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Sonatine

1993
Comedy
Drama
1h 34m
Several yakuza from Tokyo are sent to Okinawa to help end a gang war. The war escalates and the Tokyo drifters decide to lay low at the beach. (imdb)
Directed by:
Takeshi Kitano Takeshi Kitano
Written by:
Takeshi Kitano Takeshi Kitano
Starring:
Takeshi Kitano Takeshi Kitano Ren Ôsugi Ren Ôsugi Susumu Terajima Susumu Terajima Ken'ichi Yajima Tetsu Watanabe Tetsu Watanabe Aya Kokumai Aya Kokumai Masanobu Katsumura
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Genres:
Comedy, Drama, Crime, Action
Country:
Japan
Language:
Japanese
imdb More information at IMDb
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Sonatine

1993
Comedy
Drama
1h 34m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 66.9% from 1041 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

(1040)
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terrymacterrymac
Rated 14 Jan 2014
82
89th
What a curious little film. Absolutely not what I expected. What starts off as a slow-burning yakuza thriller turns into something else entirely - a study of the banality of yakuza life and the unravelling of one of its veteran servants. The whole feel of the film is odd, from the strangely static shootouts to the frequent tonal shifts. Kitano's underplaying contributes positively to the strange mood pervading the film. Definitely worth seeing.
Rated 14 Jan 2014
desertpunkDesertPunk
Rated 28 Dec 2013
94
99th
I didn't like Sonatine much when I first watched it. I kind of hated it. Since then, its kind of burrowed its way into my mind, and I've begun to appreciate it more and more. I did a rewatch not too long ago that really confirmed all my feelings for it. Sonatine is such a polarizing movie; not for the violence contained within, but because of how Kitano completely breaks down our expectations of a gangster movie. Fantastic direction and execution, and it makes me want to watch it again even now.
Rated 28 Dec 2013
maM_A
Rated 31 Mar 2010
84
88th
Starts off pretty basic, but gets more and more endearing as the film progresses. The beach scenes are all great, fun stuff, and the movie does a stellar job transitioning from the goofy middle section to the violent scenes towards the end. Top notch crime film, with a welcome lack of glossy melodrama.
Rated 31 Mar 2010
pernographerpernographer
Rated 18 May 2008
95
96th
Like Fireworks, it's another twist on the gangster genre. I love the way kitano focuses on the mundane; it makes the gangster life seem like another shitty 9 to 5 job with asshole bosses. Very soon the film dissolves into something different, a vacation. The thugs goof off on a beach. For a long time. It's almost the whole movie. It's brilliant stuff, very endearing and innocent. The film goes back to bloody genre conventions, but begrudgingly. Very interesting picture.
Rated 18 May 2008
madmanMadMan
Rated 26 Jun 2012
95
86th
Stylish, expertly crafted and shot with a truly classy and elegant score to underline the proceedings. The film can be dived into equal parts comedy/lyrical mediation upon life and also violent gangster film where life is all too quickly ended.
Rated 26 Jun 2012
glumpy99glumpy_99
Rated 14 Mar 2018
93
88th
Mesmerising crime saga is a triumph for Kitano the actor and director -- perfectly combines graphic violence with absurd humour (sometimes in the same moment) and anchored by Kitano's acting performance - he makes Eastwood's Man With No Name a chatterbox by comparison, but every subtle expression and change of physical stance speaks volumes. Mid-section set beachside is beautifully photographed, though the pacing slows somewhat and feels a little out of balance with the first and third acts.
Rated 14 Mar 2018
obdurateObdurate
Rated 23 May 2012
75
53rd
As my first Kitano movie, I didn't know what to expect. This has incredible tonal changes that really work, it's odd, and my love for almost anything Yakuza puts it over even more for me. Funny when it wants, violent when it wants... it's Yakuza: Beach House Vacation for the entire middle but it works somehow. Beautifully shot.
Rated 23 May 2012
zarkonZarkon
Rated 21 Feb 2021
80
53rd
While Sonatine made a splash among international film circles at the time, I find it has largely been superceded by Kitano's Hana-Bi, which features a much richer, deeply personal story for the main character compared to that of the enigmatic, hollow Murakawa here.
Rated 21 Feb 2021
nepetaNepeta
Rated 21 May 2013
70
44th
An odd film. It starts off as a gangster film but quickly shifts in to some incredibly strange mood piece. Tonally it's all over the place and the story can be hard to follow being relegated to the backseat as it is, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't find it good fun and there are certainly some moments that are both memorable and confounding, especially the fireworks fight on the beach which makes no sense really yet looks so stunning that I couldn't care less.
Rated 21 May 2013
yiannosYiannos
Rated 28 Dec 2019
83
95th
Kitano's successful subversion of the crime film is no longer a novelty, but he crafted several memorable scenes that alternate swiftly between tranquil beauty and violent brutality. The effect is jarring yet coherent as these juxtapositions gain force through repetition, revealing the starkness and fragility of the world its characters inhabit. Kitano's staging of the final shootout, with flashes of gun fire ricocheting off reflective surfaces, has been often imitated but never bettered.
Rated 28 Dec 2019
007tuxedo007Tuxedo
Rated 14 Aug 2007
64
39th
A somewhat boring film with an ending that doesn't help its case either.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
cowmanCowman
Rated 01 Dec 2013
80
89th
Very interesting. It's suprisingly different than any other gangster movie, with a lot of quiet, well crafted scenes that seem random and trivial, mixed with a few of the strangest, deadpan shootouts I've ever seen. It's cold and distant and the main characters' motivation is not always clear, but in the end the atmosphere (combined with the music) makes up for it.
Rated 01 Dec 2013
qthealmightyQtheAlmighty
Rated 24 Dec 2013
76
53rd
I'm going to break your neck, fuck.
Rated 24 Dec 2013
prowlerprowler
Rated 26 Aug 2016
85
86th
fantastic how more intense life (fun, love, terror, those basic things) appears when placed over the backdrop of nihilism. Kitano had a powerful vision here and takes it all the way.
Rated 26 Aug 2016
fancymikeFancyMike
Rated 06 Dec 2017
4
59th
Beach Takeshi
Rated 06 Dec 2017
azureclipseAzurEclipse
Rated 28 Jan 2010
88
98th
Great movie, foreshadowing was well-done, i expected nothng but guns blazing action, but was more than pleased to receive the concept of a Yakuza lifestyle in a different perspective
Rated 28 Jan 2010
mentaculusMentaculus
Rated 13 Jul 2009
84
80th
Perfectly orchestrated tonal shifts, and bizarre juxtapositions only Kitano would be ballzy enough to execute (the sleeping girlfriend in the middle of a yakuza gun mow-down). Nevertheless, the yakuza are depicted as just another (boring as hell) Japanese business. Eating popsicles on the way to a stakeout is choice Kitano.
Rated 13 Jul 2009
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 16 Jan 2007
85
84th
A most captivating work. A violent yakuza film, heavily laced with light, even gentle, humor. Some scenes are really beautiful (the fireworks fight on the beach is particularly breathtaking).
Rated 16 Jan 2007
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 03 Mar 2007
55
49th
Odd.
Rated 03 Mar 2007
uniquenameUniqueName
Rated 15 Jan 2009
90
92nd
It's slow, yet very realistic, I was thrilled with Kitano's character from start to finish. There's a couple of really interesting and humorous moments in the film which was very unexpected but almost made the movie feel as if you're riding waves. It ranges from light romance or humor, and then plummets towards something more sinister and back again.
Rated 15 Jan 2009
lilarcorLilarcor
Rated 17 Jan 2012
67
29th
Mixed bag this. Occasionally funny and the final half hour is strong in the sense that it makes me excited for something after a long period of standstill. But there never seems to be anything at stake here, it's fairly obvious where the story is going to go and nothing really seems to matter. Perhaps that was the point of it all. Great choice of location for the latter half of the movie.
Rated 17 Jan 2012
scribScrib
Rated 04 Jul 2022
60
31st
Underwhelming. Characterisation is mixed and the main protagonist(?)'s arc I found a bit unclear. There isn't a lot of plot in this, but in spite of that, the highlight for me was where everything stood still and the characters laid low at the beach. It didn't feel like there was enough development to cash in for the finale though. Hisaishi scores this but it's a bit of a disappointment. Very 90s; often competent, sometimes intrusive.
Rated 04 Jul 2022
peyrinpeyrin
Rated 21 Aug 2019
75
69th
Felt a lot harder to get a proper read on the characters compared to Fireworks but Kitano films the countryside spectacularly as always.
Rated 21 Aug 2019
suture_selfSuture Self
Rated 06 Sep 2014
10
96th
Sonatine tends to play with opposite emotions, and has very strange but effective tonal shifts. It's also difficult to tell whether the director is going for something carefree or nihilistic, which lends itself a peculiar kind of tension. Beautifully shot and framed, odd, dreamlike, goofy, occasionally funny...I liked it a lot.
Rated 06 Sep 2014
chengmingchengming
Rated 28 Dec 2018
65
47th
Didn't feel this one. All the beach stuff seemed superfluous, and the rest was boring.
Rated 28 Dec 2018
kito1kito1
Rated 11 Feb 2018
60
47th
I think I took a break somewhere in the middle and haven't continued since. But I remember the likeable protagonists and the charming beach scenery. Will rewatch some time.
Rated 11 Feb 2018
sweekodenSweekoden
Rated 27 Jul 2013
83
84th
Most difficulty I've ever had getting through (or into, rather) a movie. Must've watched the first 20-30 minutes 5 times throughout the past 3-4 years before I finally just skipped to the 31-minute mark, watched about 30 minutes and really enjoyed myself, then watched the beginning 30 minutes with a new appreciation for the feel of the film, and then watched the final third. Really interesting movie, with an amazing main theme. The dancing dude rules. Shame Kitano's a POS. (2021 edit: He is? :c)
Rated 27 Jul 2013
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 01 Aug 2016
82
67th
A gangster film that reverses the usual flow with a handful of intensely violent moments surrounded by the most mundane moments of waiting. But it finds something in those moments to make them just as exciting and intriguing as the thin crime intrigue that threads the film. It's moody and pretty damn good.
Rated 01 Aug 2016
giturragiturra
Rated 18 Dec 2010
90
56th
One of Kitano's best and most whimsical of movies. It mixes violence, manhood, love and tenderness in a seamless way. It also has one of those tragic poetic endings that Kitano has made a trademark of his. Lovely, fun, exciting and poetic. And very violent, but in an ascetic kind of way. As if Buster keaton made action movies. Great film
Rated 18 Dec 2010
theyshoot07theyshoot07
Rated 02 Mar 2008
64
42nd
# 728
Rated 02 Mar 2008
normalchaosnormalchaos
Rated 16 Jun 2015
70
52nd
The plot wasn't ultimately the main focus, but I found it confusing and sometimes bizarre. There were some neat scenes, such as the fireworks fight. The music was a bit repetitive. The overall feel was very emotionless and cold.
Rated 16 Jun 2015
hehhehhehheh
Rated 29 Jul 2007
5
95th
Unique, existential yakuza movie. One of the best movies of the 90s.
Rated 29 Jul 2007
xyuxyu
Rated 27 Jul 2021
95
83rd
Great
Rated 27 Jul 2021
theyshoot08theyshoot08
Rated 19 Dec 2008
59
18th
819
Rated 19 Dec 2008
djrossdjross
Rated 14 Aug 2007
72
81st
A film that has some genuine surprises and contains some remarkable and memorable scenes. Probably this director's best movie.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
hsncrspywlhsncrspywl
Rated 31 Jan 2014
98
98th
Nihilistic and brutally funny, weird and threatening in equal measure. Kitano's film gradually shifts in tone from a pitch-black thriller to a relaxed, near-psychedelic sketch show in such a natural way which keeps the viewer guessing - but never being quite fully able to relax. The way the film jerks the audience around with tone is a really good way to get into the mindset of the characters and makes for compelling viewing - as does some excellent cinematography and a great score.
Rated 31 Jan 2014
slaapaavSlaapaav
Rated 21 Oct 2007
55
27th
The best Kitano yakuza flick
Rated 21 Oct 2007
aflickeringAFlickering
Rated 03 Aug 2019
4
55th
the hijinks which constitute the bulk of the film aren't removed from the detached real-world violence that weighs upon murakawa's spirit so much as childish caricatures of the same. this made me think of THE ACT OF KILLING; memories of past violence therapeutically reconstructed as something fun, colorful... cinematic. murakawa's temporary eden is not functionally dissimilar to a movie theater, and one wonders whether kitano himself would still be alive were it not for the outlet of cinema.
Rated 03 Aug 2019
picklemanPickle_Man
Rated 09 Nov 2018
95
87th
What if being a Yakuza was all about being bored and desensitized? Like the other Kitano I've seen (Violent Cop) there's a fantastic compositional beauty to the film. Nothing in the frame is ever particularly flashy or visually stimulating, in fact it's often drab or banal, but taken as a whole, the composition of the frames is gorgeous, and the camera is content to linger, mostly static. Is it just me or is the score ripping off Tubular Bells (Mike Oldfield/The Exorcist)?
Rated 09 Nov 2018
glm01glm01
Rated 18 Sep 2013
81
68th
81.000
Rated 18 Sep 2013
jschlanskyJSchlansky
Rated 28 Sep 2022
90
91st
You can't Beat Takeshi
Rated 28 Sep 2022
moraesfelipemoraesfelipe
Rated 28 Apr 2021
95
98th
Dry and economic as these Tokyo yakuza try to "restore peace" between gangs - you know, some ally shot some rival. They find shelter at a beach when plot thickens -- the film gets absurdist, goofy, playful and even romantic (Kitano's character falls for a woman he saved from rape). But then of course he gets betrayed - his area's been thriving and he was even considering retirement in early scenes. Gotta love both deadpan shootouts (bar, elevator, final one with lights out) and weird comic bits.
Rated 28 Apr 2021
iyisinekiyisinek
Rated 21 Sep 2013
45
10th
çete, mafya, klan, japonya, mafya hesaplasmasi, anan klani, kacis, deniz kiyisinda konaklayan mafya üyeleri, adam öldürmek, vince asilan adami bogarak öldürmek, yem olmak (dost klana yardim etmek için yolan çikan yakuzlar, kendilerini kanli bir hesaplasmanin ortasinda bulurlar sonrasinda deniz kiyisinda bir evde kalirlar. canlari sikilir oyun oynar, dans ederler. Sonunda dügüm çözülür. Sonunda bir hareketlenme olsada bir ara hepten yavasladi, duruldu keyif vermedi.
Rated 21 Sep 2013
offlineozofflineoz
Rated 18 Apr 2020
80
75th
Under Quarantine Film Reviews #52: A visually striking elegy on the yakuza genre. By subverting the usual genre tropes and juxtaposing the calmness of the beach and jarring violence, Takeshi manages to create something both beautiful and very funny.
Rated 18 Apr 2020
semiramisSemiramis
Rated 14 Aug 2007
74
27th
Not my favourite film but still an arlight watch. The silent scenes are really tense.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
jx820jx820
Rated 14 Aug 2007
15
7th
This Japanese, would be scarface ends on a note that's more "huh?" than anything I would ever care to see again. Why not have him go over the next hill.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
alvinkeialvinkei
Rated 23 Jan 2011
89
76th
beautiful minimalistic film, poetic phrases and quick bursts of dry violence all in Kitano's style. this is not some normal gangster movie, but it develops the 'human' side of the gangsters. very endearing and it'll remain as one of my favorite unconventional gangster flicks
Rated 23 Jan 2011
moncliviemonclivie
Rated 13 Aug 2023
78
65th
I've never seen someone so indifferent during a shootout.
Rated 13 Aug 2023
driscarpindriscarpin
Rated 11 Sep 2023
90
87th
Sonatine estreava há 30 anos no Festival de Toronto. Kitano era o rei absoluto dos anos 90. Box Versátil Cinema Yakuza Volume 1.
Rated 11 Sep 2023
chemical404chemical404
Rated 15 Sep 2014
85
98th
Essential Japanese crime film. It is beautiful, violent, funny and sad, and every part of it works perfectly. I don't know how many times I have heard or asked the question "Have you seen that Japanese film with Yakuzas chilling at the beach?". I watch it every 5 years or so, and it never disappoints.
Rated 15 Sep 2014
deaddillydeaddilly
Rated 03 Mar 2022
70
47th
Like Goodfellas on horse tranquilizers. A strange Yakuza film with a deeply nihilistic heart that permeates through its style and substance.
Rated 03 Mar 2022
magbMagb
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
73rd
The first part of the film had me gearing up for a mostly conventional gangster flick, but what I got instead was much more interesting, meaningful, funny and beautifully filmed. Now that I've seen two other yakuza films by Kitano I realize that he definitely has a formula, and a rather predictable formula at that, but at least here, it works very well.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
neurophateneurophate
Rated 03 Jan 2020
82
79th
When you are looking for a movie about Yakuza, you've come to the right place, but despite the fact that the description suggests internal mafia conflicts, the most important part of this movie is the excellent representation of the emotional and psychological side of the main character.
Rated 03 Jan 2020
walkenrollWalkenRoll
Rated 21 May 2012
80
74th
Not what I expected. When it's violent, it's really violent. But it boils down the Yakuza to what it most likely is - a group of people sent nowhere, killing time waiting to do whatever it was they were sent there to do in the first place - featuring rock paper scissors style russian roulette.
Rated 21 May 2012
oskarhuoskarhu
Rated 02 Aug 2021
79
69th
Pretty much about the mood that encompasses both escalation and serenity in appropriate proportions.
Rated 02 Aug 2021
jakeaestheteJakeAesthete
Rated 14 Jan 2016
26
23rd
I probably just watched this at least ten years too late to appreciate it (but hey it was streaming on Netflix so, you know...) This had a few mildly amusing deadpan moments toward the beginning, but Kitano's style isn't quite rigorous enough to really sell it (visually it's stuck awkwardly somewhere between minimalistic and functionally bland). Aside from that, a lot of the humor is pretty juvenile and goofy and not to my taste. Also, that soundtrack, ugh...
Rated 14 Jan 2016
vandelay1Vandelay1
Rated 14 Jun 2008
93
98th
Great
Rated 14 Jun 2008
yugyug
Rated 13 Apr 2016
90
84th
The starting background score felt out of place for the shown visuals. Unnecessary underplay and overplay of emotions for the 1st few minutes. Rest is brilliance. Beautiful symbolism. As usual, Criticker rocks!
Rated 13 Apr 2016
space_popeSpace Pope
Rated 22 Apr 2012
80
78th
indecent exposure is fun
Rated 22 Apr 2012
dean_franzDean Franz
Rated 16 Mar 2011
78
75th
This didn't click with me initially, and I'd blame the slow start, but honestly, it's all pretty damn slow going. The trick is to surrrender to the lazy pace and just enjoy it, much like (lame sexual reference). It plays out a bit like "Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot" but with more guns, blood and tits and without all the french people. Delightful.
Rated 16 Mar 2011
the_pirateThe Pirate
Rated 02 Aug 2015
49
10th
People looking uninterested in what they're doing and the sometimes violent, sometimes nonsensical things happening around them: the movie. Seriously, this had to be the most boring, unengaging gangster movie ever. I honestly don't see why so many people love it.
Rated 02 Aug 2015
kitchen867kitchen867
Rated 25 Aug 2009
85
98th
A gangster elegy.
Rated 25 Aug 2009
theyshoot10theyshoot10
Rated 15 Jan 2010
54
8th
919
Rated 15 Jan 2010
ieuandpIeuanDP
Rated 05 Nov 2016
95
96th
Stylistically similar to Hana-bi. The violence is really numb and unceremonious, and it's juxtaposed with a lot of levity and playfulness. It's like some radical shift occurs for Murakawa that sidetracks the violence and moves his and the film's focus onto more subjectively meaningful things. The jokes and the silliness really undermine the graveness of his existential fear, and you get the sense that the film itself is only willing to linger on the things that Murakawa prioritises now.
Rated 05 Nov 2016
tjekhovTjekhov
Rated 26 Dec 2013
70
69th
Let's the mind wander while also containing some splendid writing and cinematography. An artsy crime thriller beach movie.
Rated 26 Dec 2013
hehejajahehejaja
Rated 17 Feb 2009
70
57th
Typical Kitano, yet rigidly unique. Despite the tragic ending, it's more comical and uplifting than the likes of Violent Cop, Boiling Point and Hana-bi. Strange, erratic and elegant.
Rated 17 Feb 2009
p_u_l_pP u l p
Rated 17 Sep 2015
79
87th
"Not fair! You are using a real gun!"
Rated 17 Sep 2015
theyshoot11theyshoot11
Rated 02 Dec 2011
53
6th
#943
Rated 02 Dec 2011
graveyardtangraveyardtan
Rated 03 Jul 2013
85
71st
A crime film more akin to Godard's new wave school than anything Scorsese's put out in the last three decades. As other viewer's have noted, the beach sequences are fantastic, and Kitano is charismatic and intense in the lead role.
Rated 03 Jul 2013
beejBeej
Rated 27 Apr 2010
75
50th
Although many Kitano crime films contain a humourous streak, I was not quite ready for the irreverent mix of laugh out loud comedy with coldly executed violence. Having said that, the film does feature some excellent tense sequences- in fact I would say that the atmosphere created, while deliberately inconsistent, works very well. Not as touching and beautiful as Hana-bi, nor as outright brutal as Violent Cop, this is a strange mix, a gangster thriller/comedy in the truest sense.
Rated 27 Apr 2010
dustydDustyd
Rated 16 Sep 2007
70
63rd
strong effort
Rated 16 Sep 2007

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