Showdown at the House of Blue Leaves - Color vs B/W
 

I just got a chance to see the Japanese version of Kill Bill v1 with the House of Blue Leaves fight scene totally in color. I was surprised to see that, aside from the change from black and white to color, there were also some other small editing changes, though they were fairly insignificant.

Overall I can't really decide which version I like better. The b/w has an artistic quality to it that's missing in the color. But with the color version, the brutality is much more clear and graphic, which helps add to the over-the-top nature of the scene. So I guess it's a bit of a toss up for me.

So for those who have seen both versions, which do you prefer and why? When QT makes his ultimate director's cut of the entire film, should he use the color or the b/w version?

I can't decide either. I feel good about seeing both. the red in the blood was VERY colorful.

In the Ultimate D.C. I think he will use the color version simply because that is what folks have already come to know as the big difference.

I think the B&W scene would have worked much better if it had been intended to be B&W. They could have changed some of the colors during filming so they would show up better on B&W (i.e. Blood looks darker, not so much like water).

I've never seen the color version though so I can't judge.

I like the transition from Color to B&W and vis versa, unlike most people on this board. It doesn't really bother me either way.

I like the throwback to old kung-fu movies that switched to B&W when someone was about to die. And in those movies they didn't use special colors when in B&W, so QTs version is kind of a throwback to that.

That being said, I haven't seen the color version.

Color!!!! :)

I always thought that the fight choreography was clearer in the colour version. No contest, colour is better.

I like the Color scene, but not for it being in color.

It just felt like it flowed much better, and was less chaotically cut, plus it starts with that really goofy flip by the bride which just put a big grin on my face. I also liked that it showed her encountering the "Go Home to your Mother!" kid and shows her fully throwing him into the crowd of guys instead of just a quick cut of her throwing somebody. Also, I liked seeing Sofie Fatale's reaction to the brutality.

On the downside, Uma's stunt double is a little more noticeable due to skin tonal changes, but overall: COLOR gets my vote.

http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~rdc03/sofiefatale.JPG

I haven't seen the color version yet, but ever since I heard it existed, I've been clamoring to see it.

By the way, when he cuts the two films into one and re-releases it, it's going to be only the Japanese versions, and that will include the color House of Blue Leaves sequence. Since he's going to release that version on DVD in America, I doubt he's going to do yet another director's cut.

He's said that he likes both versions equally.

Didn't QT say at some point that he prefers the B&W version of the scene to the color one? Actually, I imagine the scene seems more realistic in B&W, because the blood and gore in Vol. 1 is pretty cartoonish and over the top.

I have only seen the b/w version but I liked how it switched from b/w to color in the blink of an eye.

I like them both, but in all honesty if we could get the entire color fight scene in B&W without edits, I might actually prefer it that way. I like the style effect. Maybe if he threw a little more grain in the B&W scenes as well...

I have not seen the color version, but I think I would prefer color.

for those that have seen the color version, did you notice the one sword hit where the blood that splatters actually just looks like water? It looks as if they forgot to add the red color. I'm sure this is probably done intentionally since alot of the old kung fu movies had errors like that all over the place. I was just wondering what you guys thought of it.

I like the color version better because of the added scenes, and other little details like being able to see the sparks of the swords clashing. If they used a darker dye for the blood, I might prefer the B&W version.

B&W

It's been pointed out before that the change to B&W in that scene was in the screenplay.

I haven't seen the color version, but the black and white scenes never bothered me.

How soon till the color version of the fight hits the internet?

The R2J DVD was posted by someone last night. He modified it so the English subtitles show up automatically for the Japanese dialog, and off rest of the time.

Out of all the differences, I think the single reason I prefer the color version is b/c of seeing the sparks made by the swords.

While I think the B & W is done very well upon repeating viewing now, I have to go with the color cut (& I'm honestly not just saying that b/c I own both). With the color version, you can make-out what happens more clearly, (for example when Uma is standing on the one guy's shoulders, her lopping off his hands I enver noticed in the B & W version) each "kill" by the Bride, is almost highlighted for a few gory seconds. Maybe it's just me, but did enyone else get he impression that the color cut was also a bit slower, it just felt like Uma was movie threw the fight at a slower pace & didn't feel as rushed as the B & W version. Also, the music was a little different also right? More silence?

B/w the original US release, & getting this LE box set in the mail this week, I think Kill Bill has broken my record of the single movie watched the most in the shortest amount of time. Damn, I love this movie.

The hand-lopping scene is definitely not in the B&W version. You get the shot where she slices the other guy across the mouth and he spins, then the next shot is of The Bride jumping off newly-handless guy's shoulders. The color version has him looking up, extending his arms to stab her and that's when the hands come off. And you're right about the music. There's seems to be a cue missing, but I'm having a hard time lining up the scenes to nail it down.

For the last friggin' time.....IT WAS INTENDED TO BE B&W!!!!

Didn't ANY of you read the script??!

the color is amazing !
and don't give me this rubbish that it was supposed to be B&W!

that was purely for the censors!

Taratino knew the full color scene would be CUT if submitted to the MPAA, so he purposely included that in the script.

The Japanese version of the movie is Tarantino's full vision of the movie

Now of course he won't admit this in public because he doesn't want to alienate the American audience by admitting that they got the watered down version of the movie

Like filmed for B&W. Using specific colors so they show up better on B&W film rather than just shooting the same stuff but in B&W.