Movie director Quentin Tarantino is known for being a cinephile who makes no secret of his influences. As a result, his movies often feature unashamed homages to the great directors, actors, and composers of days gone by. But amongst all this, he brings a bunch of style and ideas that make his movies unique, and he has also had a big influence on popular culture himself.
Of all his films, the one that best represents his habit of honoring his heroes, is the Kill Bill duology released in 2003 and 2004. Originally planned as a single movie, the movie’s producers indulged Tarantino by suggesting he could split the films into two volumes to avoid cutting some crucial scenes – there is even talk of a third movie in the pipeline, as discussed by www.variety.com. The two movies were heavily influenced by Asian cinema (amongst other genres) and are widely regarded as modern classics. But where did the American filmmaker get his ideas from? And how have his films influenced popular culture today?
Tarantino’s Influences
Kill Bill was inspired by the 1970s Grindhouse movie style that included martial arts, samurai, and spaghetti western films; specifically the Kung Fu movies made by the Shaw Brothers Studio in Hong Kong (their logo appears in the opening titles). The movie also pays homage to the spaghetti westerns of the 1960s and features music from the movie Death Rides a Horse, composed by Ennio Morricone.
The plot of the film draws influences from the 1973 Japanese film Lady Snowblood and the 1968 French film The Bride Wore Black, which both feature a woman gaining revenge on a murderous gang. Like the latter film, Kill Bill’s main protagonist is also a bride.
Throughout the film, Uma Thurman’s lead character wears a yellow suit almost identical to the one worn by Bruce Lee in 1972’s Game of Death. There is a strong Anime influence too with the film’s famous animated backstory sequence.
Influenced by Tarantino
Tarantino has been a major influence on popular culture himself. Directors such as Guy Ritchie, Christopher Nolan, and Alejandro G. Iñárritu have all made movies with obvious nods to Tarantino’s style. Nolan has admitted that Tarantino inspired him to read pulp crime novels which led to the creation of the movie Memento back in 2000.
The director’s influence can also be seen elsewhere in popular culture. Casino game players may have come across the slot game Crazy 88 which takes its title from the name of the gang in Kill Bill and its theme from the music that accompanies the film’s famous fight scene. It follows a trend for Asian-inspired slots that can be found on top casino sites recommend by the likes of www.bestcanadacasino.ca.
The film also inspired a Scandinavian parody called Kill Buljo which was released in Norway in 2007. The movie is set amongst the indigenous Sami population of the northern arctic region and also features a tale of revenge. Also, in 2010, the infamously named vehicle from the franchise showed up in the video for the Lady Gaga song telephone, as www.nytimes.com reflects on.
It could be argued that Tarantino is the greatest exponent of embracing the past and paying it forward in the movie world. But he manages to do it while maintaining a unique style of his own, which is why he is regarded as one the greatest filmmakers of our time.
