What part of Kill Bill 1 was black and white in the west and colour in Japan?

[Mr Jolly]

I've kept seeing all these posts regarding the different versions, and assumed the black and white part was the flashback scenes. However, I saw a telly program a few days ago showing the fight near the end in black and white. I'm sure it was in colour when I saw it! I asked the friend I saw it with and she remembers it in colour too. We watched it in Ster cinema in Romford during the first week it was released.

Am I wrong? Could they have got hold of the Jap version by mistake?!

[jroadley]

I am sure there is a thread bout this already. However my understanding is that the scene in the restaurant is in colour and also the Jap release has some extra/extended scenes not suitable for the west :(

[Mr Jolly]

I'm sure the whole of that was in colour when we saw it. :thinking:

[GAmbrose]

She blinks and it turns black and white during the fight.

Gary A

[Mr Jolly]

For how long? It's colour when the young girl with the ball & chain come in isn't it?

[Maxamillion]

Yeah, its black and white for about a minute in the main fight with the Crazy 88's. Goes colour again as shes backing up the stairs I think. Spoiled it a bit for me as in the original trailer it was in colour. I seem to remember someones eyeball coming out during this scene too, but could be wrong. Its colour when shes fighting the girl with the ball and chain.

Saw it at the Empire Leicester Square. Twice. The ending had the credits come up at slightly different times at each one. Assume peeps walked out before the final revelation in the first showings.

[Mr Jolly]

Jees, my memory must be getting worse....! :cuckoo:

[Dan is Fat]

The only black and white was in some of the flashbacks (like the wedding chapel scenes) and in part of the crazy 88 fight.... as she plucks out some guys eye it goes into black and white, then she kicks ass for a while, then close up of her eyes blinking and back into colour.

[Mr Jolly]

Ah, ok. So it wasn't long scenes then.

[stefmcd]

This is why eyewirness testimony in criminal cases is considered so unsatisfactory!!! I am afraid we are all pretty poor when it comes to remembering such details.

[mythuk]

Originally posted by Dan is Fat
The only black and white was in some of the flashbacks (like the wedding chapel scenes) and in part of the crazy 88 fight.... as she plucks out some guys eye it goes into black and white, then she kicks ass for a while, then close up of her eyes blinking and back into colour.

yup that's it. i watched it this morning so it's fresh in my mind! The fight scene is b&w for quite a while as she slices and dices :D

[Cornelius]

Originally posted by Mr Jolly
I've kept seeing all these posts regarding the different versions...I've never put so much thought before deciding on where to get a DVD of as film as I have with Kill Bill Vol 1. What with the US/UK cut version and the Uncut Far East version, the talk of Tarrantino combining Vol 1 and 2 into a third cut of the film, I'm afraid I might end up buying, for the first time, multiples copies of the same film. I opted to go with the R1, ordered the R3 'uncut' version from CDWow (which is now gone back) but I'm still on the look out for a cheap Uncut R3 Kill Bill Vol 1. I'm wondering is this going to be repeated with Vol 2 and what about the third version (Vol 1+2), are we going to see two cuts of that as well? It's a bloody minefield!

[Grant666uk]

I just went with the R2 from Amazon Japan.

Cost £18. Might seem like a lot but two years ago I was paying £17.99 for every dvd from play. So for a one off I dont mind that little bit extra. (And it is uncut and in color)

[Mr Jolly]

I know what you mean. I've delayed buying it for now as I don't know which to go for. I'll be watching Vol2 next week, so may wait a while before getting vol1 on dvd.

[DeadKenny]

Originally posted by stefmcd
This is why eyewirness testimony in criminal cases is considered so unsatisfactory!!! I am afraid we are all pretty poor when it comes to remembering such details.

Also the majority of our sight detail is based on black & white and colour detail is very poor (hence how it's possible to generate a seemingly high quality image from a high quality B&W image and low quality colour overlayed). Our minds are quite good and filling in the colour especially in memory.


My main concern with Kill Bill though is whether the B&W or Colour version of these sequences is the "correct" version. Is it that it's an attempt to tone down the realism of some gore for the west or is it that in Japan they can't live with B&W?

What did QT intend, or is he just taking the proverbial ;)

[Cornelius]

Originally posted by Grant666uk
I just went with the R2 from Amazon Japan.I think I might end up getting that. Is it PAL or NTSC?

[Harsin]

Originally posted by DeadKenny
What did QT intend, or is he just taking the proverbial ;)

Well in the script for Kill Bill that was leaked way before it became two films, the scene in question was described as being in B&W.

[DeadKenny]

Originally posted by Cornelius
I think I might end up getting that. Is it PAL or NTSC?

R2 Japanese discs are usually NTSC.

[mattsday]

Originally posted by DeadKenny
My main concern with Kill Bill though is whether the B&W or Colour version of these sequences is the "correct" version. Is it that it's an attempt to tone down the realism of some gore for the west or is it that in Japan they can't live with B&W?

What did QT intend, or is he just taking the proverbial ;)
According to my good friend, the IMDbThe black & white photography is, in the end, an homage to '70's and '80s US television airings of kung fu movies. Black & white, and also black & red, were used to "hide" the shedding of blood from television censors. It was, however, originally, to be shown in color (and is in the Japanese cut of the film) but the MPAA demanded measures be taken to tone the scene down. Tarantino merely used the old trick for its intended purpose, rather than merely as an homage.

[Elynduil]

And remember to note that isn't isn't just plain B&W, it's had effects added to it so it looks very cool.