Battle Royale is a Japanese film based on a novel of the same name. It was made in 2000 and is set in a universe where teenagers, disillusioned with authority and life become rebellious and violent (acts include destroying schools and stabbing teachers.) To fight this, the Japanese government create the Millennial Education Reform Act otherwise known as the Battle Royale Act. For those out of the loop with just what Battle Royale means; its a fight for the death. Unfortunately for our hero Shuya, his friend Nobu and his love Noriko, his class are next on the list to play the game. The idea is that all the classmates fight until one of them is left standing after three days. If there is more than one the collars they have around there next will explode meaning no one is the winner. They are each armed with a survival kit, a map and a weapon (from helpful guns to ridiculous saucepan lids.) And to make things harder, zones will become danger zone meaning any student in them will die. Whilst others plunge themselves gleefully into their new murderous ways, some refuse while the rest try to survive. Battle Royal begs the question; could you kill your best friend?
Battle Royale is a cult classic; the acting from the young Tatsuya Fujiware to the older beloved Takeshi Kitano (you'll know him from Takeshi's Castle, I kid you not) is superb. Not only are there slight bits of humor but the distress, anguish and downright fear are conveyed perfectly as well as an evil teacher (Kitano) and his battle with his own personal demons. As far out as this plot goes, all of the actors bring. believably, a tale of struggle in this chaotic Japan. There are also brilliant psychotic characters that bring alive the film from the kid who is playing for fun, Kiriyama and lonely but damn near demonic Mitsuko and they weave delicately but perfectly with the love and friendship others have.
And let's not forget that this film is pretty damn scary. Instead of relying on old folklore or haunted video tapes, director Kinji Fukasaku and author of the original book play on the worst aspect of the human psyche; our willingness to kill to survive. It's haunting to think about what we would do in that situation as school mate murders school mate that in prior Battle Royale scenes were best friends. The best part of this film is the paranoia and suspicion of each other causes them to kill one another. That dark turning of a screw that makes you turn on someone you loved or supposedly love. There is also a brilliant score of Dies Irae from Giuseppe Verdi's Requim that anytime you hear it, your hairs will stand on end.
There are moments, though, within this film that play dully and the repetitiveness of students falling for one another only for them to be in love with another gets beyond ridiculous at some points. And lets not forget that nearly every boy loves Noriko and every girl has the hots for Shuya. By the end of all the confessions you start feeling a bit like Mitsuko who taunts Noriko for having "two knights" to protect her. And whilst you touch on Kitano's home life there is so much story to tell and despite this being touched upon prolifically in the horrendous sequel just a few more sentences before the end would clear things up just a little.
Battle Royale is a tender balance; it is the perfect sum of humanity that is pushed to the edge of destruction. Whilst there are slices of comedy with pure horror, Battle Royale still remains a terrifying masterpiece. And although it strummed up much controversy at the time, there is not a shadow of doubt that Battle Royale is a fear we have every time our government seems on the brink of anarchy. You feel that shudder, that's your human side.
Now, in light of recent English riots, did anyone just get a great idea?
Or maybe I'm just totally kidding
Maybe.
TTFN
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