Perhaps that’s the mask – grown up.
A little bit of – yeah, okay, exactly.
How could ‘‘Kill Bill’’ have ever been one movie? Were any scenes moved around once the decision was made?
I ultimately decided to split it up because for the audience to get what I spent a year and a half writing, you have to see everything that’s in ‘‘1’’ and ‘‘2.’’ It actually does work as one movie, because we didn’t have to move it all around, create something that wasn’t there, spin a bunch of bulls— that wasn’t really organic to the story. Where the tone changes at the beginning of the second movie? It happens exactly right there [in the script].
Would you have considered four hours with an intermission?
There’s something very pretentious about a four-hour exploitation movie. It’s like I’m not playing fair. And I do think movies are more audience-friendly in theaters, for a broad audience, and I want as many people to see the movies as possible. So at most it would have been 3 hours and 10 minutes, or something like that.
There were critics who bemoaned your return to violence with ‘‘Kill Bill – Vol. 1,’’ especially after the more sedate and mature themes of ‘‘Jackie Brown.’’ ‘‘Vol. 2’’ is more character-driven, quieter, and the carnage is pretty minimal. But ultimately, do you care what critics think?
If you’re approaching somebody’s work from an auteur point of view, and you like them, then, you know, it’s almost the job of the critic to be a little precious. You don’t want to see directors you like going off in the wrong direction or make too much of a left turn. That’s good for criticism. I understand that. But one thing that was semi-annoying to me in reading a couple of the reviews for ‘‘Vol. 1’’ was, ‘‘Oh, this is a very wild technique and style is cranked up and the technique has gone up, but it’s a clear retreat from ‘Jackie Brown,’ and the growing maturity was in there.’’ ‘‘Clear retreat’’ says I’m running away from what I did in ‘‘Jackie Brown.’’ I’ve done it. I don’t have to prove that I can do a [mature character study], all right? And after ‘‘Vol. 1’’ I don’t have to prove that I can do a good action scene.
My filmography is really important to me, and I want every one of my movies to count. Stephen King took a dig at me [in EW] for starting off ‘‘Kill Bill’’ with ‘‘Quentin Tarantino’s Fourth Film’’ – you know, la-di-da! I can imagine someone taking a cynical view like that. But to me, I mean it, and not in some airy-fairy way. This is my fourth movie and I haven’t done anything in a long time. It’s telling you who I am so far today. And the fifth and sixth with hopefully tell you something else too. They are all different places. I hope you invite [King] back to review ‘‘Vol. 2.’’ Even if he doesn’t like it, I’m interested in what he thinks.
Do you think your fan base will be disappointed by ‘‘Vol. 2’’‘s drop in carnage? A measly 12 people (including the wedding party of ‘‘Vol. 1’’) meet their end, as opposed to nearly five times as many in ‘‘Vol. 1’’ – not to mention the many more who get limbs whacked off.
I can’t imagine that would be the case. My fans are into my dialogue as much as anything else.
’‘Pulp Fiction’’ included biblical references and ‘‘Kill Bill’’ includes references to God. What are your religious beliefs? Do you believe in God?
I’m not going to tell you how I believe in God, but I do believe in God.
Speaking of violence and religion, have you see ‘‘The Passion of the Christ’’?
No, but I really want to.
How about ‘‘The Sopranos’’? Are you a fan?
I’ve actually never seen it, and that’s not a judgment on the show – I just haven’t had a chance to see it.
