Sonatine details
| Format: | 18 DVD |
|---|---|
| Starring: | 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano, Aya Kokumai, Ren Osugi, Tetsu Watanabe, Susumu Terajima |
| Director: | 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano |
| Genres: | Action/Adventure - Martial Arts, Thriller - Crime, World Cinema - Japanese |
| Studio: | SECOND SIGHT FILMS |
| Name | Discs | |
|---|---|---|
Sonatine |
18 Feature |
DVD Information
| Run time: | 1 hour 29 minutes |
|---|---|
| Rental release: | 22 Jan 2007 |
| Main languages: | Japanese |
| Subtitles: | English |
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Most helpful review
Dreamlike meditation on violence, betrayal & life
By matt52 from London , 04 Apr 2004[Highly rated reviewer]
"Beat" Takeshi Kitano plays a mobster coming to the end of his career; a ruthless and sadistic killer, but with sufficient insight to realise that he lacks the hunger to keep him at the top of his game.
As he contemplates retirement, his boss sends him on one more mission - to the comparative backwater of Okinawa to resolve a feud involving rival gangs.
Soon after arriving, accompanied by a motley group of battle hardened Yakuza and untried youngsters, it becomes clear that things are far more complex - and more dangerous - than he had been led to believe.
Forced by circumstance to hide out in a remote beachside house, boredom soon forces hardened gangsters to find new ways to pass the time. For what seems like weeks, they pass the time with games, pranks and conversation. Kitano even manages to find some sort of happiness with a local woman. But eventually they are forced to re-engage with the outside world, with tragic results.
A strange, dreamlike film (think Pulp Fiction shot by Badlands era Terrence Malick); brutal and uncompromising, but with little in the way of graphic violence (although what there is, is shocking in the extreme). The camera work and dialogue highlight the extent to which we are looking on a world we cannot (indeed can never) understand.
Not a film for action movie diehards, but recommended for anyone wanting something dark, stark and thought provoking. A masterpiece.- Was this review helpful to you?
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(29)on the beach and all washed up
By papatez (295 reviews) from folkestone , 25 Aug 2011I normally love Kitano but this one is dreadful. The best bits are probably on the cutting room floor because the editor certainly did a hack and slash job on the movie and it jumps all over the place with no apparent link between scenes at the beginning.Once they get to the beach to hide away it starts to look like a family holiday with a badly shot home movie to show the folks back home. Give it a miss- Was this review helpful to you?
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Duller than dull
By Martin77 (211 reviews) from PLYMOUTH , 16 Feb 2011I had more fun watching my plants grow than I did watching this movie. I thought it poorly directed and badly acted but maybe thats just me.( Can't quite believe some of the other reviews praising this movie. )- Was this review helpful to you?
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Characters more important than action
By mttvc15 (2 reviews) from Nottingham , 08 Feb 2011Dont choose this if youre looking for a shoot em up. Its more about who the gangsters are as real people, the best scenes are in their leisure time. There is violence, but not excessive. Beautifully shot and minimalist scenes and dialogue; leaves a lasting impression and something to think about.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Sonatine
By a customer from Peterborough , 12 Feb 2010Nothing outstanding here, but atmospheric and enjoyable.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Violent, but worth watching
By MadViking (56 reviews) from Dorchester , 02 Jan 2010This is quite an old film but well worth watching. Japanese gangsters in the USA makes it a very interesting story line. Everything is beatifully shot and dream like. It is also quite a dark film, but worth sticking to. Accept the subtitles and enjoy!- Was this review helpful to you?
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