Customer Reviews

Battle Royale

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"Battle Royale" is a superb film, subtle and sad and over-the-top and loud all at the same time. The story is often compared to "Lord of the Flies," but that is a bit of a misnomer. "Lord of the Flies" was about reverting to primitivism, whereas "Battle Royale" is a futuristic cautionary tale in the tune of "1984" and "Brave New World." The caution at work here is the threat of absolute bureaucracy, and the dangers of the loss of the value of life and respect in a rules-dominated society. This is a threat quite apparent in modern Japan.

The actors in "Battle Royale" all deliver excellent performances, including the amazing talent "Beat" Takeshi Kitano playing the appropriately named "Kitano." The film was not directed by Takeshi however, so it lacks his beautiful visual style. It does however feature one of his riveting paintings. There is a good range of responses from the various actors playing the students, from outright suicide, to panic, to a drive to win to a drive to help. Unfortunately, the character of Kazuo Kiriyama (the machine gun boy) is woefully underdeveloped, and instead of the fierce, cold genius of the book he is a somewhat characterless villain.

While a violent film, I wouldn't characterize "Battle Royale" as an action film per se. Anyone looking for a Hong Kong-style action film should realize that Japan and China are quite different countries with different approach to movies.. "Battle Royale" retains the quietude and patient pacing that is the hallmark of Japanese cinema, and which leaves some viewers bored, who are used to a quicker pacing. The bloodshed, while in great quantity, is also more cartoony in nature, which is also more typical of Japanese films, which does not favor a naturalistic approach.

I think some familiarity with problems in modern Japan (ie: school violence, overwhelming bureaucracy) gives some necessary perspective to this controversial movie, and helps frame it as more than exploitation. It is a political statement, with a subtle message underlying the overt violence. Along with this, knowledge of Japanese culture deepens the understandings of certain scenes, such as when Kitano performs the prescribed exercises, and the training video shown at the beginning. Without understanding, these scenes might come off as merely quaint or odd.

Battle Royale is a movie based on new age problems, such as teen suicide, school murders, and the lack of respect that today's youth has or has had for superiors. It's a surreal response to all of these elements of modern society (and despite being a Japanese film, this is especially true for the United States). In the near future, teenagers have decided that they don't want to follow the same rules they've been following for ages. Teachers now fear for their lives, and students boycott the system. In order to put a stop to this, the BR Act was instituted, yet none of the students have no idea about this... until they are apart of the Act. Basically, the BR Act allows the adults to send children and students off to a secluded island to kill each other off.

That's just what happens to a class of forty-two students, with two mysterious transfer students included in that. Once introduced to their class, and given the rules of game, they are sent off with a bag of provisions and a randomly chosen weapon. Sometimes, the weapons can as useless as a pair of binoculars, or as effective as grenades. It's all the luck of the draw, and whether or not the student is able to adapt to the game and earn the weapons on their own. Some students do just that, while others choose different ways of escaping the game. And then there are those who choose instead not to fight at all, but to unite and try to figure out a way to save themselves. Yet the rules of the game may force even those of a more peaceful ilk to kill the ones they trust.

What's good about Battle Royale is that, though there are numerous characters and plenty of sub-plots, it never gets bogged-down with an over-populated cast. There are heroes, neutral forces, as well as those who are pure evil. Another good part of this movie is the constantly rising tension, and how the characters react to this. As the game gets deeper, the characters emotions begin to fray. Though surely a fantasy, it seems that everything that happens to these students because of the BR Act could be possible, should our world ever reach the point it does in Battle Royale.

The one problem I had with Battle Royale, though, was the subtitles. At times they ran out of the edge of the screen, making it impossible to read, and at other times they just weren't grammatical. The wrong words were used in many places, and sometimes the subtitles made no sense at all, whether they were written grammatically or not. Though the acting makes a lot of what's being said clear, there are times when this still gets frustrating.

Despite that, though, the movie is excellent. It has plenty of surprises, a good ending, and a lot of great action. Plus, it has the common Japanese elements, like the super-violence and gore. To add, the story is great, and the characters are well-acted. I'd recommend this movie to any fan of Asian cinema, especially Japanese horror fans. Battle Royale is one of the better movies to come out of Japan.

The 61st film of 70-year old director Kinji Fukasaku, BATTLE ROYALE begins with a prologue:

"At the dawn of the millennium the nation collapsed. At 15% unemployment, 10 million were out of work. 800,000 students boycotted school. The adults lost confidence and, fearing the youth, eventually passed the Millennium Educational Reform Act AKA the BR Act."

While the logic of instating the BR Act due to the downturn of the Japanese economy is tenuous at best, BATTLE ROYALE screams into action and doesn't allow time to ponder such issues. After a few scenes setting up core characters--Shuya (Tatsuya Fujiwara) and Noriko (Aki Maeda)--the forty-two high schoolers become trapped on a remote island where they're reintroduced to their seventh grade teacher, Kitano (brilliantly played by "Beat" Takeshi Kitano).

"This country's become no good," Kitano says. "The bigwigs got together and passed [the BR Act]. So today's lesson is... you kill each other off. `Till there's only one left. There's nothing against the rules."

Armed with a random "weapon" (some get semi-automatic guns, some get less lethal implements like cookwear), each student has three days to dispatch his or her classmates in hope of being the last one standing. Again, there is little time for logic and no room for pacifism. Playing like a high-stakes version of Martin Campbell's island prison adventure NO ESCAPE, BATTLE ROYALE finds fuel in the heightened melodrama of adolescence. As these kids struggle to stay alive, classroom rivalries skyrocket and doe-eyed crushes become heavyweight love affairs.

Shuya, whose father abandoned him by taking his own life, becomes the stand-in for the audience as well as the prototypical Japanese. Struggling in this microcosm of Japan, Shuya is a young man without a father as Japan is a country without a strong leader. Meanwhile, the only male role model for Shuya appears to be Kitano, the slump-shouldered former teacher plagued with family problems of his own.

BATTLE ROYALE has its moments of "score-keeping" via graphics that appear, tallying the names of those who have died as well as how many students are left. As the body count goes higher, director Fukasaku keeps raising the stakes, never relenting in this dogged contest. Cleverly, BATTLE ROYALE doesn't appear as an outright parody. Rather, it takes melodrama to the nth degree. The film's score booms with emotionally riveting classical pieces, giving the proceedings an operatic tinge.

Battle Royale is set in the near future, and Japan is out of control. Unemployment is at an all time high. Teenagers are boycotting school, physically abusing their teachers, and others that actually go to school are always truant, so the government decides to pass the BR act. A class of teenagers are drugged and are sent to an abandoned island and are forced to kill each other within 72 hours, leaving only one person alive. They all get a weapon, as well as a bag containing food, water, and a map. Their "sensei" (teacher) gives updates every six hours, detailing where the "danger zones" are, and who has been killed recently, or killed since the BR began. Now, they have the option to get revenge on someone they despise, and have to sacrifice their friends in order to stay alive. Who'd have thought a bunch of school kids slaughtering each other would make such an incredible movie? Recommended.

As for the DVD, Apparently Toei (the copyright owners of the film) hasn't licensed it to a US distributor and they've rejected a few offers. The movie was a huge hit in Japan and Toei figured they'd get a big theatrical release in the US and decided to wait until they did. Unfortunately the movie was made in 1999. Anybody remember what happened that year? Columbine. So as you can imagine, it was a while before any US distributor would even think about releasing this movie. By the time the heat from that wore off, the region zero and bootlegs were all over the place and distributors saw the value of a DVD release but not theatrical. Toei wants a U.S. theatrical release before the U.S. gets an official DVD release.

For more information:
www.battleroyalefilm.net

Battle Royale is a film that has gained an enormous following despite the fact that it was never released in most of the world. It was in fact the controversy created by it that helped to make it sought after by some. So what is the basis for this controversy and what is really so bad about a movie that is as great work of political satire as there is out there? Well, read on to find out.

Battle Royale takes place in Japan during a time in which the insolence and lack of motivation of the populous has driven the government into action. In order to stop the development of so many good-for-nothing people in society, the BR (Battle Royale) Act was passed. Essentially the act is used as a way to motivate students and weed out the weak from the strong and as such make society more productive. The way it goes about this however is a bit out of the ordinary. Once a year, a ninth grade class is randomly selected to participate. In the instance shown by the movie a class leaves to go on a field trip and along the way become drugged and shipped to an island where the "event" will take place. The event being a three day long battle royale in which only one person is allowed to come away alive or else everyone will be killed. Putting friend against friend, how do the children respond to the order they have been given. Supplied with weapons and provisions, can they really turn against the others and kill them in cold blood, or is there anyway that trust can be found amongst the others?

The cast does an amazing job of portraying the twisted emotions that are felt within the students and even their former teacher (played wonderfully by Takeshi Kitano) who is put in charge of overseeing the entire affair. It is a profound look into the human psyche as well as a look at the overbearing opressive that the government is capable of holding over its people if not kept in check.

There really is no reason that the movie has been unable to be released in places such as America, but it is pretty obvious that with all of the over the top violence that takes place all involving ninth graders, it would definately come under fire should it ever be widely released. It is a movie that will both shock and awe viewers a like, and despite how shocked one may be they can't help but feel the overall power and message of the movie. It is truly one of film-makings most profound creations in recent decades and underneath all the shock and controversy, there is a profound message to be seen that is as true as any other. Highly recommended.

this movie will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. effects excellent along with the characters acting. if you didnt think a movie can keep you on the edge think again. with twists and turns the actors take you to another place just like your really their. this movie is filled with suspence and action it will knock your socks off, it may even get to the point where you forget your watching a film. this movie is probobly mu number one favorite

Battle Royale.... Wow, what a movie viewing experience. First off I have to commend the director, Kinji Fukasaku (who directed over 50+ films in Japan) for actually having the nerve to direct such a movie. I personally could not classify what genre this film is, but it is definitely in the realm of "horror" and here is why...

The Synopsis: The turn of the century. Japan is on the brink of collapse. Fearing rising indiscipline and rebellion amongst the youth of the nation, authorities pass the Millennium Educational Reform Act, allowing the implementation of the `Battle Royale' programme: classes of 14 and 15 year-olds are chosen at random and sent to a remote island where they are given weapons and three days to kill one another, until the sole survivor emerges as the winner.

As I viewed this film (and I have seen a LOT of Japanese films) I felt very sad for what these kids, or should I say "children" had to experience, but here I was, experiencing this tragic roller-coaster ride right there with them. From the opening SECONDS of Battle Royale, I was caught up in the mayhem and it did not let go until the credits started rolling.

You have to understand that the majority of these kids don't want to kill their classmates, some unfortunately do, but for the most part, most don't want too. They are chosen to carry the burden of what society deems as the "rebellious youth". They are the ones that are to be made the example of what happens when you disregard "authority". What makes this all the more tragic is that this particular group of students are not the ones that should be battling; they are not the indiscipline youth, they are not the rebellious youth, they are not disregarding authority. What they are though, are just regular children who have dreams and aspirations, and who just wanted to lead a normal school life...until they are thrust in to the "Millennium Educational Reform Act aka BATLLE ROYALE PROGRAM".

As for technical side of the movie; I would have to say the Kinji Fukasaku directed what I considered one of his best movies. The movie is tightly paced and never let's up; Kinji let's you breathe for perhaps a moment but then he hits you unexpectedly. Great direction.

As you probably have heard before, this movie is extremely violent, but it is certainly not senseless. It is not the violence that is shocking in B.R., it is the realization of who is performing the violent acts that are truly haunting. The children are forced to kill or be killed, nothing more, nothing less.

As for the music, it contains well-known classical pieces as well as having it's own classical pieces that plays throughout the movie. It presents the movie with a sense of a being a sort of tragic stage play.

The acting was very believable for the most part, each character displaying emotions such as fear, shyness, deception, love, jealousy, humiliation and helplessness with convincing potrayals. What is great about each character is that it hurts you when every one of them dies, because they are that REAL. I particularly enjoyed Takeshi Kitano's performance of the school teacher, I truly believe he wasn't acting at all, it was just him playing himself.

So is Battle Royale a masterpiece? I would have to say "YES" simply for the fact that after viewing the film, you will never forget it. It is a beautifully haunting piece of cinema that will thoroughly exhaust you by the end of the movie but also invite you into the deeper interpretation that the film provides. Definitely check BATTLE ROYALE out.

Reading the summary of this movie/ book/ manga, you will probably see some dumb description about how children are put on an island and forced to kill each other. While this is true, it does not do the story justice. This is not a horror or slasher flick- it shows the terrible way human minds can bend when put in the most horrible of circumstances. [...] (It was created before the novel was brought over from Japan to the US.) You will not regret it for it is free and a very good translation.
Please keep in mind! While this is an amazing story, the movie, book, and manga are very, very different. I would suggest the book as the best of three as it is the easiest to get, cheapest, the original format, and by far the best. The movie is an absolute must-see although very hard to get in most places. The manga is (in my humble opinion) the least format. It is far more violent, sexually perverse, and offensive than the others without adding much quality or information. Also, like most manga, there are many installments (14, I think and still going) each one about [...]. Very expensive if not just read in store. (However kudos to the artist(s) for being amazing with emotion.)
There is a sequal (in movie format only) which is very good but under NO circumstances should you see it before the first. I highly recommend Battle Royale!

What better picture then Battle Royale for my first Amazon review? A class of ninth grade students are thrown on a deserted island and forced into a cruel and gruesome game where friends must kill friends until only one victor remains.

But lucky for us old faithful Amazon customers this film is a hella of a lot smarter then the premise insists. Cult filmmaker Fukasaku Kinji takes a Verhoevenian approach that blends grizzly over the top violence (in one scene a poor souls severed head is turned into a make shift bomb), with biting social commentary, and dashed with good old-fashioned melodrama.

Truly solid gold pulp that only Kinji can give justice. So if you are a fan of eastern actioniers, I can promise you that you will not be disappointed.

On a side note, the one and only Harry Knowles at Aint it Cool News reported a few weeks back that an American remake has been green lit with the producer of XXX and The Fast and the Furious attached. But as he said, lets hope Larry Clarke or even Paul Verhoeven can get their hands on it.

I don't know why, it's ultra violent with comic book gore, but maybe that's one of the things that makes it so watchable. If it was darker, more serious, about a group of school kids that are forced to kill each other, it probably wouldn't have been as enjoyable. But as it is where else do you get to watch 40+ people die in the most imaginative (and dare I say sometimes comical) sort of ways. Don't get me wrong, there are a few moving quiet moments, but as a whole if you enjoy the blood-splattering 60's and 70's Asian films then you are bound to love BR. Don't waste your time on this copy though, which has ZERO special features, go straight to the director's cut version instead.