Kill Bill II Scene Analysis

Kill Bill II

The exposition of the sequence begins with half of the killer's face covered by the wooden coffin, the point of view worms eye shot immediately foreshadows the rest of the scene to the audience however because half of the antagonist's face is covered, there is an increase in tension. The point of view shot catalyses empathy from the audience as they feel as if they are living through the same experience. The diegetic sound of scratching wood has a foreboding connotation attached to it, it is almost was if there is an animal on the other side attacking her. The darkness on screen instantly produces an ominous and horrifying atmosphere, the audience are apprehensive as to what is going to happen next and how long it will last. The non-diegetic whistling music is reminiscent of traditional western/ cowboy films, indicating to a better understanding of the setting around the coffin. This is followed by fast paced shots of short durations which positions the audience to be perturbed and disorientated, this is reinforced by the close-ups as the audience are forced to watch the nails go into the coffin - each one heightening the pressure of the situation.

The next shot depicts the lid of the coffin edge closer to her face, this makes the audience feel trapped and claustrophobic which not only creates a panicked atmosphere within the film but also the cinema. There is an example of pleonastic sound as the audience hear the swing of the hammer against the wind from inside of the box and as a result the audience are positioned to feel as though they are getting closer and closer to being trapped forever. There is low-key lighting outside and inside of the coffin, this alludes to the time of night this is being done at as well as the relentless feeling of impending doom felt by the audience as they rarely see someone's face fully lit within the sequence. 

Subsequent to this is silence - which is then broken by the struggling breath of the woman in the coffin. Already, this would unsettle an audience, however, it is this in combination with the black screen that induces further hysteria. The black screen forces the audience to see what the protagonist sees, nothing. It is too dark for the audience to know what is happening any more than the character does, further immersing them into the film as they feel as though they are in the first person. It is a clever way of eliminating the element of dramatic irony. As the sequence develops, the diegetic sound of dragging ensures realism is still in practice despite the surreal circumstances. There is sounds of men laughing from outside of the box, this is enigmatic as the audience ponder whether these are the men seen at the beginning of the sequence or have more joined? It is a nod to the action/ thriller genre of the film as it shows stereotypical villain like behavior as well as adds context to the men's relationship with each other as well as the woman in the box. 

The diegetic sound of a single pebble hitting the wood afters she is dropped in a gives the audience a moment to relax as there is the possibility that the men had to leave and couldn't finish carrying out their plan, however this is quickly found out to be untrue as tense silence is followed by the large bang of earth hitting the wood. This spikes the audiences adrenaline, further enhancing the thriller aspect of the film and is also an auditory jump-scare as it is unexpected as it juxtaposes the small pebble that fell first onto the coffin. The last visual that is seen on screen is a mid-shot of the woman turning on a torch, the torch provides the only light seen in the shot and only displays her panicked expression. The last moment of the sequence is a moment of silence. There is no dialogue within the scene, parallel sound, diegetic and non-diegetic sound, silence and panicked noises make up the audio, although now there isn't even a cry for help which displays that she has given up. The audience never feel relief within this sequence and lose hope that she will be able to escape, leaving them with a heavy heart.