Sunday Matinee #79 Kill Bill Vol. 1
The maddest trumpets of all time.
2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 | EnterTheBible.org
Eighth Sunday After Pentecost | 07.14.2024
Context: The long-divided kingdoms have been united under King David. The long and winding road of politics, war, and prophesy have led to this moment. David has brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem (this was long before it went to Tanis and was placed in the Well of Souls, according not to the Bible but to Raiders of the Lost Ark). He and his court celebrate. But one person is not celebrating, and that’s Michal, daughter of the former king, Saul. Her mind, and her heart, are in another place.
12b So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing; 13 and when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. 14 David danced before the LORD with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. 16 As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.
Kill Bill Vol. 1 | 2003
IMDb | Letterboxd | RRMC
Context: Once one of the deadliest assassins in the world, “The Bride” (Uma Thurman) now seeks her revenge against all who killed her friends, killed her fiance, beat her to the ground, shot her in the head, left her for dead, and ended the life of the young one she carried in her body. She has a shot at taking out another of her former co-workers, when she hears another of them close at hand, just ready to be taken by surprise. Just like she was four years ago. It’s time for revenge.
The 5, 6, 7, 8s wrap up their song, “Woo-Hoo,” just as Sophie (Julie Dreyfus) enters the restroom. The lights switch and we’re now able to see The Bride (Uma Thurman) changing in one of the stalls. She hears Sophie’s ringtone, an ironic “Aud Lang Syne,” stops, and looks up.
The Bride peers through the stall door. There’s Sophie at the vanity, smiling and chatting away on her phone in Japanese. Haunting music reminiscent of alarm bells, “Ironside” by Quincy Jones, rings in her head as The Bride gives the clueless Sophie the death stare that we’ve seen her give others who would meet their end at her vengeful hands.
This one has to be seen to truly appreciate it:
To help with where we are in the story so far…
Sunday Matinee #73 - Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
- 1 Samuel 3:1-20 - God tells young Samuel to give his mentor, Eli, a message.
Sunday Matinee #74 - Night of the Living Dead
- 1 Samuel 8:4-11, 16-20 - The Israelites tell Samuel they want a king, he tells God.
Sunday Matinee #75 - The Godfather, Part II
- 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 - God is not pleased with King Saul, Samuel meets young David.
Sunday Matinee #76 - Commando
- 1 Samuel 17:32-49 - The giant warrior Goliath taunts King Saul's army, David kills him.
Sunday Matinee #77 - Goodfellas
- 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 - David grieves the death of Saul and his son, Jonathan, in battle.
Sunday Matinee #78 - Army of Darkness
- 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 - David is made king of a united kingdom for the Israelites.
Sunday Matinee #79 - Kill Bill Vol. 1 (You are here!)
- 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 - King David celebrates while Saul's daughter, Michal, is upset.
Commentary:
I won’t pretend to know a lot about politics. Part of me doesn’t want to, and part of me thinks that’s just what they want - for us not to want to know! But one thing I do know is that when leaders change, not everybody is going to be happy about it.
David, the new king, and Saul, the former and also now dead king, have walked a long road together. God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint Saul to become the first king of the Israelites, then that doesn’t go so well. Then God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint the shepherd boy David to become the next king, and that doesn’t go so well with Saul. They are friends, they do battle. There is closeness and mercy, there is war and carnage. Finally, Saul is killed and now David is proclaimed king. David does mourn Saul; he does not ascend to the throne lightly. Nevertheless, he does ascend to the throne and celebrates.
That doesn’t go so well for Michal.
She is Saul’s daughter and this passage of David and his entourage celebrating his new role as king takes a break to specifically turn to her. David and his people are dancing, shouting, trumpeting. She stares daggers deep into his soul. The text reads, “She despised him in her heart.” What’s her reason? Did she not like that her father Saul arranged for David to marry her? Could be. Did she not like that David presented Saul with the foreskins of 200 Philistines killed in battle as a “bride price” to marry her? Eh, there are worse engagement gifts. Did she think it inappropriate that her father was killed in battle against David’s forces and now her husband dances the night away? I’m leaning more toward that one.
Unfortunately, that also doesn’t go so well for Michal.
Later, she finds she is unable to bear children, thus no heir to David’s throne and certainly not one in the bloodline of her father Saul. The prophet Samuel claims it is a consequence of her speaking out against David’s dancing, shouting, trumpeting parade. I can’t say whether that is just, nor if her marriage with David is a good one considering his own flaws, but for the daggers she stares at him in that moment, I don’t blame her a bit. Michal doesn’t get revenge, but her moment is a reminder to us as a reader that David is not perfect.
In our household, this moment from Kill Bill Vol. 1 get quite a bit of playback. That trumpeting Quincy Jones music is just so good as The Bride stares down Sophie in the restroom. We hear that music several times in the Kill Bill story, and each time it is played both for laughs and as haunting foreboding. Whoever The Bride stares daggers at while that music plays, it’s a sign that it will not go so well for that person.
We replay this in our household because if one of us is upset, we will sometimes hum that music to relieve the tension. Mind you, this is reserved for more mild moments, like not being able to find the TV remote control or while being frustrated that the cats won’t get out of the way. It’s our way of being able to laugh at ourselves.
Kill Bill is a very satisfying two-film revenge story. In movies, revenge can be a compelling character arc and it certainly is here. In reality, I find revenge is seldom satisfying and even less so a good way to show off one’s character. I won’t pretend I’ve never been upset with someone. But I think of these two women, Michal and The Bride, both staring down people who did them wrong, justifiably upset, and that blaring trumpeting music. Is there value in at least taking a moment to fume? To stare daggers? Could be. But I wouldn’t recommend wielding a true dagger, or Hattori Hanzo steel as The Bride does.
That won’t go so well for anybody!