Sonatine
“A ferocious man sleeps here.”
Synopsis
Murakawa, an aging Tokyo yakuza tiring of gangster life, is sent by his boss to Okinawa along with a few of his henchmen to help end a gang war, supposedly as mediators between two warring clans. He finds that the dispute between the clans is insignificant and whilst wondering why he was sent to Okinawa at all, his group is attacked in an ambush. The survivors flee and make a decision to lay low at the beach while they await further instructions.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Sonatine - TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2012-12-06
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Takeshi Kitano
Aniki Murakawa
Aya Kokumai
Miyuki
Tetsu Watanabe
Uechi
Masanobu Katsumura
Ryoji
Susumu Terajima
Ken
Ren Osugi
Katagiri
Tonbo Zushi
Kitajima
Kenichi Yajima
Takahashi
Eiji Minakata
The Hit Man
Houka Kinoshita
Kitajima Gang Member
Rome Kanda
Rapist
Kota Mizumori
Kanamoto
Yuuki Natsusaka
Murakawa Gang Member
Kanji Tsuda
Tsuda
Kanta Yamazaki
Waiter
Yoshiyuki Morishita
Maeda
Hiroshi Ando
Ito
Takeshi Fukazawa
Sakai
Release History & Theatrical Window
Cannes Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
April 10, 1998
Wide Cinema Exhibition
September 20, 2008
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
Undisclosed
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$59K
Total global ticket sales
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Takeshi Kitano
- Screenplay & Story
- Takeshi Kitano
- Original Score
- Joe Hisaishi
- Original Title
- Sonatine
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 1h 34m
- Worldwide Gross
- $59K
- Production Studios
- Shochiku, Bandai Visual
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Takeshi Kitano
Takeshi Kitano
Joe Hisaishi
Katsumi Yanagijima
Takeshi Kitano
Hisao Nabeshima, Ritta Saito, Takio Yoshida, Kazuyoshi Okuyama, Masayuki Mori
Department Leadership Roster
Takeshi Kitano
Director
Hisao Nabeshima
Producer
Takeshi Kitano
Editor
Ritta Saito
Producer
Takio Yoshida
Producer
Masayuki Mori
Producer
Alen Mikudo
Costume Design
Junichi Goto
Costume Design
Takeshi Kitano
Screenplay
Katsumi Yanagijima
Director of Photography
Joe Hisaishi
Original Music Composer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 18 — Restricted to adults 18 and older.
Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.
Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Sonatine.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Sonatine.
Gangster
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
vison of mind
Imported from MUBI list: https://mubi.com/en/lists/vison-of-mind
collection
JAPONIA
Japanese Movies I watched
about: asian cinema
Similar Titles to Sonatine
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
6.2
8.0
7.0
6.4
7.0
6.5
6.5
6.4
3.6
6.8
6.3
5.6
6.7
7.1
7.5
7.3
7.0
6.4
7.3
More Like Sonatine
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sonatine
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Sonatine about?
Murakawa, an aging Tokyo yakuza tiring of gangster life, is sent by his boss to Okinawa along with a few of his henchmen to help end a gang war, supposedly as mediators between two warring clans. He finds that the dispute between the clans is insignificant and whilst wondering why he was sent to Okinawa at all, his group is attacked in an ambush. The survivors flee and make a decision to lay low at the beach while they await further instructions.
Who directed Sonatine?
Sonatine was directed by Takeshi Kitano.
Who stars in Sonatine?
The principal cast of Sonatine includes Takeshi Kitano, Aya Kokumai, Tetsu Watanabe, Masanobu Katsumura, Susumu Terajima.
When was Sonatine released and how long is it?
Sonatine was released in 1993 with a total runtime of 1h 34m.
How much did Sonatine make at the box office?
Sonatine grossed $59K in worldwide ticket sales.
Who composed the musical score for Sonatine?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Sonatine was composed by Joe Hisaishi.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Sonatine?
Sonatine holds official age classifications: DE: 18 (FSK 18 — Restricted to adults 18 and older.); FR: 12 (Interdit aux moins de 12 ans — 12+ only.); GB: 18 (Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).