Intertextuality

Intertextuality is when something alludes to or references something else of the similar ilk, this is in order for the thriller genre to be developed. Quentin Tarantino uses intertextuality in many of his films in order to strengthen the genre and in order to create and build suspense much more effectively. 3 films which all link together quite well are 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly', 'Kill Bill vol. 2' and 'Buried'. Each of these films use the scene of being buried alive in a coffin as a way of creating suspense and vulnerability. In 'Kill Bill' we have several intertextual references that link it with 'The Good the Bad and the Ugly', whereas in 'Buried' there are very few intertextual references apart from the idea that somebody is trapped underground in a coffin with nothing but a torch and a few other handy items.

The first intertextual reference is the soundtrack. When the bride in 'Kill Bill' is shot in the chest, the soundtrack from 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' plays, this gives the audience the idea that Budd (the character that shot the bride) is about to do something that will link to the graveyard scene in 'The good the Bad and the Ugly.' The next scene shows Budd burying the bride alive in a coffin, this links to the graveyard scene in 'The good, the Bad and the Ugly' again because the locations have been linked. The charters in both these films are also have intertextual links towards each other. Blondie (the Good) Sentenza (the Bad) and Tuco (the Ugly) all link to the characters in 'Kill Bill' this is because the Bride, who is called blondie by Bill is the good character.  Bill is the bad because he causes other peoples misfortunes and Budd is the Ugly because he is doing the manual labour and work for the more dominant characters. This links well with the Bride's intensions, in 'The Good the Bad and the Ugly' the Good kills the Bad, which could link to the end of the film where the Bride kills Bill.

The Buried alive scene in Kill Bill links to the buried scene in the film Buried because they both start off in complete darkness but then manage to use a torch to start to find their way out. This is an effective intertextual reference because it makes you believe that the character in 'Buried' is going to escape in the same way that the Bride manages to escape. The claustrophobic space utilised in both films creates the idea that there is no hope for escape, but with the Bride we know that she needs to get out in order to 'have her stand off with the bad'. Their is no real reference to whether the character Paul Conroy in 'Buried' will escape or not apart from the fact that the Bride escaped the same situation.