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With: Takeshi Kitano, Aya Kokumai, Tetsu Watanabe, Masanobu Katsumura, Susumu Terajima, Ren Osugi, Tonbo Zushi, Ken'ichi Yajima, Eiji Minakata
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Written by: Takeshi Kitano
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Directed by: Takeshi Kitano
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MPAA Rating: R for bloody shootings, language and some sexuality
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Language: Japanese, with English subtitles
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Running Time: 94
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Date: 05/01/1993
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Tough Guys
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
Though the Chinese were the experts at martial arts and action movies, the Japanese developed a touch for both samurai and gangster movies. Director Takeshi Kitano managed a bit more credibility and prestige than some of his contemporaries, especially for daring and brilliantly constructed movies like Sonatine (1993). Performing under his stage name "Beat" Takeshi, he plays Murakawa, a yakuza sent to Okinawa to mediate a dispute. However, after an attack, he realizes that something is fishy, so he hides out with his men at a beach house and waits for whatever comes next. The bulk of the movie is about this waiting period as the men grow restless and play tense games with one another. Takeshi's style perfectly reflects this storytelling: he can be totally still and stoic for very long periods, and then, suddenly, explosive, intense violence. Quentin Tarantino was such a fan of this movie that he released it in the United States in 1998 under his Rolling Thunder label.
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