This weekend I decided to treat myself to a good movie that’s considered a classic (or would be considered a classic in the future), Kill Bill.
My favorite part was when Beatrix Kiddo—the protagonist—came face to face with Bill. She performed a “5 Point Palm Fist of Death Technique” on him, and he took five steps, collapsed and died. I was so happy for Beatrix; she had accomplished her mission! But then, it occurred to me after watching the movie that Bill actually took six steps not five. I watched the scene again and this time, focusing on the part where Beatrix hits Bill’s pressure points and noticed that she actually hit six pressure points on his body instead of five. This meant that she did not kill Bill as she said she would. I didn’t understand why she did it but after watching both movies (Volume 1 and Volume 2) again, I came up with some theories about why she didn’t kill Bill.
The training with Pai Mei.
Pai Mei actually never taught Beatrix the “5 Point Palm Fist of Death” technique or at least there is no scene to prove that Beatrix was taught the technique. He did teach her eye-pluck move and the 3-inch punch, which she used to escape that coffin.
The Pregnancy.
When Beatrix found out that she was pregnant with Bill’s baby, she suddenly went from assassin to mum mode in a heartbeat. She suddenly realizes that she cannot carry, give birth to and raise her child while living her lifestyle, and that’s why she chose not to kill her sent assassin.
Killing Vernita Green.
After killing the “Crazy 88,” Beatrix visits Vernita at her home and kills her while her daughter Nikki was watching, oblivious to Beatrix. When Beatrix turns around and sees Nikki, she suddenly feels shame, and that’s why she tries to hide the knife from Nikki. She apologizes to Nikki and lets her know she can seek revenge when she gets older. Seeing Nikki watch her mother die changed Beatrix’s life slightly, and that’s why she decided not to kill as much or easily.
Facing Elle and Budd.
Elle killed Budd using a deadly snake before Beatrix could show up. However, when she did show up, she uses the eye-pluck move to remove Elle’s right eye, just as Pai Mei. She let Elle live and did not kill her. She also doesn’t hunt down the other guy that helped Budd bury her alive.
Facing Bill at His House.
When Beatrix gets to Bill’s house, she finds that her daughter BB is actually alive and not dead as she thought when she woke up from her coma, so she switches from assassin to mum again. This is pretty much the third time Beatrix is switching modes, from assassin to mum when she found out she was pregnant, from mum to assassin when she woke up from the coma, and again from assassin to mum when she first met her daughter. Bill starts a play with their daughter and Beatrix where BB pretends to shoot her father. This play predicts the fate of Bill. Beatrix hits Bill with the 5 point palm fist of death technique, but it looked like she was using the same form as the eye-pluck move she learned from Pai Mei. It also looks like she hits Bill 6 times, not 5 as you’d expect.
The Motel Bathroom.
After Beatrix takes her daughter away with her, she spends the night at a motel. The next morning, oblivious to her daughter, she rolls on floor half crying and half laughing, saying “thank you.” She thanks Bill for letting both of them go peacefully. They both loved each other and never wanted to kill each other in the first place.