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	'Sonatine' asks for greater meaning for gangsters
		"Sonatine" is one of only six films that Takeshi Kitano has written and directed (most of which he has also edited and starred in), but it is the first to receive a major American release (through Miramax and Quentin Tarantino).
		In "Sonatine," he is Murakawa, an aging Yakuza underboss contemplating retirement and the virtues of being middle-aged.
		For "Sonatine" plods along quite aimlessly until, in a brilliant sequence, a peasant fisherman actually turns out to be a rival gang's hired gun, throwing death and disorder back into the lives of Murakawa's crew, all of whom have by that point found an inner peace amid their paradisical environs.
	www.usc.edu /student-affairs/dt/V133/N57/07-sonatine.57d.html (723 words)

	Sonatine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		Sonatine DVD cover featuring Takeshi Kitano as Murakawa.
		Sonatine (ソナチネ) is a 1993 film written and directed by, and starring, Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kitano.
		It won numerous awards and became one of Kitano's most successful and praised films, garnering him a sizable international fan base.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Sonatine (144 words)

	Hana-Bi (Fireworks) / Sonatine
		Sonatine's spellbinding midsection, during which a troupe of gangsters goes into hiding at a beach house on a deserted shore, is bookended by depictions of super-heated gunfights, including the ambush that drives them into exile.
		Sonatine's beach scenes, then, are all the more poignant as Kitano allows his gangster demeanor to crack and then fall away.
		Sonatine is the story of a businessman trading in violence whose world is shattered by the realization of how much more full life can be when you allow it to be empty.
	www.deep-focus.com /flicker/hanabi.html (834 words)

	'Sonatine': No Rest for the Weary in a World of Violence
		ear the end of "Sonatine," Takeshi Kitano's haunting elegy to the gangster way of life, an assassin's sidekick crouches in the driveway of a hotel in the middle of the night and gazes up at a window that is suddenly lighted by repeated orange flashes and muffled popping sounds.
		"Sonatine," made in 1994, predates the Japanese director's art-house hit "Fireworks" by three years and is arguably stronger than its successor.
		In "Sonatine," the filmmaker and star (under his acting name Beat Takeshi), plays a middle-aged yakuza gangster named Murakama who is considering retirement.
	partners.nytimes.com /library/film/041098sonatine-film-review.html (780 words)

	Varied Celluloid > Reviews > Sonatine (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		Sonatine was my second or third Takeshi Kitano film and it still lives with me. One of the biggest stepping stones in Japanese cinema and a complete reinvention of the whole gangster drama as we know it.
		Whether Sonatine is Kitano's greatest effort is truly debatable, I personally hold Kids Return very close to my heart, but when it comes to Kitano's films Sonatine is probably the closest thing he's ever come to true perfection.
		Sonatine isn't a laugh riot, and it deals with very serious issues, but Kitano spreads his dark humor throughout the film, probably more present here than many of his other crime films.
	www.variedcelluloid.com /reviews/sonatine/review.shtml (1229 words)

	CNN - Review: 'Sonatine' shooting for art - April 26, 1998
		"Sonatine," a near-crime movie from Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kitano (who also stars in the film under the name "Beat" Takeshi) seems to be about something, and, every now and then, I found myself enjoying the game of watching that something almost take place, but not quite.
		Takeshi's character in "Sonatine" is a veteran Yakuza (i.e.
		Actually, in the early going, there are a couple of "something happening" scenes in "Sonatine." The best one, and easily the best in the movie, involves the dipping of a bound man hanging from the end of an industrial crane into a lake.
	edition.cnn.com /SHOWBIZ/9804/26/review.sonatine (634 words)

	The Blind Swordsman Zatoichi/Sonatine (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		Early on as the opening frames of Sonatine appear before your eyes you know that you are about to watch something special.
		Sonatine is unlike any other Yakuza film you will ever see and Takeshi Kitano with this does what Kinji Fukasaku did in the 1970’s for the Yakuza film.
		Sonatine is presented in an anamorphic widescreen that preserves the films original aspect ratio.
	www.10kbullets.com /reviews/zatoichisonatine.htm (1016 words)

	DVD Bits - Region 4 and Region 1 DVD news, reviews, resources, PC-DVD, hardware
		There is a reason and a place for each piece of the web he is weaving and it sometimes may take several viewings to fully appreciate everything that he has laid out before us.
		Sonatine focuses on several Yakuza members, sent to Okinawa to act on behalf of their boss and provide assistance to one of their bosses associates.
		Told with styles, substance and flashes of brilliance Sonatine isn’t to be missed, especially if you appreciate something more from your films.
	www.dvdbits.com /reviews.asp?id=2865 (872 words)

	Sonatine (1993) (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		In interview Kitano has explained the Sonatine as that step in a musician's schooling where he or she chooses a direction to take their final style in.
		I discuss it because this moment is what I consider to be the summary of "Sonatine" as a whole and more importantly the artist at his best.
		This idea of other people unseen is repeated several times during "Sonatine", both figuratively and literally (at one point an assassin is escaped simply by the targets sitting down).
	pages.prodigy.net /1157/films/reviews/n-s/Sonatine(1993)/Sonatine(1993).htm (1568 words)

	Compare Prices and Read Reviews on Sonatine at Epinions.com
		The way this atmosphere-change is shown is one of the most unique aspects of this film, and a scene where they play a mock-sumo-wrestling game on the beach is very surreal and very brilliant, nothing less than a classic.
		All in all SONATINE is a film of great depth and power, hard as a strike and soft as a caress, and if you are like me, a fan of the possibilities within the stoic, understated style, the acting is a pure joy to watch.
		SONATINE is a masterpiece and a sin to miss, I give it my highest reccomendations!
	www.epinions.com /content_6934662788 (531 words)

	Amazon.co.uk: Sonatine [1993]: Video (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		I can't remember a mob film where the hero is so down on his luck he has to flee or face the consquences, and Kitano makes his acting as this particular mobster look like an artform.
		Sonatine is will go down as a classic Japanese cult classic and leaves it's Hollywood counterparts in the shade, relegating similar films into average thrillers, where as this film injects intellegence into a tried and tested formula.
		Sonatine is a very good movie, I'd even consider it as a masterpiece.
	www.amazon.co.uk /exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004CPFG (721 words)

	Sonatine
		SONATINE is a masterwork from legendary writer, actor and director Takeshi Kitano.
		Kitano is Murakawa, a yakuza chief sent to Okinawa to settle a dispute between two factions.
		By turns funny, sad, and thought-provoking, this is a genuinely fine film that deserves all the accolades that have been heaped upon it over the years.
	www.heroic-cinema.com /reviews/sonatine (455 words)

	Asian Cinema Drifter - Sonatine Movie Review and Image Gallery (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		Sonatine is the first movie to use the utterly apparent and irreplicable Kitano structure to smoothly make a yakuza movie that wasn’t really about the yakuza.
		Sonatine has got that timeless nostalgic feeling like Police Story complete with cheesy synthetic score and colorful goofy eighties style clothing.
		True human dimension is given to the characters and once we begin to revel in the mood the film creates, enunciated by Joe Hisaishi’s gorgeous works, we wish we were there to fall into Murakawa’s sandtraps as well.
	www.acdrifter.com /Asian-Movie-Review/117/Sonatine.html (340 words)

	International Examiner : Sonatine @ HighBeam Research (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		In variety show host/filmmaker/writer/ painter Takeshi "Beat" Kitano's latest U.S. release "Sonatine" (originally made in 1994, now released by Quentin Tarantino's Rolling Thunder Pictures) the results are quietly violent and charmingly silly.
		Kitano, whose film "Hana-Bi" was released earlier this year, made this film just before suffering a near fatal motorcycle accident.
		Although the sensibilities are similar, "Sonatine" has a lot more joy and humor than "Hana-Bi," making it a breezy watch as well as a meditation (rather than a narration) on career and relationships.
	static.highbeam.com /i/internationalexaminer/october071998/sonatine (168 words)

	Sonatine (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		When he explains this perfectly logical reasoning, you look to see if he is smiling, but he isn't.
		Sonatine is the latest film to be released in this country by Takeshi Kitano, who wrote, directed and edited it-and stars in it under his acting name, Beat Takeshi.
		Sonatine is pure, minimal and clean in its lines; I was reminded of Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samourai (1967), another film about a professional killer who is all but paralyzed by existential dread.
	www.ammi.org /film_programs/program_notes/s/sonatine.html (784 words)

	DVD Talk Forum - Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman & Sonatine coming soon!
		It was discussed in an old Sonatine thread, but I'm sure many people missed it.
		Sonatine looks good, but I haven't watched Zatoichi yet.
		Great deal, especially since many would argue Sonatine is the better film...
	www.dvdtalk.com /forum/printthread.php?t=388144 (891 words)

	Sonatine
		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.
		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.
	www.dragonsdenuk.com /reviews/sonatine.htm (495 words)

	Zatoichi (and Sonatine) - The CHUD.COM Message Boards
		Sonatine comes as a bonus on the Zatoichi disc that was released last week.
		I'd been waiting for them to get on it for god knows how long, this is the best buy I've made all year.
		This November 2004 release also comes with Kitano's "Sonatine", which is one of his best films and at the regular price makes this probably the best purchase I've made this year.
	www.chud.com /forums/showthread.php?p=1319998 (1981 words)

	Takeshi Kitano's - Sonatine - DVD Review Takeshi Kitano Sonatine DVD Review Takeshi Kitano Sonatine DVD Review Takeshi ... (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		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.
		Announced August 2003 and to be released in January 2004, the long awaited Miramax US R1 version of “Sonatine” was pulled indefinitely and is currently not on their release schedule.
		As it was to be released thru Buena Vista Home Entertainment, the current problems between Disney and Miramax is not the most fertile in regards to it returning.
	www.dvdbeaver.com /film/DVDCompare6/sonatine.htm (1079 words)

	Dual Lens - Sonatine (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		Rather than just being a static meditation on a few violent individuals, Kitano’s films are societal critiques in which a flashily dressed yakuza acts as a stand in for the masses of middle-aged salary men.
		In Sonatine, Kitano’s most successful gangster film, gangsters in their element are more boring than an accountant’s convention.
		I think Sonatine is one of the clearest examples of how incorrect these critiques are.
	www.duallens.com /index.asp?reviewId=41803 (797 words)

	Sonatine: CE (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		Sonatine: CE In Stock - Usually dispatches within 24 hours.
		Contrasting, deeply lyrical scenes with shocking bursts of violence, Sonatine is one of the few films written and directed by Takeshi Kitano.
		Brother: Uncut DTS, Sonatine, School Day of the Dead, Blood Heat, Fighter in the Wind: LE, Fighter in the Wind: 2DSE, Aragami: SE, Brother (Thai Version)
	aznfilms.com /product_info.php/products_id/626 (400 words)

	Sonatine (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		In Sonatine (2) (1993), the police are nowhere to be seen - as if, in the most ordered and well-behaved nation on earth, they no longer serve a purpose.
		It is here, when the action comes to a complete halt, that Sonatine proves to have far less to do with violence than with the lulls between violent acts, the doldrums in which violent men engage in child's play that reduces violence to harmless fun.
		On its cool surface, Sonatine is a strangely leisured film, made up of juvenile pranks, punctuated by sporadic gun battles in closed spaces (a bar, an elevator, a car).
	www.sensesofcinema.com /contents/cteq/01/15/sonatine.html (1143 words)

	EUFS: Sonatine (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		However, don't get the impression that Sonatine is a comedy; it has the rather disturbing and tragic project of tracing the gradual annihilation of Kitano's Yakuza gang after it gets involved in the mob business of an Okinawa ally.
		Unlike an American gangster movie, whose pace and plot would probably build to an explosive climax, Sonatine shatters the continuity of any climactic process with periods of almost meditative serenity and inaction as Kitano and his men try to weather the storm of violence at a beachfront retreat.
		Nevertheless it's undeniable that Sonatine does manage a rousing climax as Takeshi strides through the double doors of an office building to engage the enemy in an intense gun battle which is teasingly viewed from the parking lot as a series of flashes and shadows thrown up by the blaze of machine gun fire.
	www.eufs.org.uk /films/sonatine.html (210 words)

	filmcritic.com Movie Review: Sonatine
		Sonatine gives us Kitano as Murakama, a burned-out and nearly silent mid-level thug who admits to his loyal sidekick Takahashi (Kenichi Yajima) that he’s just plain tired.
		With its long silences and slow pans across tropical vistas, Sonatine is unlike any gangster picture you’ve seen, and perhaps this depiction of boredom punctuated by horror is a more realistic view of thug life than movies normally provide.
		Since Sonatine’s 1993 release, he has only improved and refined his unique cinematic style.
	www.filmcritic.com /misc/emporium.nsf/ddb5490109a79f598625623d0015f1e4/f988031ab6bc4d7288256f5b0082eaf4?OpenDocument (610 words)

	Entertainment Ave! The Movie Theater - A movie review of Sonatine.
		"Sonatine" is a movie most of you probably will never see, and maybe that's too bad.
		What you will miss, however, is something most American filmmakers seem to be lacking these days - the guts to give a film an ending that is realistic, tragic even, while staying away from the "Sappy, you'll go home feeling good" ending.
		Murakawa (Takeshi Kitano) is directed by his bosses to take some dudes to Okinawa and hopefully smooth things out to stop a gang war, but he's getting tired of gang life and is wanting things to go well, and go quickly, so he can maybe get out of the game.
	www.entertainmentavenue.com /movie_theater/s/sonatine/sonatine.htm (570 words)

	O.F.C.S.: The Online Film Critics Society (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		Sonatine is the lesser of the two films on the list, although not by much.
		Sonatine is still an interesting film in the director’s oeuvre because it’s lighthearted.
		Sonatine may well be a hybrid film -- first Yakuza beach movie ever created.
	ofcs.rottentomatoes.com /pages/pr/1990overlooked/ofcs58 (414 words)

	Sonatine
		When he explains this perfectly logical reasoning, you look to see if he is smiling, but he isn't.
		Sonatine is the latest film to be released in this country by Takeshi Kitano, who wrote, directed and edited it-and stars in it under his acting name, Beat Takeshi.
		Sonatine is pure, minimal and clean in its lines; I was reminded of Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samourai (1967), another film about a professional killer who is all but paralyzed by existential dread.
	www.movingimage.us /film_programs/program_notes/s/sonatine.html (784 words)

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