed in black and white. Worked well for the Coen Bros. in The Man Who Wasn't There, and Prince did the same thing with Under the Cherry Moon. I believe Schinidler's List was actually shot on B&W stock, but it would be the anomaly.

 

[Douglas Monce]

Many directors of photography choose to shoot B&W films on color negative stock these days because B&W stocks for motion pictures haven't kept up in terms of technical development with the color film.

In addition it was reported during the filming of Schindler's List that they had a relatively high number of ruined takes because of static produced by the B&W film stock moving through a modern camera. I don't fully understand it myself, but it has something to do with old B&W film having a much higher silver content than modern film, and there for less susceptible to static charge.

Doug

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Has QT himself ever shed light on this matter anyway? Any good quotes of him talking about this?

_Man_

 

[OliverK]

I have no idea why the discussion about the B&W scenes has to be in this thread ?

 

[Jari K]

Not sure.. Perhaps there are some old interviews (QT likes to talk!), but not sure where to find them. I remember QT saying, that color was partly added, since he wanted to give something "special" to the Asian-markets (they don´t mind the wild stuff down there).

I mean e.g. "Kung Fu Hustle (2004)" had also some blood "removed" (and two scenes cut, I believe) from the "U.S. version" (later on, "Axe Kickin' Edition" DVD was uncut, though). U.S. Blu-ray-version is also "cut" (unlike e.g. the Korean BD, which I have).

(Back to KB..)

To me it sounds a bit, that since this "color etc"-version wasn´t released in the U.S., people prefer the "b&w"-version in many (U.S. based) forums.

But yeah, like Edwin said, they should´ve just released both versions. Give people that chance to "choose" and they´re happy.