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Takeshi Kitano - Sonatine (1993)

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Takeshi Kitano - Sonatine (1993)

A world-weary yakuza in Tokyo is assigned to take his clan to Okinawa to help settle a dispute between two factions. He's suspicious of the assignment, but he goes, and within a couple days, his role remains unclear and several of men are dead. He retreats to a house on a remote beach to wait. The first night there , he rescues a young woman from an assault, and they develop a playful relationship. Over time, it becomes clear he's been set up, sent to Okinawa so that others can take over his lucrative territory. As his clan dwindles, he plans a revenge.

With “Sonatine”, Kitano hit the international scene. Already world famous, at least five times over in Japan, the rest of the world knew next to nothing about him. Here came a film, so fresh and inventive, that some already began talking about a possible new master.

"Sonatine" opens with a shock, precisely 1 minute 27 seconds into the film. A 38 second shot begins, as a static Close Up of a boy sorting mah-jong pieces, suddenly, after 14 seconds, the camera pulls back in a tracking shot for 11 seconds, allowing Kitano and Terajima to enter and leave the frame, leaving us with a 13 second static Medium Long Shot of the boy, still sorting pieces. Considering Kitano's persistent use of static frame compositions in his previous three films, this 38 second shot, especially the 11 seconds of backward tracking, hits one in the face, as if a mute person suddenly utters a word.

It is also the first film where composer Jo Hisaishi’s minimalist score really carries the images. It is the first of many things, all showing a mature and confident Kitano; Thus, “Sonatine” is rightfully the first real Kitano film. Kitano himself agrees upon this, when he says: “...it is with Sonatine that I had the feeling to achieved the first stage as a director."

Aniki (Kitano) is an underboss in the Yakuza. Becoming increasingly bored with the daily routines and having run out of steam, he considers retirement. When another yakuza underboss, who is envious of his success, plots and causes Aniki to lose his territory and family, and forcing him to hide, he sees it as an opportunity to start fresh. But can he?

The title derives from a musical term meaning little sonata, which amongst other is used for simple educational pieces; Kitano elaborates: “When learning to play the piano, one studies various types of pieces. When one acquires the basic knowledge of these pieces, one has reached sonatine. Its not really control, but it marks the end of first stage of training.” (Henrik Sylow, kitanotakeshi.com)

Source: Old scene rip

Kitano encarna a Murakawa, un exitoso yakuza que comienza a pensar en el retiro, al tiempo que es enviado con sus hombres a intervenir en un conflicto de pandillas en Okinawa, aparentemente sencillo de resolver. Pero las cosas se complican y pronto Murakawa y su banda deben refugiarse en una casa junto al mar. Allí encuentra, al menos por un tiempo, su ansiado retiro. Todos juegan como niños en vacaciones, e incluso Murakawa se consigue una compañera. El mundo real parece desvanecerse y todo es alegría y diversión. Pero sabemos muy bien que no será permanente. Y que la balacera final será inevitable.

Murakawa et ses hommes sont envoyés à Okinawa pour prêter main forte à un autre clan yakuza. Mais il s'agit d'un traquenard et plusieurs hommes de Murakawa y trouvent la mort. Murakawa prépare sa vengeance, caché dans une petite maison au bord de la mer.

Murakawa, piccolo yakuza stanco della sua vita da gangster, viene mandato nell'isola di Okinawa a fare da pacere tra due bande rivali. In realtà la missione è una trappola per eliminarlo.