Sonatine was done before the car accident.
Hana Bi (as well as Kikujiro and Dolls, etc) were doen after the car accident which is why they are mor contemplative. I just love Takeshi Kitano so much! i particularly loved Dolls which i thought was excellent, but Hana Bi and Sonatine had me the moment i watched them.
Violent cop wasnt as good as Sonatine, Dolls, Hana-Bi, Zatoichi or Boiling Point (Boiling point is better than violent cop i am sure) and i dont think it was all because he was first time directing i think it was because he was playing a cop. Takeshi knows how to play gangsters and direct gangsters one hundred more times than he knows how do it with cops.
SPOILER
I agree with Bullet about the ending, but i am not really puzzled anyway as to the ending cause Takeshi Kitano kills himself at the end of his films all the time.
SPOILER FOR HANA-BI
it made more sense in Hana-bi though
