|
Starring
:
Takeshi
Kitano
Aya
Kokumai
Tetsu
Watanabe
Masanobu
Katsumura
Susumu
Terajima
Ren
Osugi
Producer
:
Okuyama
Kazuyoshi
Director
:
Takeshi
Kitano
|
SONATINE
(1993)
Reviewed
by Phil Mills
When
a gang war breaks out on the island of Okinawa, the Yakuza
decide to send in one of their most experienced members to
assist in negotiations. Murakawa (Kitano) is selected
and shipped out with a handful of men to resolve the conflict.
Upon their arrival, Murakawa and friends find themselves
caught in the crossfire so they retreat to a secret seaside
residence. In this calming environment the veteran
gangsters are forced to relax and, amazingly enough, even have
some fun. However, all good things must come to an end
and when their enemies catch up with them, Murakawa and the
gang are forced to go back into action.
Takeshi
Kitano has always been noted for his expertise in creating
blood-drenched gangster flicks but 1993's 'Sonatine' offers a
refreshing change from the norm. Although set in a
similarly themed mould to his prior flicks, 'Sonatine' opts
not to glamorise the criminal lifestyle with flashy action
sequences and instead, places the emphasis firmly on the inner
conflicts experienced by it's main characters. Kitano
uses the film to craft out a tale of a group of strangers
thrust together and forced to bond, allowing several
meaningful relationships to grow as the film progresses.
We also watch as the main character struggles to come to terms
with his life of crime as he nears the later years of his life
which produces an interesting exploration into the psyche of a
man littered with regrets.
Kitano's
directorial style complements the film perfectly and aids in
bringing the complete picture together. He's never
afraid to show a scene in complete silence so as to allow his
actor's facial expressions to convey the mood and has the
habit of lingering on shots that other director's may consider
trivial but here they add to the overall atmosphere.
There is also the sense that Kitano knows that the subject
matter he is dealing with is a touchy one so he feels he must
make his characters suffer for any wrong doings, whether it be
emotionally or physically. This of course means that the
outcome of the piece for some is less than pleasurable but
Kitano tries to make his characters think as real people and
ultimately this means that they must pay the price for their
actions.
Although
sometimes criticised for being slow, I found 'Sonatine' to be
an evenly paced and captivating watch. It's nice to see
a film that doesn't just try to offer up the next big action
craze and chooses to create some fascinating characters that
are a joy to wrap your brains around. This one comes
highly recommended.
Rating:
 
|
