75 Great Performances: #10

10. Uma Thurman as The Bride in Kill Bill (2003-2004)

If film audiences were made to make a list of cinema's most iconic characters, Uma Thurman's The Bride in the Quentin Tarantino bloodbath masterpiece Kill Bill would definitely make it there. Hot, wronged chick with a score to settle, and oh how masterfully and colorfully (mostly in the hues of reds) she does it! The films themselves are brilliant works of cinematic and musical art, with adrenaline-pumping fight sequences (among the best in any film I've seen), heart- and foot-thumping music, and just pure geekdom fantasies come true. Add to the mix statuesque Greek-goddess-beauty Uma Thurman in the lead role, remaining mysteriously and seductively unnamed until the second film. The Bride (Beatrix Kiddo) could have been just another butt-kicking heroine with killer moves and looks, but Thurman infuses her with such emotional strength (picture above shows a particularly fine moment for her) that she goes beyond being mere eye candy or girl power figurehead. It is a true, amazing acting showcase, one that should have gotten her at least an Oscar nomination. But hey, even if she got snubbed for the major awards, there's no doubt that Thurman will forever be remembered as the one we joined for two films in her journey to "Kill Bill."

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