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| BATTLE ROYALE. Directors S/E. Starring - Takeshi Kitano - Tatsuya Fujiwara - Aki Maeda - Masanobu Ando. Director - Kinji Fukasaku. 2000. The premise of the movie is simple. The state is struggling to cope with its troubled youth and determines the best way to rectify this is to put on some kind of show of defiance. In hope that the rest of the rebellious youth toe the line and study hard. Once a year a class is selected at random and shipped to a deserted island to take part in Battle Royale. A reality show type concept where only one student shall emerge alive. 42 students, 42 weapons, 3 days, 1 survivor! Filmed and scripted brilliantly BR moves along at a fair old pace, slowing occasionally to offer a small insight into the characters lives. For the most part these characters have slightly worrying sanity traits, from an obsessed marathon runner to a psychotic child-hating teacher. These psychotic episodes help the students grasp the severity of the situation they find themselves in and take to arms quicker than an Iraqi in an oilfield. It isn’t all mindless violence though as I said, and some great performances are forthcoming especially those of Takeshi Kitano. Kitano is inspiringly menacing without even trying and it is blatantly apparent why he was cast. He even eats cookies with a menacing grin. The scenarios are surreal which throws an immediate paranoia over the proceedings. Is no one safe you ask yourself? Well to be honest, no. Best friends take turns cooking and cleaning only to turn their fading loyalties upon one another as each question their honesty and objectives. This is only one instance of many panic induced scenes as each child realises that they are indeed alone among friends? As each new scene opens you find yourself questioning each characters ability to actually survive this horror. Definitely a good thing as you find yourself riveted to your seat right through the end credits. Pure class and definitely a movie to be discussed for years to come. Indicative of the decreasing standards in the Japanese educational system or just merely entertainment? Because of the content Battle Royale was immediately condemned by critics, politicians and the censorship board, striking a hammer blow right into the heart of many parents they immediately banned their children from seeing this movie. The exact opposite happened though as BR cleaned up with the youth market, guaranteeing it cult status and a whole host of new fans clamouring for a sequel. Unfortunately within a month of initial filming Kinji Fukasaku passed away from prostrate cancer on January 12th of this year. The helm has since been passed onto his son Kenta who wrote the screenplay for both movies. The sequel is planned for an early July 2003 release. ‘Even if this battle costs me my life, I am not in the least bit afraid’. R.I.P. Kenji Fukasaku. July 3rd 1930 – Jan 12th 2003. 9*********stars. |
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