Sonatine (1993)

I love this movie so much

Excellent but underrated film

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Well this is the third and final film in the 'Beat' Takeshi trilogy that I picked up on DVD, the first two being VIOLENT COP and BOILING POINT. SONATINE is the best of the trilogy, the most mature and the film with the best atmosphere. Despite the violent shenanigans of the film's plot, involving rival gangsters killing each other, for the most part this is a tranquil outing shattered only by bursts of extreme violence. It's also a film with a lot of humour, most of it utterly surreal (such as when two wrestlers become toys thanks to some sped-up camera effects). For most of the film, it's simply a bunch of guys having fun at a beach house, by pulling pranks on each other and playing games. Despite that the film never becomes boring because there's a simmering undercurrent of violence that you know has to erupt at some point.Once again the presence of 'Beat' Takeshi lifts the movie another level and the whole film hinges on his outstanding performance. This time he's a typical gangster, plagued with a hidden desire to kill himself. Takeshi has mastered the Japanese 'cold face' well yet it's also a pleasure to see him in some warmer moments as I get the feeling he isn't such a nasty character this time around – certainly not like the rapist he played in BOILING POINT. The supporting cast is very good indeed and the photography on the film is excellent. The violence, in the form of bloody shoot-outs, is nothing new, yet executed with a certain level of finesse that makes it stand out. Watch out for the shoot-outs where time (and the characters) literally stand still as fates are meted out. Add lots of bizarre stuff going on, Japanese humour, and a great twist ending, and you have what amounts to a nice, unusual little film.

A yakuza mob leader, Beat Takeshi, is told by his clan's head boss to go to Okinawa to straighten out a war between two factions. Something leaves Takeshi disturbed when he and his men notice that the situation isn't as terrible as they were led to believe and that the two supposedly warring factions appear to be barely fighting at all. A feeling of being set-up comes over Takeshi and his men leading to their excommunication from their clan in Tokyo.As the Anan clan increases it's grip on the other clan supported by Takeshi, they flee to a beach where they remain safe for a while. But, despite their having fun while wasting away the hours, it's only a matter of time before the path of violence and death will escalate.I think the film's main strength is the beach sequences in the middle of the film as we watch human beings letting loose and enjoying themselves as they wait for word from their bosses in Tokyo and Okinawa. We see them setting up pothole traps for each other, shooting bottle-rockets at each other, playing a fake game of Russian Roulette, and shooting their guns at Frisbees. They are able, for this short amount of time, to escape the blood-shed and fear of being immersed in yakuza culture. Here is where Takeshi Kitano can provide proof that he is a great filmmaker with an artist's touch showing that these members of a violent organization are human. A constant in Kitano's films is the absurd humorous flourishes which makes his characters unique. We see the explosions of violence followed by the quite close-ups of calm faces dealing with what just happened. We can understand that dying is always on the minds of the yakuza and Takeshi's group are always expecting something to happen. The beach at least provides them temporary solace from what will soon occur..their violent paths in life will come calling for them. You just can not escape who you are no matter how far away you go or the location of where you go..your shadow follows you.Interesting element in the film also is the love interest provided to Takeshi and how this flirtation with a possible normal life is simply that..a flirtation. The ending shows the final confrontation between Takeshi and the yakuza clan who betrays him because the turf he patrolled and ran was the most profitable. The final statement from Takeshi, I believe, states his yakuza boss just wishes for the madness to end and that it will have to be done alone in a car on some barren, wide stretch of road away from the cities that occupy the violence he has represented for so long.

i gotta say i was a bit disappointed with this film. i thought i was in for a good yakuza film but a lot of it was plodding and dull. i understand and support the concept of adding a fresh perspective or something unexpected to a tired genre but in the case of the juxtaposing scenes of violence with scenes in which the mobsters play like children i simply found it distracting and wasteful. the movie centrally focuses on the main hero who is built up slowly through the movie but then any building tension is undermined by meaningless shenanigans. all of the other characters come of as even less then one dimensional, and the scenes of violence are filmed in a way that makes them look amateur night.could have been better 5 out of ten

This film is one of my all time favourites for chilling out to at night. The cinematography is beautiful, making full use of the lovely beaches of Okinawa, and the shots tend to linger on a face or a car driving off into the distance, which creates a sort of hypnotic effect on the viewer. The score is beautifully composed by Joe Hisaishi, who also gave you the music for Spirited Away. Personally, I think that the film wouldn't be half as good if it wasn't for the music.Plot wise, it's quite basic. A group of Yakuza are assigned to Okinawa to make peace with a rival clan. Things go horribly wrong and they take shelter in a disused beach hut. I think the main subject the film deals with is what guys do to make the most of a bad situation. There is an underlying theme of helplessness and pessimism......Maybe self realisation. Although there is never any feeling shown by the main character, you get a perfect picture of the characters state through Kitano's relaxed acting style. He reminds me of an oriental mix of DeNiro and Keitel.All in all, a classic film that speaks in whispers.Andy