The opening scene of Kill Bill is a successful thriller opening for several reasons. It establishes the theme of revenge through the opening quote. Mysterious asynchronous sounds play over a title card to build intrigue. The first character, Uma Thurman, is framed in a close-up shot covered in blood on what seems to be her wedding day, establishing an ominous tone. Footsteps are heard before the mysterious man, Bill, is revealed. His interaction with the wounded woman leaves many questions, like why she was attacked and who Bill is. The climactic cliffhanger of the woman saying "it's your baby" right before being shot is highly effective at shocking the audience. Overall, the opening achieves its goals

1. How successful is the opening scene as a thriller film?
Kill Bill is a very successful opening to a thriller film for many different reasons.
The main aim of an opening of a thriller is to thrill the audience, intrigue them,
and to also keep them in suspense. There are many codes and conventions of a
thriller in this clip that prove that this opening sequence is a successful one. The
first thing that we see is the quote “ revenge is a dish best served cold”. The
quote clearly establishes the theme, and suggests it be a thriller. The opening is
so intriguing because all that we see for the first 6 seconds is this quote.
The length of the quote allows for us to read it slowly,
and take it all in.
We hear asynchronous sounds which are very
mysterious. The sound in non-diegetic, this is because
we can hear the panting, however we cannot see it as
there is a title overlaid over the top.

2. The next thing we see is a woman with a veil on
(this is Uma Thurman), she is framed precisely
using the rule of thirds. The close up shot is
effective as it only shows us Uma, and makes us
focus our attention on her and nothing around
her. The woman is wearing a veil, and this is an
example of how a binary opposite is used. It
appears to be her wedding day, however she is
covered in blood and is clearly distressed.
.
How successful is the opening scene as a thriller film?
The footstep sounds have been created using Foley sounds. At
first, we can hear the footsteps, but not see where the noise is
coming from. This is once again non-diegetic sound, and the
director does this so the audience wonders where the noise is
coming from. The noise itself is very powerful, and definitely
connotes confidence. A tracking camera shot is used so that the
audience feel as though we are there, this is used to create
mood within the scene, and also to let the audience know that
something bad is about to happen and violence is inevitable.
The director portrays Uma as helpless, he does this by covering her face in blood and it is
obvious to the audience that she has been attacked and hurt. This is an example of mise-en-
scene- the costume and setting, a very common convention of films in this genre.

3. How successful is the opening scene as a thriller film?
Mise-en-scene has also been used by showing
Bill's shoes. They are black, emphasising the
importance of the dark colours, which commonly
connote evil. His overall portrayal makes him
seem important, his boots suggest a certain
‘swagger’ as well as portraying him as important
due to not only the smart shoes, but his trousers
appear rather smart also. The director has made
this opening scene very effective and costume
has helped him.
One of the things that Bill said was “there’s nothing evil in my actions”. From this short
phrase the audience gets the impression that Bill already knows her, and he does actually
care for her. We assume that by wiping her bleeding face he is helping her, however by his
arrogant catwalk over to her, can we really trust him? This is a very successful opening
because the audience are desperate to know who this mysterious man is.
The opening is also in black and white, we know that the rest of the film is in colour, so we
automatically assume that this might be a flashback. Therefore suggest that the bleeding
woman in the veil is still alive, once again sparking curiousity. I definitely feel intrigued, and
certainly wish to continue watching the film.

4. When we first see Bill, we only see small parts of his body, for example, his feet. This
type of shot has been used by the director to create intensity and give a sense of
mystery to Bill's character. We begin to wonder, who is this man?
The audience's attention is brought to his hand wiping away the blood on Uma's face
due to the fact that not much of his whole body is revealed.
How successful is the opening scene as a thriller film?
When Bill begins to speak, the audience's
attention is immediately and attracted as this
is the first dialogue that we hear in the whole
film. When Bill speaks, he uses a very
vengeful tone, this demonstrates that he is
the one who is control in the scene, showing
that Bill is the superior person.

5. At the end of this scene, we hear the woman say “it’s your baby” which is certainly a nail biting
cliff hanger, because as soon as the first syllable of “baby” is uttered from her lips, in almost
synchronisation she is shot by the mysterious man. The gun shot is very loud, and although
know that the woman will be shot, it still comes as a shock to us.
A soundtrack is introduced as the titles begin to appear. The song was pre-recorded and
released before the film, hence why it is referred to as a sound track. The song is very befitting,
and makes it a very successful opening.
The main question that is asked by the
audience is why Uma was shot by Bill
How successful is the opening scene as a thriller film?
The blood splatter is obviously
not real, but by using this
convention, we know instantly
that they genre is either thriller,
or horror. However, in this
instance it is a thriller film.

6. How successful is the opening scene as a thriller film?
The first title clearly states the director as being Quentin
Tarantino. He is the first selling point of this thriller. He is very
famous, and that is partly why many people will have gone to
see this film. A director who is well-known can really enhance
box office. By displaying the name of the director, it leaves the
audience even more intrigued and desperate to watch more of
the renowned director’s work.
This is the name of the star, she is the second selling point
of this thriller. Using a celebrities name is a useful
technique which in this case clearly lets the viewer know
that the woman they just saw, is in fact Uma Thurman, the
main character.
Conclusion:
In my opinion, this is an extremely successful opening. It leaves the audience questioning what
is going to happen next, and the whole storyline behind the film. It has many codes and
conventions of a common thriller, and is certainly recognisable as something from the thriller
genre.

7. What have I learned from this which I could use in my own opening?
Overall, I have learned that sometimes, less is more. I believe that a successful thriller
doesn’t always need lots of different shots, several, more though provoking shots are
often better.
I would like to create content as high is mystery as this opening. I feel that it leaves a
lasting impression, something that sticks in your mind is the ultimate aim for any
filmmaker/director.
In my thriller, perhaps it will have more characters, but I do not wish to confuse my
audience. The opening must captivate the audience, and a flashback is a great idea. I
could try and incorporate a flashback. Copying another film shot-for-shot is not original,
and is never the goal for a well-respected filmmaker. I would like to base my opening on
something similar, but my own unique twist must be evident and recognisable.