Kill Bill: Vol. 1

Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Vol. 1 opens with Beatrix Kiddo already in motion, and the costume does plenty of the talking. The bright yellow tracksuit jacket, cut with black stripes, turns her into a streak of warning colour long before anyone gets close enough to name the danger. It is sporty, brutal, and a little absurd, which suits the film’s taste for style that arrives with a knife hidden in the sleeve. The jacket becomes part of Beatrix’s armour, practical enough for the job and loud enough to leave a mark. Tarantino keeps the look simple; the effect is not.