A yakuza and his clan are profiting in an affluent business turf . Their greedy boss sends them to Okinawa to end a gang war ... But when they arrive they learn there's no gang war to begin with . The yakuza are suspicious of their boss because his last assignment led to several members being slain , and the patterns are repeating again during their new mission . They decide to lay low on the beach and enjoy some peace time in their everyday violent lives .The beginning of Kitano "poetic art-house" movies

Despite the endorsement of Quentin Tarantino, this Japanese yakuza film is not merely about violence being cool; it is a meditation concerning a highly intelligent and sensitive man whose life currently depends on his ability to watch quietly and, when necessary, to suddenly turn to violence.Sonatine is elliptical storytelling, which some may find frustrating at first, as it does not lay out a clear story line about good guys vs. bad ones, and during a long stretch in the middle, shows "Beat" Takashi observing younger people indulging in the luxury of having fun; the photography is stunning, in lush, deep colors that surprise and often contrast with the violence that springs up when it's least expected. Takashi, who both directed and starred, has created a subtle film worth watching twice--but it is sometimes uncompromisingly bloody.

This came as part of a package with the DVD for Zatoichi, also by Takeshi, and at first I thought I had scored a really good deal. Then I watched Sonatine. Now I know that the only reason this is included with Zatoichi is because few would willingly shell out money to watch this piece of crap.***SPOILERS***"Slow moving" doesn't begin to describe it. Pointless scene after scene of a bunch of gangsters hiding out in a beach house comprise the bulk of the film. Most scenes appear to have been made up on the spot, with no writing or rehearsal. This goes on for nearly an hour, with excruciatingly long shots of people walking, cars driving, etc. used for transition; some of these shots last as long as 40 seconds. A complete lack of facial expressions on a 30 second close up of Takeshi's face is utterly boring, and seen 10 or 12 times it becomes ridiculous. I actually ended up fast-forwarding thru a lot of the walking/driving/close ups because I got so bored; I just wanted to see the end of the film.This proved to be anti-climatic, as after a terribly written "revenge" scene, the protagonist, who has nothing to fear anymore (he killed everyone) blows his own brains out within shouting distance of a woman who has recently come into his life and who stands waiting for his return. Bittersweet? More like bit o' crap.A complete waste of time.

This film is one of my all time favourites for chilling out to at night. The cinematography is beautiful, making full use of the lovely beaches of Okinawa, and the shots tend to linger on a face or a car driving off into the distance, which creates a sort of hypnotic effect on the viewer. The score is beautifully composed by Joe Hisaishi, who also gave you the music for Spirited Away. Personally, I think that the film wouldn't be half as good if it wasn't for the music.Plot wise, it's quite basic. A group of Yakuza are assigned to Okinawa to make peace with a rival clan. Things go horribly wrong and they take shelter in a disused beach hut. I think the main subject the film deals with is what guys do to make the most of a bad situation. There is an underlying theme of helplessness and pessimism......Maybe self realisation. Although there is never any feeling shown by the main character, you get a perfect picture of the characters state through Kitano's relaxed acting style. He reminds me of an oriental mix of DeNiro and Keitel.All in all, a classic film that speaks in whispers.Andy