To say that Quentin certainly wanted that whole scene to be in black and white is not telling the whole truth. There are several clips from that scene in all the different trailers (especially the bootleg trailers) that are all in color. I guess we’ll know the truth once the film opens in asia. If those scenes are in color there, I’m sure that’s what he wanted originally.
"The thing is, though, that the Asian version has very few of these B&W shots."
Yeah, I’m interested in hearing what the Asian version is like. The one review I read said it had black blood? Anyhow, it’s also possible that Tarantino wanted it in black and white in the U.S. and color in Asia, and in the end it had nothing to do with the MPAA.
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It was in the script man, he definitely wanted it that way.
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I know, I read the script, twice, but quoting from an interview with QT from the Sunday, Oct. 5th Chicago Tribune, "…American and Japanese audiences are different as well, which is why Japan will see a different cut of “Kill Bill” than what will screen here. “Basically, Japan can handle it,” Tarantino says. "They can handle more out-there violence, all right, in their movies, and they have them. It’s like one of those things where if America can handle it. I’d give America that version. But they can’t."
So the Japanese will be treated to a bit more gore, and in one key difference, the American/European version goes to black and white for the bloodiest stretch of the samurai battle while the Japanese version stays in color. Tarantino said his reasons for the switch go beyond the MPAA, which might have been more tempted to slap an NC-17 on “Kill Bill” if it included such graphic bloodspilling."
However he did say (a little later in the VERY long article, that the B/W kept the movie fun.
This is just my opinion, so nobody get offended, but the B&W scene was the best, and especially how she blinked and it snapped out of B&W and back into color. Guys this is a genre film to the fullest. The old samaurai movies of the 50’s weren’t in color, but there was blood. Could we see that it was red? NO. But we know as human that when we get cut with something sharp, red blood comes out. Use your imagination. He captured everything just the way it was supposed to be. To be fair he had to show some black and white in this movie, I would have been a little disappointed if he didn’t, because he would have missed the black and white era of the 50’s.
maybe this is widely known, but i haven’t seen it come up in this thread yet. the black & white starts when the bride pulls out one of the crazy 88’s eyes. it ends when she blinks. i kinda like how this bookends the b&w section. oh, and someone mentioned the first ax. the bride catches it, and eventually throws it into another crazy 88 who is propelled back by it, though i can’t remember how it ends him.
So, the bottom line is, QT’s original intent was to make it in color. Because when I was watching KB and it turned b/w like that, I was thinking, "Damn, I hope it doesn’t stay b/w like this the entire fight…"
The b/w thing felt out of place, and you guys can make excuses about how it made the movie better, but I think it would’ve been best to make it in color. The only way I think it made KB better was that it made the “aftermath” scene more dramatic. Otherwise, this is the only thing I didn’t like about Kill Bill, in everything else, this movie is perfect.
Is that whole Blue Leaves scene in black and white? damn, I was really looking forward to a serious splatter fest although I expected some B/W here and there as from the script but for the entire sequence? The eye shot? the slice in half part??.
I haven’t seen it yet (because it aint out until next Friday) so I can’t really make an informed comment on it yet except that as has been mentioned, the trailer shows parts of the blue leaves scenes in true colour like with the axe flying and stuff suggesting the scenes could exist in another version and were filmed in colour and intended to in fact be in colour as well. The black/white would certainly change the tone of the fight from the splatter fest look I was waiting for but it certainly won’t detract from the experience as a whole.
I can’t wait to be honest. I would say that I hope the asian version becomes readily available on DVD when the time comes. I think it would be unfair to ignore his core fan base and limit anyone else who wants to see it to a watered down version for the majority of America and the west but I’d hope that is Quentin’s plan anyway. Anyway, I wish the film would hurry up and get fucking released over here already.
I looked at the official trailers again and if you look at the second one closely at the part where the axe is thrown in the blue leaves scene, just when the axe is thrown the scene is black and white and when it passes Uma’s face on the side shot, it is colour. So, goes to show there is likely a version that cuts between colour and black and white like in Quentin’s script and it’s likely in the asian version. Is anyone just a little bit pissed about this?
there was a b&w section originally intended. however it will be much shorter in the asian version i bet.
plus, you see sofie get tortured more in the asian version. that’s from the actress herself, sofie fatale.
For starters…fuck you Toothpick for saying anyone who doesn’t like the B&W is a moron…fuck you, everyone is entitled to their own fucking opinion, no one needs your bitching and arrogance.
Second, I don’t see how ANY of you could think the b&w was artistic…some of it looked good in black and white while some of it sucked. Like Dead Nigga Storage said, at times it looked likewater…I TOTALLY AGREE.
The one part I personally thought looked best in B&W is when Uma grabs the eye out and also when that old fashioned Samurai music busts in as Uma is fighting Johnny Mo ( I think that was him) on the banister, she then swings down on the bamboo…those were the only parts I thought looked good in B&W.
Most you guys said you didn’t want the MPAA to water this down …before it was realesed, and that you wanted a gore fest.
Well the B&W ruins the whole experience and purpose of GORE. Gore is supposed to shock and look offensive…
After seeing the movie 5 times now I have accepted the black and white…for now…but I still feel it ruined that battle…although it looked AWESOME…It would’ve looked a MILLION TIMES cooler if mostly in color. I dobt Tarantino wanted the whole thing in B&W (didn’t the script say it transitioned in and out a FEW times?)
My main point is the scene wasn’t as good in B&W…the gore in that scene was awfull…but could’ve looked sweet as hell in color.
And look at the aftermath shot…of all the 88s on the floor dead! The color of the BLOOD everywhere was artistic as hell!
Just because a movie is in black and white its considered artistic? Thats fucking bullshit. To me Reservoir Dogs is artistic cause of the way the characters are positioned in their location…and all the blood.
One of my favorite shots in Kill Bill is Sophie Fatale with her arm sliced off screaming as blood pours everywhere (including the cam) That with the haunting “Death Rides a Horse” looked BEAUTIFULL on camera. House of Blue Leaves woul’de looked BEAUTIFULL if in color.
I totally agree. I think the scene is still the best best action sequence ever filmed, but it could’ve been a lot better with all colour. This whole thing about the black and white being artistic is bullshit. The only thing I consider artistic is when the lights go off and you can see their siloughettes against the blue background. Like said in the article, “America can’t handle it.” Supposedly. If we could “handle” the extreme violence, than that whole beautiful scene would be even more beautiful, in full colour.
Good post, Kentucky. Watching all of his movies, I have never felt disconnected from the action. Every action scene was perfect in all of his movies, even all the vampire shit From Dusk Till Dawn. So, I can definitely conclude that Tarantino, in terms of action, he is “show all or show nothing.” He either shows us no actiion and lets us imagine, or he shows us everything full-on for shock. And seeing the House of Blue Leaves, I can definitely tell the entire thing being b/w was not intended. Toothpick, when you saw this scene, fucking tell me you didn’t have at least one negative thought. You know deep, deep down inside, you would’ve liked to see this in color. Because I know QT would’ve liked it in mostly color. BTW, note I said mostly.
Yes, the blue room sequence was cool as fuck. Thats artistic. Black and white CAN be used artisticly…my favorite shots in the film are from the opening…those looked beautifull.
When watching House of BLue Leaves B&W I could almost SEE the scenes Tarantino had an intention of being in black and white…wheras others were like…“No, this needs to be in color”
I can no way see ANYONE HONESTLY thinking The house of Blue Leaves looks better in B&W rather than in color.
Man, I can’t wait for the DVD…or atleast some bootleg copies from JAPAN!!! NOW THAT WOULD BE SWEET.
Yeah, that sequence from the bootleg trailer of the Crazy 88 falling off the balcony and on to a table below was far more gorgeous in color as opposed to the black and white version we saw in the theater.
[quote]This explosion of furious violence is punctuated CINEMATICALLY BY THE COLOR IN THE FILM POPPING OFF, and the fight being filmed in HIGH CONTRAST BLACK AND WHITE, turning the squirting, spewing geysers of BLOOD FROM CRIMSON RED TO OIL BLACK.
…
EX CU The Bride’s eyes
pointed up, watch them move closer, COLOR COMES BACK INTO THE FILM. We see her face is splashed with blood.[/quote]
this thread makes me mad
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