Film: Battle Royale: Limited Edition
Release date: 13th December 2010
Certificate: 18
Running time: 109 mins
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Starring: Takeshi Kitano, Chiaki Kuriyama, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Noriko Nakagawa, Tarô Yamamoto
Genre: Action/Horror/Thriller
Studio: Arrow
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Japan
Japanese cinema never fails to stun its audiences. With its release at the turn of the century, Battle Royale not only caught the attentions of the Japanese Academy Awards but the Japanese government also. Putting a capital E on extreme, this film went on to achieve global recognition. Battle Royale possesses a penchant for blood-splattering violence and political comment that makes it the most explicit comment on ‘reality television’ to date.
In an alternative reality, Japan has reached the millennium in tatters. With an ever-increasing unemployment rate of ten million, and students in their thousands boycotting schools, the government passes an education reformation act called ‘The B.R. Act’. The act states that once a year a class is let loose on an isolated island to play the deadly Battle Royale game. Each student is given a random weapon, an electronic collar, and three days to kill or be killed. The winner is the last survivor, and if there is no winner after three days then the collars self-destruct killing any remaining students.
Former teacher Kitano abducts his former class and takes them to the island, having left their tuition after an act of violence against him by student Nobu. The bewildered teens are terrified to see that Kitano has hand-picked them to play his warped game, and are sent out with only a briefing and survival pack, which includes a flashlight and compass.
As the children begin a three day survival of the fittest, young Shuya is determined to escape the island with Noriko to whom he has sworn to protect...
Koushan Kutami’s little known novel of the same name was not nearly as revered as its filmic adaptation. This perhaps is because although on screen it incorporates the dark comedy, satire and political comment of the book, it is the action that makes this classic so appealing.
Veteran director Kinji Fukasaku installs a narrative pace that makes the multi-deaths and elaborate violence undeniably compelling. With decades of onscreen violence and breakthrough shock fests, Fukasaku became a hero to cult Japanese cinema with hits such as Tora! Tora! Tora! and Virus. He brings this wealth of knowhow with cartoonish action that is irresistibly satisfying in its gore and bloodshed. One particularly memorable demise is that of Nobu - as his collar explodes in a cloud of red blood, a class load of children look on at a spectacle that is as shocking as it is a sign of things to come.
The cartoonish nature of the violence does not just extend to the buckets of blood on show, with every punch comes an exaggerated thrusting sound, and with every stab an exaggerated squelch. Battle Royale doesn’t just glamorise violence, it makes it extremely fun - it’s nearly impossible not to get on board with the bizarre comic tone. Each death is accompanied by an onscreen title that gives the victims name, time of death and place in the contest - this is just one stylistic that trivialises the graphic action. You will blush also as Kitano addresses his class over a loud speaker in the most casual manor - the subject matter is unique but not self-indulgent, with the film happy to poke fun at itself.
Although the political drive is not completely stifled by the onscreen antics, you would imagine it played a much bigger part in the book. The extremity of the situation comments on the Japanese government’s incompetence, as well as growing problems within society. The most biting of the social comment comes with its portrayal of youth, and the similarities with Lord Of The Flies are clear.
The story places a dynamic that brings into question the capabilities of kids - we see some of the youngsters committing suicide, others protecting their friends, whilst many look out for number one. A clique of girls eventually wipe each other out in a show of backstabbing that makes Mean Girls look like child’s play.
It also puts into question the garish nature of reality television. A growing phenomenon at the time of the film’s release, shows like Big Brother have continued to stamp their place into contemporary culture. This is a play on these shows’ ideals, as we watch to see who gets killed as eagerly as we watch for the next Friday night eviction. All the elements of the ‘social experiment’ are there, but the selfish nature, attention seeking and two-faced plotting we see on television are shown here tenfold.
Takeshi Kitano shows why he is such an iconic figure in Japanese cinema as the contrived creator of the game, Kitano. Famed for the direction of films like Boiling Point and Brother, Kitano has starred in classics such as Zatoichi, and is even responsible for the much loved Takeshi’s Castle. He brings here a trademark cool, and acts as a perfect figurehead for the signature madness of the picture.
One of the boldest films of the century so far, Battle Royale is not to be missed. If you are a Japanese extreme cinema connoisseur this is no doubt an essential part of your collection, if you are a novice, it is the best possible starting point. This is essential world cinema. LW
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