Courtesy of:
The Unofficial Kill Bill Homepage Presents
(retyped and edited for html)
The 222 page EARLY draft of
KILL BILL
written & directed
by
Quentin Tarantino
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PROLOGUE
1. "2" goto
2. The Comatose Bride goto
3. The Man From Okinawa goto
4. Showdown at House of Blue Leaves goto
5. Yuki's Revenge goto
6. "Can She Bake A Cherry Pie..." goto
7. The Lonely Grave of Paula Schultz goto
8. The Cruel Tutelage Of Pai Mei goto
9. Elle and I goto
10. The Blood-Splattered Bride goto
OVER BLACK
We hear labored breathing.
BLACK FRAME
QUOTE APPEARS:
"Revenge is a dish
best served cold"
- Old Klingon Proverb -
QUOTE FADES OUT
WE STAY ON BLACK
...breathing continues...
Then a MAN'S VOICE talks over the breathing;
MAN'S VOICE (O.S.)
Do you find me sadistic?
CUT TO:
BLACK AND WHITE CU of a WOMAN
lying on the floor, looking up. The woman on the floor has
just taken a severe spaghetti-western-style gang beating. Her
face is bloody, beaten up, and torn. The high contrast B/W
turning the red blood into black blood.
A hand belonging to the off-screen Man's Voice ENTERS FRAME
holding a white handkerchief with the name "BILL" sewn in the
corner, and begins tenderly wiping away the blood from the
young woman's face. Little by little as the Male Voice
speaks, the beautiful face underneath is revealed to the
audience.
But what can't be wiped away, is the white hot hate that
shines in both eyes at the man who stands over her, the
"BILL" of the title.
In another age men who shook the world for their own purposes
were called conquerors. In our age, the men who shake the
planet for their own power and greed are called corrupters.
And of the world's corrupters Bill stands alone. For while he
corrupts the world, inside himself he is pure.
BILL'S VOICE (O.S.)
I bet I could fry an egg on your
head about now, if I wanted to.
He continues wiping away the blood.
BILL'S VOICE (O.S.)
No kiddo, I'd like to believe, even
now, you're aware enough to know
there isn't a trace of sadism in
my actions... Okay - Maybe towards
these other jokers - bot not your.
OVERHEAD SHOT
We see for a moment, A WIDE SHOT looking down at the woman on
the floor. Bill (from behind) bent down over her. Four others
in black suits, standing over her (three are female, one is
male). And about four DEAD BODIES lying in their own blood.
We also see we're in a wedding chapel that's been redecorated
by blood death and gunfire. And firstly or lastly, depending
on the viewer, that the woman on the floor is dressed in a
white bridal gown.
This woman is our Heroine, and from this moment forth she
will only be referred to as The BRIDE.
Back to CU of The BRIDE.
The BRIDE on the floor. Her pretty face is wiped clean.
BILL'S VOICE (O.S.)
No Kiddo at this moment, this is me
at my most masochistic.
While still in her CU The Bride speaks for the first time in
the picture. She looks up at the man standing over her and
says;
THE BRIDE
Bill, I'm pregnant. It's your baby.
After saying the "y" in "baby", we hear a BANG and The Bride
receives a bullet in the side of her head.
CUT TO:
BLACK SCREEN: Presentation Credit
"The 4th Film by
QUENTIN TARANTINO"
CUT TO:
B/W CU of a Young MAN in a TUXEDO. Shot to death.
The BRIDE speaks to us in a VO;
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
That's Tim, Arthur's best friend.
CU A PRETTY YOUNG WOMAN in a frilly pink dress with two
bullet holes in her.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
That's his girlfriend Janeen.
CU A PLUMP YOUNG WOMAN, shot to death, wedding bouquet still
clutched in her dead fist.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
That's my best friend from work
Erica.
AN OLDER MAN IN A BLACK SUIT shot fulla holes.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
That's the minister. I think his
name was Reverend Hillhouse.
A DEAD OLDER WOMAN by his side in an old-fashioned flower
print dress.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
That's his wife.
A DEAD OLDER WOMAN slumped over an organ.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
Organ player, don't know her name.
A YOUNG MAN IN A TUXEDO WITH HIS FACE BLOWN OFF.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
That's Arthur. Arthur Plympton. The
name on his driver's license was
Charles Arthur Plympton, but for
some reason he preferred Arthur.
Maybe if he went by Carles people
would have called him Charlie. If
that was his reason for going by
Arthur I can understand it.
Nothing wrong with the name
Charlie, except he didn't look like
a Charlie, he looked like an
Arthur.
Obviously you'll have to take my
word on this. Speaking of names, I
was about two seconds away from
becoming Mrs. Charles Arthur
Plympton.
And then finally, The Bride.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
And that, that's me. I'm the Bride.
We do a DISSOLVE from the Bride looking dead in the bridal
gown
To
The Bride, still in B/W, still in a bridal gown, but the
asswippin she took in the scene before must have been in the
past, because she looks like a million dollars
now.......three million even.
INT. CAR (MOVING) - NIGHT
The Bride behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Karman Ghia
convertible. Her long blodne hair whipping in the wind. A
PROCESS SHOT PLAYS behind her.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
Looked dead, didn't I? Well I
wasn't, but it wasn'T for lack fo
trying, I can tell you that.
Actually Bill's last bullet put me
in a coma. A coma I was to lie in
for five years.
When I woke up, ...I went on what
the movie advertisements refer to
as a Roaring Rampage of Revenge. I
roarded and I rampaged and I got
bloody satisfaction. In all, I've
killed 33 people to get to this
piont right now.
I have only one more.
The last one.
The one I'M driving to right now.
The only one left.
And when I arrive at my
destination.....
.... I'm gonna Kill Bill.
TITLE SEQUENCE
As a female-sung ballad of heartbreaking lament plays on the
soundtrack, we see the credits of "Kill Bill" play over the
Bride in her bridal gown, driving to the film's climax.
The sequence ends with the Bride arriving at Bill's home.
WE FADE TO BLACK
BLACK FRAME
TITLE APPEARS:
Chapter one
"2"
CUT TO:
EX CU The BRIDE's EYEBALL IN GLORIOUS COLOR
WE CUT OUT ONE...TWO...THREE...TO A
CU of The BRIDE IN GLORIOUS COLOR
She's sitting in a parked pickup truck. Her eyes focused on
something.
The BRIDE'S POV:
A very homey three-bedroom house in the affluent suburb of
Pasadena, California. A purple Dodge Neon sits parked in the
driveway. A tricylce, a big wheel, and a few toys sprinkle
the grass on the front yard. A mailbox with the name "The
BELLS" on it sits out in front of the lawn. We hear but don't
see ice cream truck bells.
SUBTITLE APPEARS AT SCREEN BOTTOM:
"The city of
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA"
We hear a Car Door Open and Close....THEN....The Bride Walks
into the shot, heading for the front door.
EX CU: A long, white female finger pushes a doorbell.
EXT. RESIDENTIAL PASADENA STREET - DAY
The front door opens and an attractive black HOUSEWIFE the
same age as The Bride stands in the doorway.
The Housewife's face shows immediate recognition of the
blonde on her doorstep.
The BRIDE
on the porch; we do a quick Shaw-Brothers-style Zoom into her
eyes.
FLASHBACK - SPAGHETTI WESTERN STYLE
(That means our Heroine is remembering something, and we see
it with an orange filter.) We're back inside the wedding
chapel. The Bride is taking the beating of her life by four
people in black suits. A black woman PUNCHES HER in the
face... WE see it's the black housewife, five years earlier.
The BRIDE ON THE PORCH
We Zoom quick out of her eyes to CU, a VENGEANCE THEME PLAYS
LOUD ON THE SOUNDTRACK. (Whenever we hear this theme
throughout the picture, we'll quickly learn what accompanies
it is The Bride goin Krakatoa all over whoever's ass happens
to be in front of her at that moment.) As the Vengeance Theme
plays, a Vein in The Bride's forehead begins to pulsate. When
the Vengeance Theme stops, The Bride ATTACKS The Housewife.
INT. HOUSEWIFE'S NICE HOME - DAY
The white woman and the black woman FLY into the center of
the living room, CRASHING onto her coffe table in front of
the sofa.
These two wildcats go at each other savagely, TUMBLING OVER
the couch, clawing and scratching all the way, landing
together on the plush carpet.
The HOUSEWIFE
KICKS The Bride, sending her CRASHING backwards into the
small table where the phone, a note pad (for messages), and
the mail is kept.
The Housewife scrambles up on her feet, but is caught by a
FLYING TACKLE from behind by The Bride that sends them both
into........
An ornamental iron and tempered-glass bookcase that has
framed family photos, display toys, some African art, and a
collection of painted commemorative plates depicting the
negro experience in the American military. Starting with a
plate featuring Cripis Atkins in the revolutionary war, negro
troops in union blue during the civil war, Buffalo soldiers
fighting Indians, the Jim Crow troops of the first world war,
the colored troops of world war two, Korea, Vietnam, and
finally Colin Powell....The Bride and The Housewife CRASH
THROUGH all this reducing everything to rubble.
They land hard on the floor covered in broken glass, locked
in grapple, each trying to get the best of the other one,...
When The Housewife HEADBUTTS The Bride in the nose.
The HOUSEWIFE
hops off The Bride, runs into the kitchen, opens a drawer and
comes out with a HUGE MOTHERFUCKIN BUTCHER KNIFE.
The BRIDE
rises from the floor, and WHIPS OUT a KNIFE in a sheath
hanging from her belt known as a SOG. (A SOG is a long,
double-edged knife that's as sharp as a razor, and is what
Navy Seals use to kill humans with.)
The Bride backs up into the mess of the now totally
demolished living room.
The two woman stalk each other, each holding her blade, each
looking like they know how to use it, each waiting for the
other to make a mistake so they can plunge their blade deep
into the other one.
Blood and sweat dript off of the faces of the two women
locked in life and death combat......
....When The back kitchen door opens, and a FOUR-YEAR-OLD
LITTLE GIRL, carrying a lunch box steps inside.
FOUR-YEAR-OLD GIRL
Mommy, I'm home!
The two warrior women whose eyes reflect only combat
concentration, suddenly switch upon hearing the four-year
old's voice. The Housewife's eyes flash a look of pleading to
the eyes of The Bride.
The Bride seems to answer back; "Okay."
The Black woman and the white woman hide their edged weapons
behind their backs, as the Four-Year-Old Little Girl walks
into the newly destroyed living room.
The Housewife switches to her mommy voice.
THE HOUSEWIFE
Hey baby, how was school?
The Little Girl is flabbergasted at the mess, and the
condition of her mother, who looks like she's just been in a
bar room brawl.
LITTLE GIRL
Mommy, what happened to you and the
T.V. Room?
THE HOUSEWIFE
Oh, that good for nothin dog of
yours, got his little ass in the
living room and acted a damn fool,
that's what happened.
LITTLE GIRL
Barney did this?
She says it with the slightest hint of skepticism, then tries
to enter the living room.
THE HOUSEWIFE
Now baby, you can't come in here,
there's broken glass all over the
floor, and you gonna cut yourself.
The little girl's eyes go to the blonde lady in the living
room who she ain't never seen before, who also looks like
she's been fighting.
The Bride smiles at the confused Little Girl.
THE HOUSEWIFE
This is a old friend of mommy's I
ain't seen in a long time.
THE BRIDE
Hello sweety, I'm *(BLEEP)*, what's
your name?
* Whenever during the picture somebody says The Bride's real
name, it will be BLEEPED OUT ON THE SOUNDTRACK, ...that is,
till I want you to know. *
The shy, suspicious little girl doesn't say anything, she
just stares at the blond lady.
THE HOUSEWIFE
Her name is Nikki.
THE BRIDE
Nikki. What a pretty name for such
a pretty little girl. How old are
you Nikki?
Nikki still says nothing, only stares.
THE HOUSEWIFE
Nikki, *(BLEEP)* aked you a
question.
NIKKI
(to The Bride)
I'm four.
THE BRIDE
Four years old, aye. You know I
once had a little girl. She'd be
five right now. Maybe you two could
of played with each other.
THE HOUSEWIFE
Now baby, me an *(BLEEP)* have some
grown-up talk to talk about, so you
go in your room now and leave us
alone till I tell you to come out.
The child doesn't move, so the mother repeats herself.
THE HOUSEWIFE
(snapping her fingers)
Nikkia - in your room - now.
The little girl slowly walks away and disappears behind the
door of her bedroom.
The two women turn to face each other, masquerade and combat
both finished.
THE HOUSEWIFE
Want some coffee?
THE BRIDE
Yeah, sure.
The two women move into the kitchen. The Bride re-sheaths her
SOG, and The Housewife puts the butcher knife back in the
drawer.
The Bride sits down at the kitchen table, while The Housewife
pours both of them coffee.
THE HOUSEWIFE
Cream and sugar?
THE BRIDE
Both, please.
As The Housewife fixes the coffee, we hear The Bride's
VOICEOVER ON THE SOUNDTRACK:
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
This Pasadena homemaker's name is
Jeanne Bell. Her husband is Dr.
Lawrence Bell. But back when we
were acquainted, five years ago,
her name was VERNITA GREEN. Her
code name, was "COBRA"..... Mine
was BLACK MAMBA.
The two combat artists sit at the kitchen table, drinking
coffee out of Vernita's coffee mugs.
THE BRIDE
Were you expecting me?
VERNITA
Yes and no. Bill got in touch with
me right after you woke up, and
then again a little later after
your episode in Japan.
(pause)
So I suppose it's a little late for
a apology, huh?
THE BRIDE
You suppose correctly.
VERNITA
Even if I was sincere?
THE BRIDE
Oh. I'm quite positive you're
sorry, now.
Vernita says to the Bride across the table furiously but with
low volume;
VERNITA
Look bitch, I need to know if
you're gonna start anymore shit
around my baby girl!
THE BRIDE
You can relax for now. I'm not
going to murder you in front of
your daughter.
VERNITA
That's being more rational than
Bill led me to believe you were
capable of.
THE BRIDE
Well that's a demonstration of
Bill's complete ignorance when it
comes to the subject of me, and
what I'm thinking, and what I might
do. It's mercy, compassion, and
forgiveness I lack, not
rationality.
She pauses for effect -- the ham.
THE BRIDE
I'll wait for now, but I won't wait
for long. I'll allow you to choose
a time and place for us to meet
again, preferably as far away from
Nikki as possible.
I could have just HIT you, I
didn't, I demand respect for that.
Since this is not a HIT, consider
it a DUEL. And as two former Deadly
Vipers, we will observe Viper rules
of honor. One on one - no help - no
bushwhackin - no treacherous
weapons - on weapon of choice - our
skill and our bodies.
Vernita says her name;
VERNITA
*(BLEEP)*
THE BRIDE
- I'm not through telling you.
Failure to keep our date, or
duplicity of any kind, will result
in me putting a xoxo hollow point
bullet into the back of your skull
from a window of a building across
the street from Nikki's elementary
school. Now, feel free to respond.
VERNITA
Look...I know I fucked you over. I
fucked you over bad. I wish to God
I hadn't, but I did.
The blonde listens to the black woman with a poker face.
VERNITA
If I could go back in a machine I
would, but I can't. All I can tell
you is I'm a different person now.
THE BRIDE
I don't care.
VERNITA
Be that as it may, I know I do not
deserve mercy or forgiveness.
However, I beseech you for both on
behalf of my daughter.
THE BRIDE
-- Bitch, you can stop right there.
The B-word stops Vernita short, almost like a cold-handed
slap in the face (it should affect the audience that way as
well).
THE BRIDE
(leans in close)
Just because I have no wish to
murder you before the eyes of your
daughter, does not mean parading
her around in front of me is going
to inspire sympathy. You and I have
unfinished business.
And not a goddamn fuckin thing
you've done in the subsequent five
years - including getting knocked
up - is going to change that.
VERNITA
You have every right to wanna get
even --
THE BRIDE
-- But that's where you're wrong,
Vernita. I don't want to get even.
To get even, even Steven. I would
have to kill you, go into Nikki's
room, kill her, then wait for your
old man, Dr. Bell, to come home and
kill him. That would make us even.
No, my unborn daughter will just
hafta be satisfied with your death
at her mother's hands.
Vernita knows no matter what else is said, blood will spill.
VERNITA
When do we do this?
THE BRIDE
It all depends... When do you want
to die? Tomorrow? The day after
tomorrow? That's about as long as
I'll wait.
VERNITA
How bout tonight, bitch?
THE BRIDE
Spendid. Where?
VERNITA
There's a baseball diamond where
our little league has its games,
about a mile from here. We meet
there around two-thirty in the
morning, dressed all in black, your
hair in a black stocking, and we
have us a knife fight, we won't be
bothered. I have to fix Nikki's
cereal.
As they continue to talk, Vernita pulls down a cereal bowl
for her daughter and lays it on the kitchen counter.
THE BRIDE
Bill said you were one of the best
ladies he'd ever seen with an edged
weapon.
Vernita moves to another kitchen cabinet, and pulls down a
box of the sugar cereal, "Kaboom."
VERNITA
Fuck you, bitch, I know he didn't
qualify it, so you can just kiss my
motherfuckin ass, Black Mamba.
(snorts to herself)
Black Mamba, I shoulda been
motherfuckin Black Mamba.
As the two females continue to talk, Vernita reaches her hand
inside the cereal box.
THE BRIDE
Weapon of choice? And if you want
to stick with your butcher knife,
I'm cool with that.
VERNITA
Very funny.
Vernita FIRES A GUN from inside the cereal box at The
Bride....
.... The bullet explodes out of the cardboard box, and HITS
the coffee mugh directly in front of The Bride, BLOWING IT TO
SMITHEREENS.
The Bride THROWS HERSELF ON THE FLOOR....
Vernita pulls the gun out of the cereal box and FIREES
again...
...The bullet HITS THE FLOOR of the tiny kitchen...
...The Bride moves under the kitchen table, then using her
back, LIFTS THE TABLE OFF THE GROUND, RAMMING IT STRAIGHT
INTO Vernita, pinning her flat up against the table top, and
the kitchen counter.
While her left hand holds the table, her right hand goes to
the SOG on her belt, her fingers wrap around the blade's
grip, lifting it up out of the sheath and PLUNGING IT THROUGH
THE TABLE TOP up to the handle, with all the SOG's steel
entering Vernita's abdomen.
The table falls back to the floor with the dying homemaker
pinned to it. The two former colleagues meet eyes.
VERNITA
Sorry, bout the bushwhack. Please
don't...
THE BRIDE
Do to your daughter, what you did
to mine...
(she takes her hand)
...I won't.
Vernita dies.
The Bride removes her Sog, looks up and sees little Nikki
standing in the doorway of her room. The little girl sees her
mother dead on the floor, lying in her own blood. And she
sees the blonde lady standing over her mother, bloody knife
still in her hand. But oddly enough, Nikki doesn't cry. The
little girl locks eyes with the big girl, and holds her
stare.
As she talks to the little girl, she removes an already
stained with blood white handkerchief with the name "BILL"
sewn on it. And the blonde wipes the girl's mother's blood
off her blade.
THE BRIDE
It was not my intention to do this
in front of you. For that I'm
sorry. But you can take my word for
it, your mother had it coming. When
you grow up, if you still feel raw
about it, I'll be waiting.
And with that apology, statement, and invitation, The Bride
walks out the kitchen side door, leaving the little girl to
her mourning.
EXT. VERNITA'S HOME - DAY
The Bride walks down the dead woman's driveway to her
vehicle. She glances at the lawn toys one more time as she
makes here getaway.
She climbs into her big, yellow pickup truck, with the words
"Pussy Wagon" written across the flatbed's hatch door in a
pimpy font. She takes out a ringed notebook and turns to a
page that's headline reads;
DEATH LIST FIVE
On the pager are five names numbered going down the page
written in red ink.
The first name has a line drawn through it with black ink.
The second name on the list is;
VERNITA GREEN
COBRA
The Bride takes a black felt pen and draws a line through
Vernita's name. Turns on the truck's engine and drives out of
the residential district.
FADE TO BLACK.
OVER BLACK
TITLE CARD:
Chapter two
The comatose Bride
FADE UP ON
CU The comatose Bride
lying in her hospital bed, wide open unblinking sightless
eyes, that constantly stare yet see nothing. The Bride is at
the beginning of her comatose journey.
A SUBTITLE APPEARS:
under her face.
"Five years and four months earlier
in the city of El Paso, Texas"
Although we're only in a tight CU, we can tell a few things:
one, she's in her hospital room; two, she's alone; three,
it's night; and four, one hellva RAINSTORM is pounding
outside.
EXT. EL PASO GENERAL HOSPITAL - NIGHT
The rain pisses down in buckets in front of the hospital...
WHEN...
The wheel to an Alfa Romeo rolls into FRAME and stops.
The car door opens and two yellow galoshes step out into the
wet night.
OVERHEAD SHOT
A red umbrella opens as rain falls down.
CU the back of a head wearing a yellow rainslicker hood,
framed by the red umbrella above it, which water cascades
down and beats a rhythm against.
The figure in the yellow rainslicker with the red umbrella
(who we can guess is female) starts walking towards the
hospital.
WE GO TO SPLIT SCREEN
Left Side Right Side
CU The Bride's unblinking The back of the yellow
comatose sleep. slicker - walking in the
rain towards the
hospital's entrance.
CU her yellow galoshes
slapping against the wet
asphalt, and splashing
through puddles.
CU The Bride in her coma CU the hospital's
electrical doors -
WOOSH - OPEN.
We follow behind the
woman in the raincoat
as she walks from
outside into the hospital
down the hall, and into
the ladies room door.
CU The BRIDE EX CU OF A WHITE
in her coma WOMAN'S SHAPELY
BAREFOOT ANKLE AND LEG
stepping into a sheer,
white stocking.
INSERT: OF THOSE LONG,
WHITE LEGS STEPPING
INTO A WHITE NURSE'S
UNIFORM.
INSERT: OF THE ZIPPER
IN THE BACK ZIPPING
UPWARDS.
INSERT: OF WHITE, SHEER
STOCKING FEET STEPPING
INTO WHITE NURSE'S
ORTHOPEDIC SHOES.
- INSERT: OF A SYRINGE
NEEDLE STUCK IN A VIAL
The liquid is drawn up
into the syringe.
SOME WRITTEN TEXT
APPEARS BELOW IMAGE
THAT READS:
"A lethal cocktail of
Bill's own concoction.
He calls it, 'Goodbye
forever'."
INSERT: THE DEADLY
SYRINGE IS PLACED ON
A NURSE'S TRAY
INSERT: A LITTLE WHITE
NURSE'S CAP IS PLACED
ON TOP of the woman's
blonde head.
INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - NIGHT
The door marked "ladies" is opened, and a beautiful 6-foot
blonde in a white nurse's uniform, with a matching white eye
patch over her left eye, steps out, carrying the nurse's tray
with the "Goodbye forever"-filled syringe on it.
She walks down the corridor towards The sleeping Bride's
room.
SUBTITLE UNDERNEATH BLONDE NURSE:
"ELLE DRIVER
Member of
The DEADLY VIPER ASSASSINATION SQUAD
codename:
CALIFORNIA MOUNTAIN SNAKE"
END OF SPLIT SCREEN
STAY WITH ELLE'S SIDE
INT. THE BRIDE'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT
The Bride, alone in her bed, alone in her coma, alone in her
room.
Elle Driver opens the door to her room and steps inside.
The female assassin approaches the comatose woman.
EX CU ELLE DRIVER'S EYE AND WHITE EYE PATCH
looking down at her sleeping target, victim, rival, and
opposite number.
EX CU The BRIDE'S EYES
wide open - blank stare.
Elle standing over The Bride's hospital bed, says to her;
ELLE
I might never of liked you. Point
in fact I despise you. But that
doesn't suggest I don't respect
you. You were a master of a
profession that's most difficult to
master.
Dying in our sleep is a luxury our
kind is rarely afforded. My gift to
you.
As she lifts the syringe off the tray....
Her cell phone RINGS....
She curses to herself...there can be only one person on the
other end....she answers it.
ELLE
Hello, Bill.
(pause)
Affirmative.
(pause)
Comatose.
(pause)
I'm standing over her right now.
(pause)
What!
The female assassin turns away from the wide-eyed stare of
The Bride, and paces the hospital room talking in the cell
phone.
ELLE
Don't fuckin ssshhh me! If you
think I came all the way down to
Texas - in a dog and cat rainstorm
no less - just to tuck sleeping
beauty in bed - you got another
fuckin thing comin -
(pause, then real loud)
You don't owe her Shit!!
(then again, but quieter)
You don't owe her shit.
(pause)
Man, fuck that bitch!
(pause)
Oh you're not are you? Well Bill,
you never leave a job half done.
A great teacher taught me that
once, he looked a whole lot like
you.
Elle pauses as Bill on the other line has his say. We don't
hear his side, we stay with Elle as he talks. We can tell by
her face, he's making some sense. After awhile she answers
back;
ELLE
I guess.
(pause)
No, I don't need to guess, I know.
(pause)
Affirmative.
(pause)
I love you too, bye bye.
The female assassin puts the phone away and looks down at The
comatose Bride with the open eyes. Even though her face is
expressionless, she almost seems to be smiling.
ELLE
Thought that was pretty funny
didn't ya? Word of advice shithead,
don't you ever wake up.
Elle leans closer to the Bride's face.
ELLE
Ya know now I get a better look at
you, you're not so damn pretty.
Yeah, you go that Venus thing going
for you but...ya know, now I get a
closer look at you you're kinda
weird looking. You got this big
nose that doesn't fit with the rest
of your face, your eyes are two
different sizes. And look at your
skin...My complexion is way better
than yours --
The Bride does one of her motor reflex functions...She SPITS
in Elle's face.
Elle springs up, wipes the spit off her cheek and looks down
at The comatose Bride in her bed.
ELLE
Oh, no you didn't.
She grabs The Bride by the front of her hospital gown...
....Yanks Her up to a sitting position...
...And PUNCHES her hard in the face three times.
ELLE
If you ever take your ass out of
this Goddamn bed for as long as you
fuckin live, I will beat you into
the ground, bitch!
INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - NIGHT
Elle Driver in her nurse's uniform, angrily walks down the
hallway. She passes by a DOCTOR, STRUGGLING WITH A PATIENT
BLEEDING PROFUSELY on a gurney.
DOCTOR
(yelling)
Nurse come here quick, we're losing
this man!
Elle doesn't even look back.
ELLE
Tough titty, I quit.
She walks out of the SHOT.
FADE TO BLACK.
BLACK FRAME
TITLE CARD:
Five years later.
CUT TO:
INT. THE COMATOSE BRIDE'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT
The CAMERA is in a corner of the ceiling, looking down on the
comatose Bride, who lies motionless in her bed.
WE HEAR the sound of a BUZZING MOSQUITO, doing loop de loops
and figure eights in the air, looking for some warm blood.
The BUZZING stops....
MACRO CU
of mosquito on The Bride's forearm, its stinger dug in her
flesh, visibly drawing blood from its host.
CU MOSQUITO'S FACE
drinking her blood.
MACROSHOT OF MOSQUITO ON FOREARM
drinking blood...when The Bride's hand comes into FRAME and
SQUASHES the bug flat. Her fingers FLICK the dead bug away.
CU The Bride
her wide-open eyes, that have stared in a constant gaze for
the last five years,
finally...slowly...softly...shut.
BEAT
They SUDDENLY POP OPEN.
The BRIDE SITS BOLD UPRIGHT IN BED.
She has no idea where the fuck she is. WE DO A SHAW BROTHERS
STYLE QUICK ZOOM INTO A CU OF HER FACE.
QUICK CUT TO A FLASHBACK SPAGHETTI-WESTERN STYLE
back at the wedding chapel, gun pointed down at our face.
THE BARREL EXPLODES LEAT AT US - BANG!
QUICK CUT BACK TO The BRIDE IN HER HOSPITAL BED,
BANK still echoing in her ears. She lets out a SCREAM OF PAIN
and her hand goes to the side of her head, as if she were
just shot.
Her hand feels the metal plate embedded in the side of her
skull where the hole was. She knocks against it with her
knuckle...it goes...TINK...TINK.
Suddenly she says out loud;
THE BRIDE
My baby.
Her hand goes down to her belly, unly to find it not swollen
but flat. She doesn't understand, lifts up her hospital gown
and sees a JAGGED SCAR which runs down her abdomen. Her
fingertips trace it.
She quickly looks at the palm of her and and counts the
lines.
MACRO CU The LINES IN HER PALM look like a road map.
She stops counting, shocked;
THE BRIDE
(to herself)
Five years.
She counts again.
THE BRIDE
(a statement)
Five years.
The Bride's two eyes fill with tears as she realizes her baby
is long gone.
WHEN SUDDENLY...
She hears the STEP...STEP...STEP...OF BILL'S BOOTS WALKING
TOWARDS HER ROOM....
WE SEE THE CINEMATIC EQUIVALENT OF A COMIC BOOK THOUGHT
BALLOON by her head. INSIDE OF IT WE SEE BILL'S BLACK BOOTS
walking across the wood floor of the wedding chapel.
INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR (THE BRIDE'S FLOOR) - NIGHT
We see a HOSPITAL ORDERLY'S bright red and white Reeboks
softly slapping against the smooth surface of the
institution's floor. They make a sound nothing like Bill's
shoes.
SCREEN GOES TO SPLIT SCREEN
LEFT SIDE RIGHT SIDE
The BRIDE listening to them Orderly's Reeboks walking
getting closer. WE HEAR the down the hospital
STEP...STEP...STEP...in time corridor.
with Orderly's sneakers.
CAMERA MOVES UP TO
Orderly's face, leading
two TRUCKDRIVERS.
The Bride HEARS BILL'S
VOICE SPEAK FOR THE ORDERLY;
BILL'S VOICE ORDERLY
(in time) (in time)
She's right in here. She's right in here.
SPLIT SCREEN FINISHES
STAY WITH The BRIDE'S SCREEN
The Bride decides the best course of action, till she gets
her bearings, is to play possum. She throws herself back down
on the bed, just as the three men enter her room.
They see just what they expected to see, The Bride lying in
her bed in her coma.
She duplicates her comatose eyes-wide-open-fixed stare.
Except knowing she's awake, and sees everything in front of
her, creates a slightly different effect.
The Bride, however, while she sees the Two Truckdrivers for
what they are, when she sees The Orderly she sees Bill, when
The Orderly talks she hears Bill. WE HOWEVER WILL NEVER SEE
BILL'S FACE COMPLETELY.
The Orderly takes her shee covering off, and hitches up her
hospital gown till her blonde pussy is exposed. He does kind
of a "TA-DA" presentation of her vagina.
THE ORDERLY
Now is that the cutest little
blonde pussy you ever saw, or is
that the cutest little blonde
pussy, YOU-EVEA-SAW?
Trucker #2 (Gerald) would tend to agree, Trucker #1 (Warren)
fronts.
WARREN
I seen better.
CU The BRIDE
EYES WIDE OPEN PLAYING POSSUM. She can't believe she's being
exhibited in this manner. A look of chagrin crosses her
trying-to-be expressionless face, "I've seen a fuck load
better than you, fatass."
THE ORDERLY
Yeah, in a movie - maybe. But I
know damn well this is the best
pussy you ever saw you had touchin
rights to. The price is seventy
five dollars a fuck gentlemen, you
gittin your freak on or what?
The Truckers pay the bill of fare.
As The Orderly counts The Truckers' money, he lays out the
rules;
THE ORDERLY
Here's the rules; Rule number one;
no punchin 'er.
Nurse comes in tomorrow an she got
'er a shiner - or less some teeth,
jig's up. So no knuckle sandwiches
under no circumstances. And by the
way, this little cunt's a spitter -
it's a motor reflex thing but spit
or no, no punchin. Now are we
absolutely positively clear about
rule number one?
TWO TRUCKERS
Yeah.
THE ORDERLY
Rule number two;
No monkey bites, no hickeys - in
fact no leavin no marks of no kind.
But after that, it's allll goooood.
Her plummin down there don't work
no more, so feel free to cum in 'er
all ya wont. Keep the noise down -
try not to make a mess, and I'll be
back in twenty.
The Orderly turns to leave, then remembers something, and
turns back. He takes out the most disgusting jar of vaseline
in the history of cinema, and hands it to Warren.
THE ORDERLY
Oh by the way, not all the time,
but sometimes this cunt's cunt can
get drier than a bucket of sand.
If she dry, lube up with this and
you'll be goo to go. BON-APPETIT,
gentlemen.
And with that, The Orderly's gone.
The BRIDE'S POV:
As soon as he leaves the Two Truckers start giggling. Warren
begins to unbuckle the belt that lies beneath his belly.
While he looks down to accomplish this, The BRIDE'S POV
BLINKS.
GERALD
Hey Warren, she just blinked.
WARREN
He said she can't blink.
GERALD
I know what he said, I'm tellin ya
she just did.
Warren drops his Levi's to his ankles.
WARREN
Just wait, when I get through with
this little dumbbell, she gonna
stand up and recite the Gettysburg
Ad-dress.
Warren begins to climb up on the bed and mount The Bride.
Before he does he stops, and looks back to Gerald.
WARREN
Hey, Gerald.
GERALD
Yeah?
WARREN
This shit ain't no peep show. Go
out in the hall and I'll let ya
know when it's your turn.
GERALD
Awww c'mon, I gotta leave the room?
WARREN
I can't get no errection wit you
lookin at me, so go on.
GERALD
Well, just hurry up then.
Gerald leaves the room; we go out with him in the hallway.
INT. HALLWAY (HOSPITAL) - NIGHT
Gerald paces, waiting for his turn behind the door.
THEN...
He hears behind the door a commotion, then Warren SCREAM LIKE
A BITCH. He bangs on the closed door and says;
GERALD
He man, keep it down in there, I
can hear your ass out here.
More falsetto SCREAMS behind the door...
THEN...
The HEAVY THUD of a body falling. Not what the expected.
INT. THE BRIDE'S ROOM - NIGHT
Gerald pushes open the door to see one hellva sight. His
buddy, bloody and lying motionless on the floor, and The
Bride lying haphazardly on the bed, in her coma.
He moves to his buddy, who's dead. Then moves to The comatose
Bride... Who SUDDENLY SPRINGS TO LIFE, GRABBING him by the
front of his shirt, YANKING HIM DOWN TO HER, and PLUNGING the
I.V. NEEDLE in her arm DEEP INTO HIS TEMPLE, THEN TWISTING IT
AROUND and AROUND, turning the right side of his brain into
scrambled eggs a la The BRIDE.
She tosses the now brain-dead Gerald to the floor.
The BRIDE
upon waking, without leaving the bed where she lay the last
five years, has just killed two men. She throws off the
bloody blankets, whips her legs off the side of the bed, and
tries to stand - THEN QUICKLY FALLS OUT OF FRAME. WE HEAR THE
CRASH BELOW FRAME.
The Bride is flat on the floor. Her legs and feet don't work.
Which means she's stuck on the floor with only a functioning
top half, and a completely useless bottom half. What's a girl
to do?
INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - NIGHT
The elevator doors open, and The Orderly steps out.
BACK TO The BRIDE
She hears the sound of Bill's boots approaching the room...
STEP...STEP...STEP...
She sees Gerald has a Trucker's knife in a holster attached
to his belt. Her hands removes it.
The Orderly swaggers down the hall to The Bride's room, red
Reeboks slapping against the smooth floor.
CU The BRIDE
She SNAPS the knife's BLADE OPEN in her CU.
The Orderly pushes open The Bride's door, stopping in shock.
The ORDERLY'S POV:
He sees an empty bed with bloodstains on it, Two dead
Truckers on the floor, and no Bride.
ORDERLY
Oh shit!
WE GO TO SLOW MOTION as he freaks, Then PAN DOWN HIM... Past
shirts - pants - to his Reeboks...Once on the floor WE SEE
The BRIDE, curled up low next to the doorway, behind his
ankles, knife ready. WE GO BACK TO 24 FRAMES A SECOND. He
steps into the room; when he does The Bride reaches out and
SLASHES both of his Achilles tendons.
The STANDING ORDERLY
lets out a "YELP," adn FALLS OUT OF FRAME.
IMPACT CUT
The Orderly HITTING the floor face first. The boy is stunned.
The BRIDE (Confined to the floor)
crawls over and drags the stunned fucker across the floor,
placing his melon head between the door and the door frame.
Then taking the door in her right hand.
SLAM!
SLAM!
SLAM!
SLAMMING HIS HEAD THREE TIMES BETWEEN THE DOOR AND THE DOOR
FRAME.
The ORDERLY
lies on the floor in a stange state of consciousness. He's in
both excruciating pain, and quite sure he's lost his mind,
since at this moment he's lying on the floor, looking up at
The comatose Bride asking him questions.
THE BRIDE
Where's Bill?
THE ORDERLY
(hurt and confused)
Who?
SLAM!
He screams.
THE BRIDE
Bill! Where is Bill!
THE ORDERLY
I dunno no Bill.
SLAM!
THE BRIDE
I saw him here myself.....
SLAM!
....Now do you tell me where he is,
or do I beat your fuckin brains in?
SLAM!
THE ORDERLY
Please please stop, don't hit me
again!
THE BRIDE
Where is Bill?
SLAM!
Suddenly The Bride sees the gold coke straw around his neck,
that she thought she'd seen earlier on Bill. She snatches it
from around his neck.
THE BRIDE
Where did you get this from?
THE ORDERLY
That's mine.
SLAM!
THE BRIDE
Bullshit! I saw Bill wearing it in
this room ten minutes ago.
SLAM!
Then The Bride looks down and sees two tatoos on the
Orderly's hand - one spelling "B.U.C.K." on each finger of
his left hand. And another spelling "F.U.C.K." on the fingers
of his right.
The Bride seems to look inside her own mind - Whenever she
does this A SPECIAL THEME MUSIC WILL PLAY (We'll call it her
REMEMBERING THEME).
WE DO A QUICK SHAW BROTHERS ZOOM INTO HER EYES -
We see Buck enter her room that first night, five years
ago.... He's holding in his hand one of those big flashlights
you use in a tent when camping. -- It gives off a soft blue
light. Buck examines The Bride through the blue.
BUCK
Well, ain't you the slice of cutie
pie they all said you wuz. Well
Ma'am, I'm from Longview Texas, my
name's Buck, and I'm here to fuck.
He starts to unbuckle his belt.
WE ZOOM OUT OF HER EYES INTO A CU. The REMEMBERING THEME CUTS
OFF. She looks down at Buck and says;
THE BRIDE
Your name's Buck, right? And you
came to fuck, right?
A "how the fuck does she know look," crosses his face.
The Bride looks down at him....The VENGEANCE THEME BEGINS
PLAYING LOUDLY ON The SOUNDTRACK, and the VEIN IN HER
FOREHEAD BECOMES PRONOUNCED and begins to PULSATE IN TIME
WITH The MUSIC. Every time The Bride comes face to face with
a tormenter, this Theme will play on the soundtrack. By mid
movie this music should drive the audience wild with orgasmic
anticipation of the carnage to come...
...and With the door in her hand and one mighty slam, this
Longview Texas boy is sent to the Promised Land.
She searches the dead man's pockets, coming up with a brown
wallet that says on it, "BIG EL PASO PIMPIN," loaded with
lettuce. She also pulls out a set of car keys on a pickup
truck key chain that has the words, "Pussy Wagon" on it
written in a pimpy font. She gathers up all these items, and
Gerald's knife, then begins to strip Buck of his orderly
uniform.
INT. UNDERGROUND PARKING LOT - NIGHT
The elevator doors to the hospital's underground parking lot
open, revealing The Bride in Buck's orderly scrubs in a
wheelchair.
She wheels out of the elevator fast into the parking lot. Her
arms spinning the wheels as she goes down the line of cars,
looking for a pickup truck that Buck would own...she stops.
What made The Bride stop. The ass end of a big, yellow 4x4
hard-body pickup truck, with flames painted along the side,
and the words, "PUSSY WAGON," written along the flat-bed
hatch door. Pimpy font.
The Bride looks at Buck's key chain in her hand.
EX CU CAR KEY in truck door lock, it turns.
EX CU TRUCK DOOR LOCK POPS UP OPEN.
INT. BACKSEAT OF BUCK'S TRUCK - NIGHT
The Bride pulls herself up into the backseat of Buck's pickup
truck. Once in the backseat, she shoves the wheelchair away.
It rolls out of control down the parking ramp, and CRASHES.
Now The Bride's lying vertically in Buck's truck's backseat.
Seemingly out of danger - at least out of sight - but she's
still stuck hiding in the hospital. And until she regains
full use of her legs and feet, this little Bride ain't goin
anywhere or doin anything.
Lying flat, with the back of her head propped up against the
door, her long, lifeless legs stretched out in front of her,
her two bare feet at the end of them, pointing to the sky,
the Bride focusses her eyes, her stare, her thoughts, her
strength, and all her concentration....on her big toe.
SLOW ZOOM INTO BIG TOE....
SLOW ZOOM INTO HER FACE....
SLOW ZOOM INTO BIG TOE....
SLOW ZOOM INTO FACE.
THE BRIDE
(monotone)
Wiggle your big toe.
Toe doesn't move an inch.
THE BRIDE
Wiggle your big toe.
It doesn't move.
THE BRIDE
Wiggle your big toe.
(VOICE OVER)
As I lay in the back of Buck's
pickup truck, trying to will my
limbs out of entropy, I could see
the faces of the cunts who did this
to me, and the dick responsible.
Members all of Bill's brainchild;
"The Deadly Viper Assassination
Squad."
TITLE SEQUENCE
For what looks like a 60's television show about an ALL-GIRL
HIT SQUAD, complete with its own LALO SHIFFRIN THEME MUSIC.
Against a BRIGHT ORANGE BACKGROUND, A SNAKE WITH SIX HEADS
(All different breeds), DONE IN A COOL BUT LOW-BUDGET SPEED
RACER-STYLE OF ANIMATION, rears its heads to strike.
The IMAGE FREEZES... AND THE SHOW'S TITLE (In an especially
cool font) AND LOGO (The black silhouette of five sexy gals
each with a samurai sword hanging from their hip, and one guy
in a black suit) APPEAR BENEATH IT.
"The DEADLY VIPER
ASSASSINATINO SQUAD
the D.iV.A.S."
The SHOW CAST CREDITS START:
WE SEE The BRIDE doing something cool...FREEZE
SCREEN GOES ORANGE except for a SCOPE-SIGHT RIFLE GRAPHIC
WITH CROSSHAIRS over The Bride's face. OFF TO THE SIDE IS HER
IDENTIFYING CREDIT;
"Starring
(The Bride's real name is covered by a stamp that reads)
CLASSIFIED
as
BLACK MAMBA"
A beautiful Japanese woman wielding a samurai sword - FREEZE
ORANGE B.G. SCOPE-SIGHT GRAPHIC
"Starring
O-REN ISHII
as
COTTONMOUTH"
VERNITA GREEN doing something cool - FREEZE
SAME GRAPHIC
"Starring
VERNITA GREEN
as
COBRA"
The older, male doing something cool - FREEZE
SAME GRAPHIC
"Starring
BUDD
as
SIDEWINDER"
ELLE DRIVER doing something cool - FREEZE
ORANGE B.G. SCOPE-SIGHT GRAPHIC;
"Starring
ELLE DRIVER
as
CALIFORNIA MOUNTAIN SNAKE"
As the DEADLY VIPER ASSASSINATION SQUAD OPENING THEME PLAYS
WE SEE VARIOUS SHOTS of The Vipers (all dressed alike in the
same BLACK, SKINTIGHT CAT SUITS, except for Budd, the male
who wears a BLACK SUIT) all doing exciting shit. It ends with
the reappearance of the six-heades snake logo, and the six,
black silhouettes.
The FINAL CREDIT APPEARS;
"Created and Produced
by
BILL"
WE MOVE INTO A HEAD and SHOULDERS CU OF The BRIDE'S BLACK
SILHOUETTE.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
Now after five years of beauty
sleep I knew absolutely nothing
about my enemies' strengths
weakness or whereabouts. But as
fated by God vengeance would have
it, I who knew nothing - knew one
thing. As sure as God made little
green apples...
WE MOVE FAST TO O-REN ISHII'S SILHOUETTE, The SILHOUETTE
BECOMES A POSED PICTURE OF O-REN in all her Deadly Viper
glory.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
(continued)
....if O-Ren Ishii, the first name
on my Death List, was still
alive... she'd live in Japan. O-Ren
Ishii, made her first acquaintance
with death at the age of eleven.
FLASH ON
CU O-REN (11-years old), hiding under a bed, watching...
...her FATHER (dressed in the uniform of a sergeant for the
American Army) fighting THREE YAKUZA GANGSTERS. He kills one
with his bare hands. The other two slice him to death with
samurai swords...
...and her MOTHER being raped by the same men. When they
finish, they SHOOT her.
Little O-Ren watches, hidden from sight, withi the eyes and
face of a stone.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
It was at that age, a half-Chinese,
half-Japanese American Army brat
witnessed the murder of her Master
Sergeant father. And the rape, then
murder of her mother at the hands
of Japan's most ruthless Yakuza
boss, Boss Matsumoto. She swore
revenge...luckily for her, Boss
Matsumoto was a pedophile.
SHOCK CUT
O-REN ON TOP OF BOSS MATSUMOTO PLUNGING A HUGE KNIFE INTO HIS
CHEST. A STREAM OF RED BLOOD SHOOTS UP OUT OF HIM like a
geyser. Boss is naked, O-Ren wears a Japanese schoolgirl
uniform.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
At thirteen, she got her revenge.
The Boss's screams cause TWO OF BOSS'S MEN to run into the
room, only to be SHOT DOWN by O-Ren, as she removes a gun
from a holster strapped to her thigh.
The 20-YEAR OLD O-REN ISHII
on a rooftop with a high-powered, scope-sight rifle up to her
eye. Her EYE is HUGELY MAGNIFIED in the SCOPE.
THE BRIDE
By twenty, she was one of the tip
top of female assassins in the
world.
She fires.
INT. CAR - DAY
A Central American General riding backseat of his government
vehicle. TWO BEAUTIFUL LATIN WOMEN in one-piece bathing suits
sit on either side of him. They both wear sashes down their
front; one reads, "Miss Panama," the other reads, "Miss
Venezuela." As we cut to this shot, he has both hands on each
of their bare knees. He's laughing as the TOP OF HIS HEAD is
BLOWN OFF.
The 23-YEAR OLD O-REN ISHII
stands before Bill and The Bride. (Bill is not clearly
viewed.)
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
At twenty-three she joined Bill's
Deadly Vipers...
The 25-YEAR-OLD O-REN ISHII
BEATING UP the pregnant Bride with the other Vipers...
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
At twenty five she did her part in
the killing of eight innocent
people, including my unborn
daughter, in a small wedding chapel
in El Paso Texas. But on that day,
five years ago, she made one big
mistake...
POSED FIGURE of the BRIDE in all her pre-beating bridal gown
glory.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
...she Should of killed nine.
However, before statisfaction would
be mine, first things first...
CU The BRIDE IN BUCK'S TRUCK
An hour and a half later from the last time we saw her.
THE BRIDE
Wiggel your big toe.
CU The BRIDE'S BIG TOE
wiggles - slightly.
THE BRIDE
Hart part's over. Now let's get
these other piggies wiggling.
FADE TO BLACK.
BLACK FRAME
SUBTITLE APPEARS:
"Thirteen Hours Later"
BEGIN MUSIC MONTAGE
FADE UP ON
INT. UNDERGROUND PARKING LOT - DAY
Pavement of the parking lot. We HEAR a CAR DOOR OPEN
OFFSCREEN, then The Bride's bare foot comes from above FRAME,
stepping down INTO The SHOT.
She walks around to the driver's side and climbs in.
She sticks Buck's ignition key in its slot and turns.
The truck's engine RUMBLES to life.
She spies a pair of Elvis T.C.B. SUNGLASSES lying on the
dash. She puts them on.
EXT. TEXAS STREETS/ INT. TEXAS STORES - DAY
The Bride drives Buck's big, yellow pussy wagon all over El
Paso buying supplies.
WE FOLLOW Her bare feet into a clothing store.
Her feet, legs, and ass slip into a new pair of LEVI'S.
Her hands grab a pair of CHERRY BROWN COWBOY BOOTS.
Then slips on the cowboy boots.
Chooses another TOP.
And finds a warm JACKET.
She opens Buck's "BIG EL PASO PIMPIN" wallet, and pays for
the items.
She emerges from the store wearing her new outfit, and climbs
back in the truck.
She drives, stopping at a DEPARTMENT STORE, and walking
inside.
She picks up a SHOVEL, a HAND PICKAXE, a big CAMPING
FLASHLIGHT, a MAP OF TEXAS, a writing NOTEBOOK, and a bunch
of RED and BLACK FELT PENS.
While the Bride is buying items in the department store we'll
CROSSCUT....
....with her driving the pussy wagon up to a low-rent motel
called, "The Texican"....
...Her Registering with the OLD BASTARD of a desk clerk,
getting the key, and paying him out of the "BIG EL PASO
PIMPIN" wallet....
...her drawing a bath in the bathroom of the motel room...
Shampoo is taken off the shelf of the department store...
...conditioner...
...a bar of soap...
...hot water runs out of the bathtub faucet...
...steam rises off the hot bathwater...
...she pulls down a bunch of bath products, like bubble bath,
salts, apricot this - kiwi that, we see her pour all the
items in the bathwater...
...then we see her bare foot enter the bathwater...
...then Lower her whole body into the bathwater...
...now submerged in the warm bathwater, by herself, perfect
MUSIC CUE ON SOUNDTRACK, she begins to cry...her poor heart
has been shattered and five years of tears come flooding out
of her.
She cries for her baby...
She cries for the motherhood robbed from her...
She cries for all the innocent people at the wedding chapel,
who died simply because they were unlucky enough to cross her
path...
She cries for the betrayal at the hands of her lover...
She cries for the treachery at the hands of her comrades...
She cries for the five years of life snatched from her...
She cries for the countless violations she endured while
incapacitated...
And finally, she cries for all the misery she will cause the
undeserving......enroute to Bill's retribution. Retribution
that begins the minute she steps out of this bathtub.
She curls up into a fetal position inside the tub of warm
water...weeping.
We DOLLY back...to give our heroine some privacy...WE
DISSOLVE through the bathroom door...Till we're on the other
side, filming a closed door with crying on the other side.
When she's finished shedding tears, is when she'll begin
shedding blood.
When the bathroom door opens, the woman that emerges, has
closed out all of her emotions...save from one...revenge.
It's that woman, in her new outfit, that climbs into the
yellow pussy wagon, puts the T.C.B. Sunglasses over her eyes,
and starts the engine that sets into motion the gory story to
follow.
END OF MUSIC MONTAGE
EXT./INT. BUCK'S TRUCK DRIVING IN DESERT (MOVING) - NIGHT
POV THROUGH WINDSHIELD:
The truck shines its headlight beams on an open patch of
prairie wasteland. We see dirt, rocks, plants, and an oil
derrick pumping up and down.
The Bride STOPS the truck.
Taking her flashlight with her, The Bride walks into the
headlight beams towards one rock on the ground in particular.
She lifts it off the ground, there's an X on it's underside.
She smiles. If the X hadn't been there, she would have taken
it as a sign that her vengeance quest was never meant to be.
But as it is there, it would appear that fortune has smiled
on The Bride and her bloody intentions.
She walks back to the truck, takes the shovel and the hand
pickaxe out from the flatbed, reaches into the truck cab and
CHANGES THE MUSIC TO A POUNDING HEAVY METAL ANTHEM.
CU The BRIDE'S COWBOY BOOTS
next to the X ROCK
IN TIME WITH The METAL, The Bride's cowboy boots count out
ten paces from the rock.
When the boots stop, the flashlight ENTERS THE SHOT
illuminating the spot, THEN...the shovel ENTERS, striking
deep in the unmarked earth.
EXT. TEXAS DESERT - NIGHT
Deep in the middle of Fuck-Knows Texas, lit by the headlights
of Buck's 4x4, The Bride digs a hole in the
ground......TILL...
She HITS SOMETHING HARD.
She gets down on her knees, hacking away at the dirt with the
hand pickaxe, till a large box covered in plastic is
revealed. She hoists it up out of the earth.
She rips off the plastic, revealing a large, green Army
footlocker, untouched by the condensation of being buried in
the ground for over five years. Flipping the two locks open,
she lifts the lid, placing the big camping flashlight on the
rim.
Unfolding a sleeping bag long-ways, she bought at the
department store. The Bride begins collecting the contents of
her buried treasure, and laying them on the sleeping bag.
We see her remove them from the footlocker, one by one.
The HEAVY METAL CONTINUES ON THE SOUNDTRACK.
2 9mm AUTOMATICS, w/ AMMO
and HOLSTERS.
1 small HAND GUN, w/ AMMO
and HOLSTER (which fits around the thigh).
1 SNUB NOSE .38
w/ ANKLE HOLSTER.
1 double-edged SOG KNIFE
w/ HOLSTER
1 MOSSBERG PUMP ACTION SHOT GUN w/ AMMO
1 SILVER STEEL BOOMERANG, w/ a double-sided razor's edge
w/ HOLSTER.
1 old fashioned STRAIGHT RAZOR
1 BLACK VERTICAL ATTACHE CASE.
She flips it open, and inside broken down into four separate
pieces is a HIGH-POWERED, SCOPE-SIGHT RIFLE.
1 MANILA ENVELOPE.
She reaches in and pulls out a PHOTOCOPY OF HER SONOGRAM.
There on the page is a photocopy of her unborn baby girl. A
fierce grimness crosses her face as she places the sonogram
back in the envelope.
1 CLEAR ZIP-LOCK BAG containing a PHONY I.D. and BANK BOOK
both w/ the name "CANDY RALSTON" on them. Reaching back in
the locker she pulls out the final item,
1 SMALL KEY attached to a "DEALY VIPERS" KEY CHAIN.
She rolls up the weapons in the sleeping bag, and drives off.
The HEAVY METAL CONTINUES...
CU SIGN reading, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF TEXAS
INT. COMMONWEALTH BANK OF TEXAS - DAY
CU The BRIDE
standing at a teller window, she holds up her key.
INSERT: 1 BANK BOOK and 1 DRIVER'S LICENSE w/ The Bride's
photo on it and the name "CANDY RALSTON" on each.
INT. SAFETY DEPOSIT VAULT - DAY
The Bride, with a big athletic bag slung over her shoulder,
watches a TELLER remove four safety deposit boxes.
INT. PRIVATE AREA - DAY
Where you look isnide your safety deposit box by yourself.
The Bride opens up the first box...
...It's filled w/ CASH.
She opens up the second box....
...It's filled w/ CASH.
She opens up the third box....
....It's filled w/ CASH.
She opens up the fourth box....
....She Takes out a BAG. Inside the bag are 14 FORGED
PASSPORTS and DRIVER'S LICENSES in 14 different names.
Also in the box, is one COMPACT REFRIGERATOR CASE. She opens
it, inside are 2 BEAUTIFUL HANDMADE GOLD SYRINGES and 1 VIAL
OF FLUID.
A SUBTITLE APPEARS UNDERNEATH:
TRUTH SERUM
of Bill's own
concoction.
He calls it,
"The Undisputed Truth."
AS The HEAVY METAL CONTINUES...WE see The BRIDE leaving the
bank, all the weapons she needs, all the money she needs,
taking the first step on her bloody trail...
A RINKY DINK GRAPHIC OF A MAP OF JAPAN
The tiny figure of a black AIRPLANE flies over the map,
leaving a dotted-line trail behind it. We move into the black
airplane and DISSOLVE to
INT. AIRPLANE (FLYING)
OVERHEAD SHOT
of the Bride in her passenger seat, flying to Japan. We see
she's holding a clean white handkerchief. She's sewing the
name "Bill" in the corner.
END OF MUSIC MONTAGE.
BLACK FRAME
TITLE CARD:
Chapter Three
The MAN From
OKINAWA
FADE UP ON
INT. SUSHI BAR (OKINAWA, JAPAN) - DAY
The ENTRANCE to a tiny sushi bar, covered by a Japanese
curtain....
SUBTITLE APPEARS:
"The City of
OKINAWA, JAPAN"
....The fabric is moved aside, and The Bride enters the shot,
and the tiny establishment.
The little fish and sake bar is the definition of the word
cozy. Besides The Bride, the only other person inside is The
SUSHI CHEF, who smiles at her behind the midget bar.
This Japanese man in his mid-fifties greets the tall, blonde
western girl with a turned-on-for-the-tourists affability.
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
English?
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
Almost -- American.
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
Ahhhh,...America, welcome...
Welcome... My English -- Very good.
The Bride smiles at this and walks further inside. She
doesn't come across as one of the world's deadliest
assassins, but instead as a sweet, slightly airheaded,
American tourist.
THE BRIDE (JAPANESE)
Domo.
The Sushi Chef gives an exaggerated look of surprise, and
says;
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
Oh, "Domo", Very good -- very good,
you speak Japanese?
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
Nooo, just a few words I learned
since yesterday. - May I sit at the
bar?
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
Sure sure sure - sit. What other
words did you learn - excuse me --
The Sushi Chef YELLS IN JAPANESE, to someone OFFSCREEN.
The Bride thinks the restaurant so small it's almost hard to
imagine there could be a back room to it.
Before getting a response from whoever it was he was yelling
to a moment ago, The Sushi Chef turns back to The Bride.
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
-- What other Japanese you learn?
The Bride puts on a thinking face.
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
Oh...let's see..."Arigato."
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
"Arigato"...Very good.
THE BRIDE (JAPANESE)
..."Ah-So"...
SUSHI CHEF (JAPANESE)
"Ah-So!" You know what "Ah-So"
meansß
THE BRIDE
"I See."
SUSHI CHEF
I see - Very good.
THE BRIDE
I already said "Domo", right?
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
Yes.
THE BRIDE (JAPANESE)
"Kon-netie-wa."
The Sushi Chef goes "Oooh" like he's just discovered the
answer to a mystery.
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
..."Kon-nichi-wa"...repeat please.
THE BRIDE (JAPANESE)
"Kon-nichi-wa?"
Saying with surprise and admiration;
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
Most impressive...you say Japanese
words, like you Japanese.
The Bride smiles and lets loose with a girlish giggle.
THE BRIDE
Now you're making fun of me.
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
No no no - serious business.
Pronunciation - very good. You say
"Arigato" ...like we say "Arigato."
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
Well, thank you - I mean...arigato.
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
You should learn Japanese - very
easy.
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
No kidding, I heard it's kinda
hard.
Whenever the Sushi Chef doesn't either hear your or
understand you, he yells the word;
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
What!
And everybody always speaks LOUDER and CLEARER immediately
afterwards.
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
I always heard it was difficult.
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
Yes yes yes - most difficult. But
you have Japanese tongue.
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
Maybe I was Japanese in another
life.
The Sushi Chef proclaims as if he should know;
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
Most definitely, most definitely
Japanese in another life.
He sets an order of colorful, raw fish in front of the young
blonde woman, that not only looks good, it looks beautiful.
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
How did you know tuna's my
favorite?
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
What!
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
Tuna's my favorite.
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
Ah, thank you very much.
He YELLS OFFSCREEN in Japanese agai. A little BALD JAPANESE
MAN with a shitty attitude, comes out from the back room. He
heads for the tall blonde asking in a grumbly voice in
Japanese, "What she wants to drink?"
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
(to the bald man)
I beg your pardon?
The Sushi Chef pantomimes drinking.
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
- Drink -
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
Oh yes, a bottle of warm sake.
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
Ahhh sake,
(he holds up his thumb)
Very good.
In Japanese he YELLS/ORDERS the warm sake, the little Bald
Man disappears. The Bride takes a bite out of her fish.
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
First time in Japan?
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
A-huh.
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
What!
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
Yes, this is my first time.
As the chef slices the next portion with a large knife, he
asks;
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
What brings you to Okinawa?
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
I came to see a man.
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
Aaahh, you have friend live in
Okinawa?
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
Not quite.
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
Not friend?
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
I've never met him.
The Sushi Chef continues slicing.....
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
Who is he, may I ask?
THE BRIDE
Hattori Hanzo.
There's a break in the Sushi Chef's slicing. After a beat, he
brings a bloody finger INTO FRAME and sticks it in his mouth.
The little Bald man appears with a bottle of warm sake, he
pours one for The Bride, then disappears again.
As The Bride sips the sake, she looks at the chef.
As The Sushi Chef sucks his finger, he looks at The Bride.
The Sushi Chef drops the voice he had been using up to that
point...and IN JAPANESE SUBTITLED IN ENGLISH asks;
SUSHI CHEF (JAPANESE)
What do you want with Hattori
Hanzo?
The Bride answers in Japanese;
THE BRIDE (JAPANESE)
I need Japanese steel.
SUSHI CHEF (JAPANESE)
Why do you need Japanese steel?
THE BRIDE (JAPANESE)
I have vermin to kill.
SUSHI CHEF (ENGLISH)
You must have big rats you need
Hattori Hanzo steel.
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
Huge.
INT. HATTORI HANZO'S ATTIC - DAY
The trap door in the floor opens up, and HATTORI HANZO (Sushi
Chef), climbs inside the room, followed by The Bride.
The room has many handcrafted samurai swords in hand-carved
wooden sheaths resting on wooden racks running the length of
the second half of the attic.
The Bride walks down the row of Japanese steel, looking and
touching the shiny wood. She looks behind her to Hanzo who is
still by the trap door, and says;
THE BRIDE (JAPANESE)
May I?
The Sushi Chef answers in ENGLISH;
HANZO (ENGLISH)
Yes you may.....
She starts reaching for one...
HANZO (ENGLISH)
...try the second one down in the
sixth row on your left.
She finds it lying sleeping in its shiny, black sheath.
Her hand lifts it from the rack.
She UNSHEATHS the steel, partially....then with GREAT
FLOURISH....completely.
Hanzo's mouth froms a smile.
HANZO (ENGLISH)
Funny, you like samurai swords...
He pulls a baseball out of his pocket.
HANZO (ENGLISH)
...I like baseball.
THEN SUDDENLY - HE THROWS THE BASEBALL HARD, right at The
Bride's head....
QUICK AS A WHIP, SHE SLICES THE BALL IN HALF, IN MID AIR.
The two perfectly cut baseball pieces, hit the floor.
He gives her a slight nod, then crosses the attic towards
her.
HANZO (JAPANESE)
I wanted to show you these....
However someone as you, who knows
so much must surely know, I no
longer make instruments of death. I
keep these here for their ascetic
and sentimental value.
(he takes both sword and
sheath from her...)
Yet proud tho I am of my life's
work...
(...he closes them
together)
I am retired.
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
Then give me one of these.
HANZO (ENGLISH)
These are not for sale.
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
I didn't say, sell me. I said, give
me.
HANZO (ENGLISH)
And why should I be obliged to
assist you in the extermination of
your vermin?
THE BRIDE (ENGLISH)
Because my vermin, is a former
student of yours. And considering
the student, I'd say you had a
rather large obligation.
Hattori Hanzo goes to a dusty window, and writes the name,
"BILL" on it with his finger.
The blonde girl nods her head yes.
The proud warrior moves over to the door in the floor,
throwing it open.
He points into a corner...
HANZO (JAPANESE)
...You can sleep there...
.....starts to descend....
HANZO (JAPANESE)
...it will take me a week to make
the sword...
.....before his head disappears, he says;
HANZO (JAPANESE)
...I suggest you spend it
practicing.
...he closes the door behind him.
She smiles slightly...then moves over to the window, takes
out a handkerchief, and wipes Bill's name off.
FADE TO BLACK.
OVER BLACK
TITLE APPEARS:
"One week later"
Under black we hear Hattori Hanzo's voice in Japanese and
read the subtitles;
HANZO (V.O.; JAPANESE)
I'm done doing what I swore an oath
to God 28 years ago to never do
again. I've created, "something
that kills people." And in that
purpose I was a success.
FADE UP ON
CU HATTORI HANZO
HANZO (JAPANESE)
I've done this, because
philosophically I'm sympathetic to
your aim.
EX CU The HANZO SWORD
TRACKING EX CU of the Hanzo sword in its shiny, black wood
sheath. At the base of the sheath, by the handle, he's carved
the face of a lioness...
HANZO (V.O.; JAPANESE)
I can tell you with no ego, this is
my finest sword. If on your
journey, you should encounter God,
God will be cut.
CU HANZO.
HANZO (JAPANESE)
Revenge is never a straight line.
It's a forest. And like a forest
it's easy to lose your way...to get
lost...
to forget where you came in. To
serve as a compass, a combat
philosophy must be adopted that can
be found in the secret doctrine of
the Yagu Ninja. And now my yellow
haired warrior, repeat after me;
We go back and forth between CU of HANZO reciting the
doctrine like a samurai drill instructor and the Bride
repeating it.
HANZO (JAPANESE)
"When engaged in combat, the
vanquishing of thine enemy can be
the warrior's only concern...
The Bride repeats this...
HANZO (JAPANESE)
...This is the first and cardinal
rule of combat...
The Bride repeats this...
HANZO (JAPANESE)
...Suppress all human emotion and
compassion...
The Bride repeats this...
HANZO (JAPANESE)
...Kill whoever stands in thy way,
even if that be Lord God, or Buddha
himself...
The Bride repeats this...
HANZO (JAPANESE)
This truth lies at the heart of the
art of combat. Once it is
mastered... Thou shall fear no
one... Though the devil himself may
bar thy way...
The Bride repeats this... Her eyes look at the greatest maker
of swords on this earth and says;
THE BRIDE
Domo.
EX CU The Hanzo Sword,
her white hand with her long fingers COMES INTO FRAME and
removes the beautiful, artful instrument of vengeance.
FADE TO BLACK.
OVER BLACK
TITLE CARD:
Chapter Four
SHOWDOWN
at
HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES
CUT TO:
A BLANK PIECE OF DRAWING PAPER
A hand comes in and, as the Bride talks over this image,
draws with a piece of charcoal, a portrait of the geisha
regaled O-REN ISHII.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
When fortune smiles on something as
violent and ugly as revenge, at the
time it seems proof like no other,
that not only does God exist,
you're doing his will. At a time
when I knew the last about my
enemies, the first name on my death
list, was the easiest to find. But
of course, when one manages the
difficult task of becoming queen of
the Tokyo underworld, one doesn't
keep it a secret, does one?
The charcoal drawing gets color and becomes ANIMATED, turning
into a JAPAMATION O-REN...
JAPANESE ANIMATION SEQUENCE
We see Japamation-style images of The Bride's verbiage.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
At the age of twenty, Bill backed
his Nippon progeny financially and
philosophically in her
Shakespearian-in-magnitude power
struggle with the other Yakuza
clans, over who would rule vice in
the city of Tokyo.
Japamation images of O-Ren and her Army, taking on ANOTHER
YAKUZA ARMY, among falling cherry blossoms.
WE CUT BACK AND FORTH between cartoon images of this and the
real life real McCoy samurai sword battle.
O-Ren's ability is simply amazing.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
When it was all over, it was the
geisha-regaled O-Ren Ishii that
proved the victor.
INT. JAPANESE NIGHT CLUB
O-Ren has just become the official leader of crime in the
city of Tokyo. The six Yakuza clan bosses, each with TWO
BODYGUARDS standing behind them, toast their new leader, with
much laughter and drinking...all except one...BOSS TANAKA.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
And just in case you're wondering
how could a half breed Japanese
Chinese American become the boss of
all criminal activity in Tokyo,
Japan,... I'll tell you. The
subject of O-Ren's blood and
nationality came up before the
council only once. The night O-Ren
assumed power over the crime
council.
Boss Tanaka is the picture of angered ambiance among the
alcohol-fueled frivolity.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
The man who seems bound and
determined to break the mood is
Boss Tanaka. And what Boss Tanaka
thinks is...
Boss Tanaka brings his fist down on the table, smashing the
plate in front of him into itty bitty pieces.
The party comes to a halt as all eyes go to the leader of the
Tanaka Crime Family.
CRIME FAMILY LEADER #2 (JAPANESE)
Tanaka? What's the meaning of this
outburst? This is a time for
celebration.
BOSS TANAKA (JAPANESE)
And what exactly should I be
celebrating? The perversion of our
illustrious council?
The Bosses all react with shock and outrage...O-Ren remains
cool. She raises her voice for the first word, but lowers it
for the rest of the sentence.
O-REN (JAPANESE)
Gentlemen...Boss Tanaka obviously
has something on his mind. Allow
him to express it.
BOSS TANAKA (JAPANESE)
My father...
(looking at a clan head)
...along with yours and...
(looking at another)
...along With yours, started this
council. And while you drink like
fish and laugh like donkeys, they
weep in the afterlife over the
perversion committed today.
The BOSSES react again...O-Ren;
O-REN (JAPANESE)
Silence!
(then composed)
Of what perversion do you speak,
Tanaka?
Boss Tanaka looks at the female half-breed American and says;
BOSS TANAKA (JAPANESE)
I speak, Mistress Ishii,....of the
perversion done to this council,
which I love more than my own
children,...by making a half
Chinese American its leader.
Then...
Faster than you can say Jimminy Cricket,...
O-Ren's samurai sword is unsheathed...
Boss Tanaka's head is liberated from its body...
The head hits the floor...
And from the spot between its shoulder blades, a geyser of
blood shoots up in the air.
The BOSSES who were shocked at Tanaka's words are even more
flabbergasted at O-Ren's resonse.
The two bodyguard's, standing behind Boss Tanaka, hands go to
their swords and draw them.
O-Ren turns her blade in their direction.
The Bosses and their bodyguards say nothing,...only watch.
The lady looks across at the two men and says in and
authoritative voice;
O-REN (JAPANESE)
Fight me or work for me.
They look at her for a moment, then they lower their swords.
O-REN (JAPANESE)
Drop them on the ground.
They do.
O-REN (JAPANESE)
Get behind me.
They do.
O-REN (JAPANESE)
Get on your knees.
They do.
O-REN (JAPANESE)
Put your foreheads on the floor.
They do.
O-REN (JAPANESE)
Keep your mouths shut.
You better believe they do.
The mistress' eyes got to the other bosses looking at her.
As she speaks English, bodyguard translators translate for
their bosses.
O-REN
I'm going to say this in English so
you know how serious I am. As your
leader, I encourage you to -- from
time to time and always in a
respectful manner, and with the
complete knowledge that my decision
is final -- to question my logic.
If you're unconvinced a particular
plan of action I've decided is the
wisest, tell me so. But allow me to
convince you. And I will promise
you, right here and now, no subject
will be taboo...except the subject
that was just under discussion.
O-REN (JAPANESE)
(to a bodyguard)
Hand me that head.
He picks it off the floor and meekly offers it to the Queen.
She takes it by the hair and holds it up as she speaks.
O-REN (ENGLISH)
The price you pay for bringing up
either my Chinese or my American
heritage as a negative is, I
collect your fuckin head.
(now completely American)
Just like this fucker here. Now if
any of you sonsabitches got
anything else to say, now's the
fuckin time.
Nobody says anything.
O-REN (ENGLISH)
I didn't think so.
(pause)
Meeting adjourned.
EXT. THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES - JAPANESE RESTAURANT
The entire O-Ren Ishii crew moves through the restaurant. The
CUSTOMERS all look up now as the crew passes. The restaurant
staff acts as if the Shogun himself has just showed up on
their doorstep demanding a meal. No doubt if the meal is not
satisfactory the staff will gladly slice off a finger. The
door to a private dining room is slid open, the crew steps
inside, the door is slid shut.
INT. PRIVATE DINING AREA (RESTAURANT) - NIGHT
The private dining area of the Japanese restaurant. The
patrons are surrounded by white paper walls. The CAMERA
CIRCLES around O-REN ISHII.
Sitting in between her, two personal bodyguards, the Yubari
sisters, YUKI AND GO GO. The Yubari sisters are younger than
O-Ren; Yuki is sixteen and Go Go is seventeen. Both girls are
dressed in Japanese schoolgirl uniforms complete with plaid
skirts and matching blazers.
FLASH ON
EX CU OF AN EYEBALL (The BRIDE's)
On her right is her French and Japanese lawyer, SOFIE FATALE.
FLASH ON
EX CU OF AN EYEBALL
The bunch of mop-topped young men, who all wear black suits,
white shirts, thin black ties and Kato masks over their eyes,
are her soldiers, "The CRAZY 88."
FLASH ON
EX CU OF AN EAR, The Bride's fingers come into FRAME and move
blonde hair out of the sensory appendage's way.
And finally there's a tall dark American in a black suit sans
Kato mask -- that's O-Ren's head of security, MR. BARREL.
They're all drinking and having a good time as Sofie tells a
joke in Japanese.
THE BRIDE (V.O.)
The mop tops in black suits and
Kato masks were O-Ren's soldiers,
"The Crazy 88." The two young girls
in the schoolgirl uniforms are her
personal bodyguards, the Yubari
sisters. Yuki, aged sixteen, and Go
Go, aged seventeen. The pretty lady
who's dressed like she's a villain
on Star Trek is O-Ren's best friend
and her lawyer, Sofie Fatale. And
finally, the American in the black
suit but sans Kato mask, O-Ren's
head of security, Mr. Barrel.
SUDDENLY O-Ren hears something. Like a deer in the forest,
her head springs up on alert. It's almost as if she's
listening to The Bride's narration.
The Bride's NARRATION SUDDENLY STOPS IN MIDSENTENCE --
O-Ren removes a SMALL DAGGER-DART from the folds of her robe
and THROWS IT in the direction of the sound.
CU The BRIDE dressed in a kimono
on the other side of the private dining room's paper wall.
The DART FLIES THROUGH The PAPER, STREAKS BY HER FACE, almost
taking off the tip of her nose in the process.
INSERT: DART EMBEDS ITSELF IN A WOOD POST.
O-Ren's action instantly brings the room's frivolity to a
halt. Mistress Ishii silently orders Go Go and Yuki to
retrieve the eavesdropper.
INT. JAPANESE RESTAURANT - NIGHT
The white paper door to O-Ren's dining room SLAMS OPEN. Yuki
and Go Go step into the corridor.
All trace of the Bride has vanished.
They look out over the restaurant, patrons look normal.
Whoever was there is gone now.
Go Go removes the small dagger from the wood post and the
Yubari sisters go back into the private dining room, SLAMMING
the door behind them.
ONE SHOT
CU The BRIDE
at the bar, in her kimono, drinking a colorful cocktail. She
observes all the activity by O-Ren's private dining room.
When the Yubari sisters go back inside, the Bride climbs off
her barstool and goes through the restaurant...into the
parking area...and up to her rental car. She opens the door.
Takes off her Japanese kimono, underneath is a one-piece
yellow track suit with a black stripe going down both sides,
like the one Bruce Lee wears in "Game of Death." She tosses
the kimono in the trunk, then removes the sheathed Hanzo
sword. With the sword of vengeance in her hand, we follow her
back inside the restaurant. She looks upstairs to the O-Ren
dining room. We see Yuki Yubari and Sofie Fatale, slide open
the door, and walk down the stairs together. When they get to
the bottom, they give each other a kiss goodbye, and Yuki
leaves the restaurant, while Sofie makes her way to the
bathroom...only to have The Bride, now dressed in her Bruce
Lee yellow outfit and samurai sword in her hand, bar her way.
END OF SHOT
BACK AND FORTH
between CU's of the two women, face to face.
SOFIE (JAPANESE)
(to Bride)
Can I help you?
THE BRIDE (JAPANESE)
Yes, I am looking for the attorney
of O-Ren Ishii, Sofie Fatale. Would
that be you?
SOFIE (JAPANESE)
I'm Mistress Ishii's attorney. How
can I help you?
The Bride PUNCHES her in the face.
INT. O-REN'S PRIVATE ROOM
Aside from drinking like fishes, what is the queen of the
Tokyo underworld - Mistress O-Ren Ishii - and her private
army doing when we cut back?
Singing karaoke, of course.
It's Crazy 88 MIKI's turn at the mike and he's having a whale
of a good time singing Dionne Warwick's "Walk On By," in
Japanese....
WHEN...
A COMMOTION is heard being made by the restaurant staff and
the other patrons, from the other side of the white paper
wall...Just as they all start to notice it, they hear;
THE BRIDE (O.S., JAPANESE)
O-Ren Ishii! You and I have
unfinished business!
The Crazy 88 spring to their feet. One slides open the door.
They see O-Ren's lawyer, Sofie Fatale, standing in the middle
of the restaurant, her left arm completely outstretched, hand
gripped around a post. She has a terrified look on her face.
Before anybody on O-Ren's side of the room can say anything
...The Bride steps out from behind Sofie.
O-REN'S
reaction shows how effective the element of surprise turned
out to be. She says The Bride's name softly to herself; it's
BLEEPED OUT.
The Bride
The VENGEANCE THEME BURSTS ON THE SOUNDTRACK...The Vein on
her forehead begins to pulsate. WE DO A QUICK SHAW BROTHERS
ZOOM INTO HER EYES. A SPAGHETTI-WESTERN FLASHBACK of O-Ren
beating the shit outta her at the wedding chapel IS
SUPERIMPOSED OVER HER EYES. The FLASHBACK DISSOLVES, we ZOOM
BACK INTO A CU, the vein stops pulsating, and the theme STOPS
PLAYING OVER THE SOUNDTRACK, LEAVING A CLEAN, COLORFUL CU of
The Bride loaded for bear.
She raises her Hanzo sword, and Slices off Sofie's Arm at the
Shoulder with one stroke.
SOFIE
Spewing and Gushing Blood from her stump, twists her body in
agony, painting the floor and the walls with giant Splashes
of Red, as her body hits the floor, twitching in both
surprise and shock.
The CRAZY 88
run out into the dining area and create a human wall between
themselves and their Mistress.
MR. BARREL AND GO GO
take positions on either side of O-Ren.
O-REN
seated in a shogun's seat, rises furiously to her feet.
O-REN (JAPANESE)
You bastard!
The Bride does a swipe in the air with her sword; Sofie's
blood flies off the blade.
The entire floor of the dining room lies between the two
warring parties.
The Bride
vs.
The Crazy 88
The restaurant's STAFF and PATRONS sit or stand rigidly in
fear.
O-Ren says loudly to the room;
O-REN (JAPANESE)
Sorry everybody, but I'm afraid
we're going to have to close the
place. There's some private
business that we must attend to
now.
The Staff and The Customers Stampede the exits.
The Bride, The Crazy 88, and O-Ren hold their ground without
moving a muscle, till the dining room, as well as the entire
restaurant known as "The House of Blue Leaves," is deserted
of every human not engaged in the face-off that precedes
combat.
O-Ren gives a simple order;
O-REN
Miki.
MIKI, one of The Crazy 88 (The little one), steps forward,
unsheaths his sword, and yells at the yellow clad blonde.
MIKI (JAPANESE)
You had it coming bastard!
Raising his samurai sword high, he Charges, Screaming A
Banzai Scream...
The Bride turns to face him.
Miki Charging and Screaming...
The Bride slowly raises the Hanzo Sword into Striking
Position.
Miki Charging and Screaming, almost on top of her.
The Bride, sword in position, waits for her opponent to
arrive.
Miki arrives at his destination, he Swings...
The Bride Swings...
The Hanzo Sword Slices Miki's inferior blade in half. Miki
looks down at the impotent weapon in his hand.
The Bride Thrusts her sword through Miki's abdomen, then
Lifts the little guy off the ground straight up in the air.
Miki screaming, Impaled on her blade like a fish at the end
of a spear. Held up in the air, restaurant light fixtures in
the B.G.
O-Ren and her crew watch stunned.
The Bride Drops the shishkabobbed Miki into the koi pond that
starts outside the restaurant and ends inside, with a huge
blue splash. Koi pond - Blue water - Orange and yellow fish -
Red blood - Dead man.
The BRIDE
looks up from the pond, across the length of the floor, into
the eyes of O-Ren Ishii.
She takes one step forward, hears the slightest noise, Twirls
the samurai sword in the air once, drops to one knee, and
thrusts the sword into the beige-colored carpet-covered
floor. The sword sticks in the floor half way...
The Sound of human death rises from underneath the floor...
OVERHEAD SHOT
Looking down on The Bride at one end and O-Ren and her crew
at the other. A Red Circle appears where the blade is buried
in the floor...The red circle grows larger...and larger...and
larger...and larger still...
Leaving the sword stuck in the floor, handle sticking
straight up in the air, The Bride rises up from her one knee,
and straight and tall, staring down the queen of the Tokyo
underworld.
O-Ren
her eyes narrow with rage. She screams out another order;
O-REN (JAPANESE)
Tear the bitch apart!
The six remaining Crazy 88 unsheath their swords at the same
time with a GREAT SOUND EFFECT.
They circle the Bride.
The BRIDE
Inside the circle of Combatants who surrounded her. She Whips
the sword out of the floor and raises her blade diagonally in
front of her. Her eyes are reflected in the shiny steel.
Holding her sword in the diagonal position, The Bride can see
reflected in the shiny blade, whoever stands behind her.
The six Crazy 88 Attack...
The BRIDE
does a Zatoichi-like SWISH-SLASH-SWISH with her steel blade.
Four boys die an immediate samurai blade-inflicted death,
SCREAMING GRUNT, TWITCHING BODY, FROZEN IN THE STANCE IT WAS
SLASHED IN, RED BLOOD SQUIRTING FROM WOUNDS, THEN A CRASHING
COLLAPSE TO THE FLOOR.
The last two put up more of a fight...but then one of them is