Beat Takeshi has done many yakuza films but this one was the best and so original, although, he always plays a dark character and is very serious but always laughs a little in every film he is in, that's what make his films good.
Was this review helpful to you?
Joe Hisaishi's music destroys me
From its hypnotic style to its pessimistic plot, Sonatine is a mesmerizing manifestation of Takeshi Kitano's continued revitalisation of the yakuza movie. It is a largely peaceful, contemplative work, punctuated by moments of extreme violence all delivered with purpose balancing the fine line between gorgeously dreamy and grim reality. Kitano's haunting elegy to the gangster way of life, he spends the film exposing the gangster ideal as the myth, of little boys who forget to grow up, doing so with incredible flourishes of style, playfulness and jarring outbursts of his trademark humour. Having only written four scenes, the vast majority of the film was largely spontaneous, often Kitano finding his feet in the moment at hand. Sonatine sees the bleak suicidal tendencies of Kitano's mind coming right to the forefront, especially since he suffered partial facial paralysis after a motorscooter accident not long after this film's release. One he has often mentioned was an unconscious suicide attempt, this alone lends a massive amount of weight to the Russian Roulette sequences, giving Sonatine so much more emotional levity to its already unconventional narrative. With the addition of another stunning musical score by Joe Hisaishi, Sonatine rewards those with patience, offering up plenty of existential dread among its exceptional beauty.Was this review helpful to you?
Cinematographic Genius
The work of Takeshi Kitano sparked my interest in modern Japanese cinema as it is not your average run of the mill Gangster Film. It is a cinematic masterpiece, misunderstood. The story is basic yet told in a realistic way that doesn’t chase you from one scene to the next. It is a film maybe not for everybody as viewers need to observe it rather than watching it appreciate Beat Kitano’s directing style.The cinematography is beautiful, making full use of the lovely beaches of Okinawa. Kitano puts a lot of color into this film, looking very gritty and dull when they’re in Tokyo, but it becomes much more abundant in color as they go to Okinawa. Get to know the cinematographic genius behind Kitano, Mr. Katsumi Yanagijima. He has journeyed on the path with Takeski Kitano from the beginning. We get stunning visuals and character studies more so than anything of the protagonist with a false sense of security. Legendary composer, Joe Hisaishi's music, was sad and beautiful. It was very hypnotic through the colorful camera shots. If you are someone who is not afraid to sit through a film and observe it with a keen eye see this underrated gem.
I have rewatched this film five times and I always seem to pick up something new. Even though my
Rewatch Value is a 7 I, have seen this many times.
Final Rating: 8.739/10.
It is about 4 points higher than the comments section.
Was this review helpful to you?
