After watching the sonata at the Shanghai Film Festival this year, I banged my throat and chatted with my cousin who was watching it until midnight. Talking about the embedded subtitles, the hesitation and temptation of the audience’s laughter at the beginning, the funny crosstalk of the plot and the picture, the innocence and childishness of the gang, paper sumo kabuki frisbee shooting, digging traps, roulette and fireworks battle, too The impulse to die if you are afraid of death... Finally, the truck and the blue car with a woman's concerned eyes met. The scene that moved me the most was something that the movie could express.
Linking the sonata with other works by Kitano, it became a turning point. Because of the fierce attack on the sonata, which is very Japanese in nature, Kitano was very injured and depressed, which largely led to the car accident. But the accident shook his life in some unexpected way. He said that it was like 45 years of Japan, and he was already lying on the ground and could only start again... In the following years, he took pictures one after another. "Bad Boy's Sky", "Fireworks" and "Summer of Kikujiro"...
Reading in Kitano Takeshi’s narrative that he talked about the sonata movie, it is also rare to see the director’s interpretation of his own work. What's more rare is that he is simple and frank, almost knowing everything.
The following text is moved from the book "The Self-report of Takeshi Kitano". The black part was compiled and written by the interviewer Michel Terman, basically focusing on the film itself or the introduction of the film background, and occasionally interspersed with records of Kitano's facial expressions. The gray part is the self-report of Takeshi Kitano.
In 1993, "Sonata" drew the next turning point, and it was time for Kitano to be affirmed. The film was selected to participate in the Cognac Film Festival (Festival du Film Policier de Cognac) in France.
When it was screened in theaters, many film critics and audiences who liked my previous films gave "Sonata" praise. But it is not an easily acceptable movie... In short, it is not the kind of mass-oriented movie.
I like "Sonata" very much. This film made me understand: As a filmmaker, I have crossed an important stage. In addition, when we are learning piano, when we start to play sonatas, isn't it a sign that we are beginning to have some good foundation?
"Sonata" was screened in French theaters two years ago and was selected to enter the competition category of the Xanax Film Festival in the "Noticeable" section. This fourth feature film of Takeshi Kitano left some kind of "affirmative certification" in Europe (in France, "Film Notes" refers to this film as "New Discovery of the Year").
"Sonata" is a very ammunition and out of order movie, the protagonist is some gang members. This is a monument of violence and humor, a real laughter with live ammunition. But in the humorous quick writing, the dark side of the filmmaker is still revealed again. Through the idle gang members he put on the screen, these "bad boys" were driven by a panic and started a move of revenge.
This movie tells the story of Murakawa. He is the right and left hand of the gang boss Bei Dao, who will not hesitate to remove everyone who stands in his way. However, Murakawa became bored with the violence and decided to change his life. He obeyed the proposal of Takahashi, the gang's second-ranked figure, to go to Okinawa to get some air, under the pretext of helping a friendly gang who was declaring war with a rival gang. When the first shot sounded, the situation got out of control, and it turned into a situation where Murakawa and his party had to hide in an empty house by the sea to avoid the limelight. At this time, the film took an unexpected turn. In this heavenly scene, these gang members have fun and have a good time like children. They set off fireworks, played on the beach, pretended to be sumo wrestling, and were lazy in the sun. These gangsters have recovered their lost innocence. Unfortunately, Murakawa was lured into a trap, and soon had no choice but to take up the weapon again out of honor.
In Japan, Kitano did show his style as a film director in this fourth feature film, a style that was purified to the extreme, almost to the point of abstraction. The vast movie family pays tribute to the self-taught director. In addition, his acting skills as an actor are almost perfect. "Sonata" is quite successful and deserves its name, and it has also received excellent film reviews abroad. Nevertheless, it is surprising that the film is not very popular in Japan and even received negative reviews.
When I made this movie, I never thought it would get such a result, and it would be appreciated so much in so many countries, especially in Europe. The soundtrack of the movie composed by Joe Hisaishi was also very popular because of the success of this movie. But in Japan, unfortunately, "Sonata" was not favored by professional film critics. Although it has won a series of awards in foreign film festivals... This film was also selected for the 1993 BBC "Top 100 Best Films in the Last Sixty Years" list, and even got the honor I don't deserve: it was included in the film "Chaos" by Akira Kurosawa Around...
"Sonata" sharply depicts portraits of traditional gang members and real anti-heroes. I want the opposing gang members to look innocent and childish on the screen. Without being too deliberate, the scene where the protagonist Murakawa played with his comrades on the beach was indeed a bit ugly to them, but after the release of "Sonata", I never received any threats from underworld groups. However, what is certain is that those gang members, at least many of them, have indeed seen this movie. Judging from some of the responses I got, some people really like this film!
One day, a British reporter asked me whether "Sonata" was a comedy or a nightmare. I answered him, for me, this is "a nightmare comedy", and it is true. In "Sonata", there is no surprise, but death comes by appointment. Considering harmony, coherence, and logic, these very Japanese things, the protagonist breaks down as expected. No way to fool around! (No way to fool around!) Because if Murakawa does not die, the audience will feel that he has not been punished. You know, Japanese audiences like what we give them. They prefer the story to end as expected, with a certain fatalistic view, and the least amount of blood.
The gangsters in "Sonata" are more real than real. These people, after committing mistakes and crimes, did not hesitate to break themselves, without frowning, as if in accordance with conventions and customs, doing so could not be more precise. Japanese society forgave them because of this. From this point of view, we can say that "Sonata" is a very... Japanese movie in nature. In short, it marked a turning point for me. To some extent, a cycle comes to an end here. It's time for "something else should be done". I want to break everything...
You know, the Japanese are the opposite of Westerners. The Japanese never think that suicide is a negative act or a sin. This is especially true in gangs. This desperate concept reminds me of the uncompromising conservatism of the Islamic radical sect. Some extreme believers are even convinced that in the name of Allah, self-judgment can win true lives. They committed suicide by reading the verses of the Quran, but, in my opinion, this is not an act of bravery. As for the extremists who committed suicide in Japan, they usually do so out of respect for class order! During the Second World War, the Japanese called the "Kamikaze Special Forces" who found their own lives in the name of the Emperor. But anyway, I don’t think that a man or woman who commits suicide is a so-called brave man.
In the early days of my career as a filmmaker, the British resonated very well with the way I made films, and gave me excellent reviews of my most out-of-order films, sometimes even excessive praise. I remember that "Sonata" was screened at the London Film Festival in the United Kingdom. As I walked into the theater, I was greeted with long applause and the atmosphere was very warm. What an unforgettable moment!
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