Production Designer Liz Bischof on Sonatine

Production designer Liz Bischoff joins Movies We Like to discuss Sonatine, Beat Takeshi’s 1993 meditative yakuza film that masterfully blends moments of shocking violence with poetic contemplation. As a special guest who has worked on projects ranging from Broadway’s Aladdin to Apple TV+’s See, Bischoff brings unique insights into the film’s visual language and thoughtful approach to production design.

 

In our wide-ranging conversation, Bischoff shares her journey from props maker for international opera companies to production designer for film and television. She discusses her recent work on A Nice Indian Boy and upcoming thriller Getaway starring Jason Biggs in his directorial debut, before diving deep into why Takeshi Kitano’s Sonatine left such a lasting impression on her when she first saw it at the Rotterdam Film Festival. The film’s minimalist aesthetic, strategic use of color (particularly in the red and blue motifs), and carefully composed shots that often feel like still life paintings exemplify what draws her to this unique take on the yakuza genre.

 

The discussion explores how Kitano, primarily known as a comedian in Japan at the time, crafted this deliberately paced crime drama about a tired gangster (played by Kitano himself) sent to Okinawa. The film’s remarkable middle section, where the characters retreat to a beach and briefly recapture moments of childhood play, provides a stark contrast to the inevitable violence that bookends the story. Bischoff particularly appreciates how the film’s production design reinforces themes through its use of gritty, fluorescent-lit spaces in the city scenes versus the poetic beauty of the beach sequences.

 

Sonatine remains a masterpiece of 90s Japanese cinema that rewards patient viewers with its unique blend of violence, humor, and existential meditation. Our conversation with Liz Bischoff illuminates how the film’s thoughtful design choices and visual poetry continue to influence and inspire filmmakers and designers nearly 30 years after its release.