Upon recent viewings of Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” films, I was simply taken aback by how forcefully and unrepentantly the franchise is presented. Both films are incredibly well-crafted with manic pacing and a razor-sharp attention to detail.
Case in point? We all know that Bill’s ruthless stable of hired assassins are given code names of snakes. Members of the so-called Deadly Viper Assassination Squad go by the following monikers:
- Beatrix Kiddo (codename: Black Mamba) played by Uma Thurman.
- Vernita Green (codename: Copperhead) played by Vivica A. Fox.
- O-Ren Ishii (codename: Cottonmouth) played by Lucy Liu.
- Elle Driver (codename: California Mountain Snake) played by Daryl Hannah.
- Budd (codename: Sidewinder) played by Michael Madsen.
- Bill (codename: Snake Charmer) played by David Carradine.
The outlier, of course, is Bill himself, who is referred to as the “Snake Charmer.” But that’s not all. In ‘Kill Bill: Vol. 2’ we see him driving a De Tomaso Mangusta. Mangusta is Italian for mongoose. And what are mongooses known for? Their incredible dexterity, reflexes, and speed, making them adept at killing snakes.
Indeed, everything about Bill indicates that he is the master of his dominion, even his car. To make the connection from Quentin Tarantino’s brain to yours, check out the full photo above and scene in question below.
