Sonatine Review

                                       

In my Battle Royale review: I stated that one cast member truly stood out as an iconic performer, and to this day, an influential figure in Japanese culture; that of Takeshi Kitano. Sonatine marks as a critical milestone in an already acclaimed body of work for him and, it also changed the way we analysed the crime genre for years to come. Kitano himself had for years tried to break into for lack of a better word, 'dramatic.' works within the world of film.

His first attempt with this in Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence for director

Nagisa Oshima proved to be a lost cause; having the audience laugh off his part, in recognition of his most famous comedy persona, Beat Takeshi, on the screen. After several outside projects, including creating a video game! Kitano made his directorial debut with the successful Violent Cop. From there he directed, wrote and produced a handful of films that dealt with Japan's criminal underworld as a backdrop for character study arcs.

The story goes that Takeshi Kitano plays an enforcer of the Yakuza, Murakawa, who while caught in a feud between the family triads, grows tired of his crime-riddled existence and wishes to retire indefinitely. After a call for peace goes horribly wrong, he and other Yakuza members are ordered to hide in exile by a beach house until matters can be settled. From there, they play games, they play jokes and ultimately experience what it means to be human before the reality of their predicament hits them like a bullet. And so, Murakawa will have to forge a path that he can choose to follow or go back from.

A plot of this ilk bares comparison to plenty of Hollywood counterparts that have come before and after it. However, since this film creates a mostly fresh and cultural viewpoint of the 'disillusioned crime figure' narrative; the film stands out. Showcasing Kitano as a master of genre storytelling and with visual flair to spare. Kitano, in his ingenious way of constructing narrative and character arc, is to save the audience any clues of where the plot is going. Kitano's character rarely lets the audience in on what he is feeling or what he truly understands about a particular situation - violent or otherwise - throughout the film. Murakawa states to a fellow associate that he wants to leave the world he embodies, but in hindsight, there are plenty of obstacles that prevent him from effectively escaping. And so, has to ultimately decide his own fate that in a way that is intricate and surprisingly unpredictable.

The majority of the beach scene, in particular, is laced with humour, displayed by Kitano that is absurdist but never out of place. Moments such as some of the men involved getting caught in sand traps by Murakawa as pranks are clearly funny and also feel human. Takeshi Kitano or 'Beat' especially comes from a stand-up background. To insert humour into this overall dramatic and sombre piece is refreshing but also demonstrates Kitano's approach to the material as knowing and reflective; balancing his sense of humour and a clear eye for poignant moments amongst his characters. This is a take on the crime genre that I certainly haven't come across before, and such marks him as a unique filmmaker in his own right.

For any Kitano newcomers, this is a great place to start from. Kitano refuses to shy away from violence on screen, but only for the purpose of substance and context than surface and content. This is one film that won't escape my mind, any time soon.

4.5/5