The harsh reality of rewatching Kill Bill after the Tarantino vs. Thurman controversy

After 20 years Kill Bills release, it is hard not to ignore some harsh realities about the movies after the controversy between Uma Thurman and Quentin Tarantino. Inspired by Tarantino’s penchant for classic action and revenge movies, both Kill Bill installments have cemented their names among some of the most memorable action movie series. However, despite being commercially and critically successful, the movie series has garnered a lot of negative attention because of its long list of behind-the-scenes controversies.

In recent years, Uma Thurman, who starred in the lead role as the Wexmenal bride, also known as Beatrix Kiddo, opened up about the challenges she faced during the first. Kill BillS shooting, injury light on the sometimes demanding, dangerous and, arguably, borderline exploitative nature of movie productions. The actress’s account of the filming of one scene in particular is quite shocking, raising concerns about the working conditions and safety standards followed during movie shootings. With the harsh truths about the two Tarantino movies, one cannot help but see them differently.

Kill Bill’s driving scene is so much harder to watch after Tarantino & Thurman’s 2018 controversy

Tarantino pressures Thurman in the sequence that proved dangerous

In February 2018, Uma Thurman took to social media to reveal how a car accident occurred during the filming of Kill Bill Almost killed you. Although she defended Quentin Tarantino by highlighting that the director “was deeply regretted and remains remorseful,” She explained that the negligence to the accident is almost criminal. According to reports (by New York Times), it all started when Thurman was already nervous about filming a driving scene. However, Tarantino convinced her to film the sequence and even asked her to drive in “40 miles per hour“To make her hair blow”The right away.“

Unfortunately, the scene almost proved fatal for Thurman and became “The biggest regret“From Tarantino’s Life (by BBC) after The actress’ car lost control over an unusual spot on the road and crashed into a tree.. While Tarantino was apologetic, Thurman revealed that Harvey Weinstein prevented her from pressing charges against the production by not giving her and Tarantino the accident footage.

However, as Thurman’s social media post confirmed, she was proud of Tarantino because he gave her the accident’s behind-the-scenes video despite knowing it could hurt his image. Although Thurman eventually found a semblance of justice, the Kill Bill Driving scene is much harder to watch after learning about the problematic reality of its filming.

Tarantino & Thurman controversy makes Kill Bill’s choking scene even more concerning

Tarantino attempts to explain his actions in these sequences

Kill Bills production was marred with several other controversies, including those surrounding Quentin Tarantino spitting on and choking Uma Thurman during action scenes. Without denying his behind-the-scenes actions, Tarantino said that although Michael Madsen’s character spat on Thurman’s bride in the film, he decided to do it himself to avoid taking multiple retakes of the abusive shot. He feared that by letting someone else do it, he would risk messing up the scene, leading to multiple retakes, which would not be in Thurman’s best interest.

about the mood, Tarantino said (via Term) that it was Thurman’s idea to have an actual chain wrapped around her neck in the Kill Bill Scene where Chiaki Kuriyama’s assassin Gogo attacks her character. However, given how Thurman actually choked for the scene to make her character’s strangulation seem realistic, it’s hard not to feel concerned about the safety and ethical considerations on the sets of Kill Bill. The fact that Uma Thurman later had a brush with doom during the filming of Kill Bills car scene adds even more heft to these concerns.

Fan reaction to the Kill Bill controversy

Fans expressed sympathy for Tarantino and criticized Tarantino in the aftermath

The idea that the Kill Bill Movies may not be as enjoyable to watch in the aftermath of the controversies of Uma Thurman and Quentin Tarantino is something that many fans of the films are facing. This was further boosted by the fan reaction to the story online, which saw many people share different opinions, but some common thoughts and criticisms were raised. One of the main reactions is one of sympathy and sadness for Thurman to endure this situation. Redditor JakeWithGlasses Shared:

“She had the best intentions to be a help to the production, but the producers let her down big time… and the aftermath is not pretty.”

Others felt that despite the horrors that have been made, and the interference of people like Harvey Weinstein, the story does not matter when it comes to the relationship between Thurman and Tarantino. Redditor pad264 Proposed:

“If Uma and Quentin worked things out, good for them. None of this needs to be discussed in public.”

However, there are many who feel that Tarantino was out of line for pressuring Thurman to perform a stunt that she expressed concern about. Many suggested that putting a person’s life at risk for the sake of a movie is never worth it, however They also suggested that the movie would not have suffered in any case if Tarantino had changed things to allow for some more safety precautions. Redditor store-dub pointed out:

“[A] Stunt Driver could have easily pulled off the shot because you only ever see the back of her head.”

While Tarantino finally handed over the crash footage to Thurman, many people suggested the fact that it took him 15 years to do so meant that it wasn’t a “brave” or “valiant” action on his part, but something that had to be done. A long time ago. Despite how beloved the Kill Bill Movies can be, opinions like this feed into his tainted legacy.

Sources: NYTimes, BBCTerm