As has been noted by many others, Quentin Tarantino is not a particularly original film maker. With perhaps the exception of “Once Upon a Time in America” (2019) which is probably his most personal film, he tends to rely on tropes and pastiche, albeit in an entertaining way. He refers to this as paying homage to his favorite genres and it is clear from “Kill Bill Vol.1” that he is a huge fan of Asian martial arts films of the 1970’s. The plot device of an American woman empowered to take revenge on those who killed her family through her skill with a Japanese katana is unique and Uma Thurman’s performance elevates the film to be far better than maybe it should be. Continue reading #WomenInAction, Retrospective Review: Kill Bill Vol.1