Quentin Tarantino is known for many things in the film industry. He has gained a reputation for his excellent films that feel immersive in every way. His storytelling methods have become well-known in every corner of the world. And his dedication to his vision is truly commendable. While these traits of the filmmaker are extremely well-known, there is one very big part of his life that many of his fans often overlook; his love for cinema.
Tarantino’s raw passion for cinema and film is truly unmatched. Over the years, he has watched nearly every movie in existence and curated expertise in everything surrounding the field. There is no better example of this than when he talked about the beloved Japanese film, Sonatine.
Quentin Tarantino Has Nothing But Praise for Sonatine
The filmmaker went into great detail about the film as a whole (via Films Extras), and his take on it is quite interesting. Kitano’s film is quite a unique take on the Yakuza trope, a genre that is very famous in Japan. Rather than showcasing serious characters in similar situations, he chose to introduce a thread of comedy within the subtext of the movie.
It’s a slightly different take on the standard yakuza film.
This was a bracing bucket of cold water in the face of the Japanese film industry and yakuza films, and critics loved it.
This fact was not lost on Tarantino, who mentioned just how different the movie was compared to others from Japan. He talked about these differences and how they ended up working in favor of the film and its success. The changes were quite refreshing and appreciated by audiences, and considering how well Kitano managed to execute them, it is not surprising that the film gained a lot of recognition.
What Made Sonatine a Masterpiece?
In simple words, Sonatine managed to execute some truly hilarious moments throughout its runtime without being traditional comedy. It heavily relied on its actors and their ability to add comedy to their performance—not through jokes and laughter, but through creating funny situations. The Russian Roulette scene is the perfect example of this, and Quentin Tarantino seems to agree.
While talking about the movie, he singled out this scene and mentioned how surprisingly hilarious it ended up becoming. During the game, there is a scene of unseriousness present between the three men that makes their interaction and almost death oddly funny, and the filmmaker points this out.
The whole Russian Roulette scene is one of the most funny & surprisingly shocking scenes I’ve ever seen and I think that’s a true masterpiece scene.
He mentioned how he was genuinely surprised when no blood was spilled during this scene, with the gun having been empty the entire time. This fact made him determine that the movie was one of the most excellent works of cinema that he had ever seen and very few would disagree with Tarantino.
Sonatine is available for streaming on Prime Video.
