Kitano Takeshi is called "the new Japanese film emperor" by many filmmakers (the Japanese film emperor is the late master Akira Kurosawa), and he is also a standard-bearer with distinctive style among Japanese film directors. The word "aesthetics of violence" is the most decoration on him, which is different from Wu Yusen's chivalrous romance and dramatic violence. Violence in Kitano Takeshi is extremely realistic, violent and abnormal, and quiet.

Film: Sonata

Sonata is the first gangster film directed by Kitano Takeshi. Although two films, Violent Man and 3-4X 10, have been made before, they are still not orthodox enough, and Kitano Takeshi's personal label is not particularly prominent. After the film Sonata, Kitano Takeshi's gangster movies were completely different from those of other directors.

When I first saw the sonata, I was shocked by the sudden calm and violence and the extraordinary camera language. There are no bullets flying and rivers of blood in traditional gangster movies, and there is no strong drama conflict. Although the film is about vendetta, the characters in it are always in a state of idleness, a still long shot, a daze, blue sky, occasional jokes and seemingly absurd games. Kitano Takeshi tells stories in a very special way.

However, in the rambling narrative rhythm of Sonata, personal interest and warmth are everywhere. In the film, Kitano Takeshi has little communication with his friends whom he has met for life and death. They all know what to do next, how to do it, and to what extent. This is quite similar to Gunfire and Exile, but Du Fu's films are more poetic.

There is a very interesting scene in the movie where Kitano Takeshi and his brothers escape to the seaside. In order to kill time at the seaside, several men played a "childish and ridiculous" game before the war. When they are all grinning and giggling, there is no doubt about the years of brotherhood between men. Kitano Takeshi's genius is that he didn't say anything, did nothing, and didn't use any cinematic skills to play up this friendship. Even if the last friend died, there was no exaggerated drama. The vague feelings are revealed, and the impact and shock brought by the accurate capture of details are undoubtedly stronger. It can be seen that Kitano Takeshi, as a director, is very talented and skilled.

Regarding the love scenes in the film, the director's handling method is even more obscure, and almost no trace can be found.

A Xing said: I like being with powerful people. Kitano Takeshi said: If I were strong, I wouldn't carry a gun. A Xing added: But you will not hesitate to shoot. Kitano Takeshi said: That's because I'm afraid. A Xing said: But you are not afraid of death. Kitano Takeshi looked at the seaside and replied, "If I'm not afraid, I'll die." .

A Xing is a little girl saved by Kitano Takeshi. She depends on her from the bottom of her heart. The above dialogue has appeared several times in the film, all of which are very short. What Kitano Takeshi said casually and the way he looked at her were very touching. As a middle-aged man, why doesn't he long for a stable and peaceful life? But when his brothers died one after another, he couldn't dispel his sadness and give himself a promising future. He took a gun and aimed it at his own sun.

Dramatizing and suppressing the climax, just like "Boiled Water", makes people feel even more uneasy because it has no logical direction of the normal story. I don't know when Kitano Takeshi will take out his pistol and blow your head off suddenly, and I can't guess the fate of any character in the film, who will die and who will have a happy ending.

The film Sonata was selected as one of the top ten films in the famous French film handbook, and it was also the first stylized work directed by Kitano Takeshi on the international stage, which also laid the overall narrative tone and aesthetic style of a series of gangster films directed by him in the future. Although "Fireworks" is his most mature and peak police film in the eyes of many fans, it is self-evident that it is more groundbreaking for Kitano Takeshi.

For fans who like Kitano Takeshi's film style, the film Double-sided Kitano Takeshi, released in 2005, is also not to be missed, where there is a more realistic and three-dimensional Japanese new film emperor "Kitano Takeshi".