Day 1: Baggage

Hattori Hanzo's final sword, given to Beatrix Kiddo

To me, the sound of a knife slicing the air always sounds like a Hanzo sword coming out of its sheath. It is the sound of preparation and the sound of courage. To cut whatever you encounter on your journey. It is also the sound of films - all the films that I love. Starting right at the top: Kill Bill. I remember the exact place I was standing in the back lawns when my friend Anirudh asked me to watch the film that would forever change the way I viewed films.

I remember downloading Part 1 & 2, only to realize that they were both parts of Vol. 1, as opposed to two separate volumes of the series. So after I finished watching Vol. 1, I wanted to watch Vol. 2 right away. Of course it was the middle of the night, and downloading took up the rest of the night - it was one whole day until I could watch the ultimate volume of the series. It was an endless wait, but it was worth it.


I think so many of the films you love are a matter of timing. The time in your life when you watch a film is imperative to how it impacts you. That's why there are movies you don't care much for until you watch them again. Because it is a different time in your life. You are a different person with a different set of experiences. The movie hasn't changed, you have.

Kill Bill is a film about history. Beatrix Kiddo's history, and mine.