i first write a review of this film here on imdb back in june 2000. at the time i be totally in awe of the film and the script and the acting and the cinematography and the musical score and above all the direction from tekashi beat kitano . some 18 month on and i still love the film and be certainly one of my top five international film . i have see kitano latter film and hana bi and brother and tokyo eye and gonin and and even though production value have improve and especially with brother and hana bi and i personally feel that sonatine still remain beat best film to date . in retrospect one can see within the film a vision of beat state of mind at the time . it be no secret that he try to commit suicide in real life shortly after the completion of sonatine . with this in mind it be easy to understand the motive within film and how it be structure within kitano head . even though it be a film about yakuza and gangland killing kitano doesn not fill every scene with a run commentary or 100mph action fests . instead sonatine be very much an avante garde kind of film with the action take a backseat to the humdrum live of the gangster themselves . kitano be the bos of a successful yakuza mob in central tokyo at the expense of it poorer rival . a a consequence a plot be hatch to get him and his member on a meaningless trip to okinawa to sort out a peace deal between war faction and thus leave his patch vulnerable to a take over . so kitano gang arrive in okinawa only to find that there be no such deal but instead his gang be steadily kill off leave only himself and 3 other gang member and an abandon young woman and whom he save from a rape ordeal by her husbandthey move to the coast well away from central okinawa and wait for the trouble to calm down before consider return to tokyo . during that time they have very little to do other than play beach game and sing song or play russian roulette in order to pass the time . but eventually even the beach hut where they live be no long safe from the assassin bullet and so kitano have no other choice but to face his rival once and for all in a bloody gun battle finale . and so end the film . it be not a happy film with no satisfy hollywoodesque end . far from it and the end only illustrate the work mind of kitano at the time . in fact there be many example within the film that underline the bleak suicidal tendency of his mind for real and especially the russian roulette scene . it be also interest that these gangster think nothing of their own life or safety represent they accept their fate a a death wish . they have witness so much death in their life that they have lose their morality and humanity in themselves and to other people . so it be no surprise that during the various gun battle between rival group neither kitano or his men hide behind furniture in order to avoid the bullet . instead they stand erect like statue fire their gun and hop for the best waiting to be kill by their enemy in full view . the life of the yakuza in the context of this film and therefore and count for little . they have no life and only a limited existence . there be few highlight such a the sumo scene and the firework fight and even the scene where aya kokumai remove her t shirt in front of kitano so that she be semi nude before him . and yet not even this make an impression on him . he be have become such an empty shell that even his sensual nature have long since go and such be the life of a yakuza warlord . critic would argue that this film be too anal for it own good and that nothing much happens and that the film be punctuate with to camera shot of the main protagonist look vacant at the audience wait for something to happen . in my opinion these critic miss the point . there be a reason why they stare back at the camera or audience . there be no sparkle in their eye and no smile play on their lip and no supple skin tone and no positive body language to tell u that these people be really happy . instead and we see nothing but ghost and empty husk of humanity await their fate with the silver bullet while they look at u a if they be plead with u to put them out of their sad existence . they may have gun and the money and the power but they be not happy and they be not content and they be not you and me . sonatine remain one of the most influential film ever to come out of japan . so impressed be i with this film that i create this imdb login in honour of it majesty . yes and it maybe see a a sad act to name a login after a film but for me tekeshi kitano have yet to direct a good film and sonatine will haunt me for all sort of reason for year to come and especially the excellent score from joe hisaishi . or .