Battle Royale
Writen by Fried Gold on Wednesday, 30 of August , 2006 at 3:19 pm, ,
Battle Royale
Genre: Action/Thriller/Drama/Horror
Dir.: Kinji Fukasaku
Starring: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Beat Takeshi
Year: 2000
Girl #3 Kanai - Dead, 33 to go.
Kinji Fukasaku's Battle Royale is set in a dystopian Japan, where unemployment and juvenile violence is at an all-time high. As a last stand, the Japanese government introduces the radical BR Act, where each year a class of 9th grade students are forced to battle to the death in a last-man standing contest.
Battle Royale follows one such class as they're fooled into going on a school trip, and then ambushed by the military before being forced to fight to the death on a secluded island. Their old teacher (Kitano) presides over the contest, teaching them the rules and dishing out randomised weapons (and C4-laden metal collars) to the combatants.
The film can be pretty disturbing, being compared to 'A Clockwork Orange' by film critics, and some feel carries some heavy social and political commentary if you look for it. You can see this film as the disturbing, shocking and slightly humourous serious film that it was meant to be, but it all depends how you watch it. With a few friends it becomes a laugh, a sort of who-will-die-next-and-how "cool" film. It's probably a mix of the two that has lead to Battle Royale becoming a critically-acclaimed cult-classic.
A kind of cool, crazy and humourous ultra-violent thriller or a deeply disturbing drama and horror awash with social commentary, either way Battle Royale is a solid cult film.
7/10
Category: Film and TV, Films & TV, eMagi News
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Comment by walking leaf
Made Wednesday, 30 of August , 2006 at 4:51 pm
Great review Josh. Battle Royale is indeed cool and Takeshi Kitano’s role as the strict teacher is outstanding.
Some might say this is a nasty, disturbing and shocking movie by showing the act of violent deaths in particular on school kids. But in the end, the story is compelling and fascinating making Battle Royale a cult hit with its fans.
