filmbore pick of the week - Battle Royale

Battle Royale (Batoru Rowaiaru)

Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Screenplay: Kenta Fukasaku
Starring: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Takeshi Kitano
Year:2000
Language:Japanese
UK rental release: September 2002

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China last week for the spectacular Infernal Affairs, now a quick trip across the water to the cinematic goldmine of Japan. With a such a vast quantity of high quality films to choose from many decades of Japanese production, it's difficult to know which to go for this time around. But only one film keeps appearing in mind...Battle Royale.

Okay, this is not exactly "unheard of", as many of you will be aware of this genius movie. Firstly, I kept thinking of this picture because I recently watched The Hunger Games, of the which the book it is adapted from is clearly influenced by Battle Royale. But what surprises me most, however, is how many people know of Battle Royale but claim "I still need to watch it though". I have a simple answer for you...do just that!

At the turn of the millennium, human culture and society is in global meltdown. While unemployment infects the world, the youth rebel against the adult generation: boycotting school, committing heinous crimes, even violently attacking and murdering their own teachers. In response to this uprising in juvenile criminality, the Japanese government signs off a new legislation - the Battle Royal Act.

Each year, a lottery is held where one class of pupils across the country's schools is randomly selected to take part in an event, intending to breed fear in the culture of youth, in the hope of dampening their brutal behaviour and disobedience.

Shuya Nanahara (Tatsuya Fujiwara, now known for the live-action Death Note films) is like one of these pupils. Not really as volcanic and dangerous as most, but still doesn't sit well with the older generation. He and his good friend, Nobu, are pondering whether to attend school at the end of the year so they can go on the annual trip, just for some fun. Shuya strongly considers this, as he knows that his crush Noriko (Aki Maeda) will be there, being the only student to attend all of the school's classes. Accept during their coach ride on their day out they are drugged and taken hostage to an undisclosed island...

In a mock classroom, their current teacher, Kitano (the brilliant "Beat" Takeshi Kitano, Brother, Sonatine, Violent Cop ) is pleased to announce that they are this year's contestants in the Battle Royale.

42 students, one island, 3 days. On this battleground they have the allotted time to use their guile and the mystery weapon selected for each of them, hunt each other down and fight to the death. When the time is up only one can stand as the survivor or they will all be exterminated. So they have little choice but to strike each other down to remain the victor and prevail.

Shuya wants to protect his friends, and righteously still holds his challenging morals to overthrow the system but can he come through when his own classmates could suddenly turn against him? Plus, there are unknown factors to take into consideration while the newly transferred students are on the prowl: Mimura, who's attending just for the sport, and Kawada, a previous winner. He'll have to lay his trust to fate if he's to overcome the battle of blood that awaits him.

Let me start with a warning...  if you're a little queasy then I don't think this film is for you. If you can overlook a little violence and gore however, you owe it yourself to watch one of the first great films of the new millennium. 

Adapted from Koushin Takami's novel of the same name, where it detailed the tribulations and actions of each child in detail, Battle Royale takes the majority of these events as the story's narrative. The most prominent individuals are concentrated on, still leaving room to highlight the existing relationships the students had before they were put to this 3 day war, and the contradictions in their responses to said battle on each other. In fact, stripping down the action and murder and this story is an intriguing combination of drama and tragedy as love and hatred pair up, and as the only surviving couple in some scenarios. Kinju Fukasaku allows each character to breathe and relate between the madness, granting us some connection to these soon-to-be lost souls.

A big part to this success is due to the brilliance of one of the best young casts in cinema history. There's not a bad performance among them...some over-dramatic (and it works), some extremely reserved (yes...still works), some erratic and confuses (same)...I could go on. But most importantly, each role is superbly handled by each actor, giving gravitas where necessary and not being afraid to let their part step into caricature a little. This confidence proves the assured ability of these youngsters and the trust that Fukasaku had in them. In particular, our leads, Tatsuya Fujiwara and Aki Maeda, are natural performers, and our portal into this surreal, foreboding universe. 

The main supporting cast are just as excellent too, and there are some fascinating characters: the deadly but honourable Kawada, the quiet but sick-minded tease Mitsuko, the explosive killer Mimura, even the love-hating fitness-freak Chigusa (Chiaki Kuriyama, who played Go-Go in Kill Bill Part 1) brings plenty of surprise to our table of thrills. Some are just exaggerations of their current self, feeling the tension their new environment imbues them with, while some transcend into different beasts altogether, allowing instinct to take hold and morph them into pillars of survival.

Yet, as good as the young cast are we cannot ignore a star role from the reliable Beat Takeshi. As possibly the most famous movie star in Japan, and a behemoth of drama and action that he's most known from, it's so refreshing when he takes leftfield roles, and this is one of them. As the pupil's teacher, and overseer of the game, he has his own simple back story that reminds us of the reality of the piece. He also has a fondness of Noriko as his only good student, which has a small part in the storyline. His choice moments give a little more kick to the film, and it's a presence much needed in parts to remind us of the adults position in the society the plot portrays.

There is still a further plot to the original premise, mind you. It's not just a mindless foray of gory set pieces (which there are plenty of for those of you that crave them...and they are incredible!). Shuya's intent creates a sturdy spine, as he strives to beat the Battle Royale Act his own way, which helps to keep balance between the violent scenes and allows all of these ingredients to get wrapped up in package of excitement rarely matched by any film out there.

Besides all of this though, the big winner in my view is the humour. Don't get me wrong, this film takes it's thematic viewpoint very seriously and presents itself as an extremely relevant statement of society's direction. In fact, it is clearly so rich in satire that somehow it manages to afford the right amount of comedy to balance it out. The laughs come from the purposefully over-the-top kills that sometimes beggar belief. Each set up is geniously played, with every character present playing a poignant part in the looming death match that will engulf them. It's the extremity of these set pieces that gives real identity to this movie, and helped to elevate it to cult status in such a short period of time. 

Brave, gutsy, political, dramatic and incredibly gripping; you're a fool if you don't watch this at least once. It's so intense, even the trailer to the film is exciting, with the film's intro music (Verdi's Requiem Mass - Dies Irae) filling your amplifier's pipes as it's cleverly laced between choice shots from the start of the movie. If the trailer gets you, the film will slaughter you!

Really, it's a shame that Fukasaku died before completion of the film's sequel. Continued honourably by his son Kenta (who also penned this first instalment), it didn't manage to measure up to the stature of it's incredible predecessor. It would have been nice to see this turn into a saga, as there would have been plenty more themes to explore. Nevertheless, we are grateful that, before his passing, Fukasaku was able to craft one of the most unique pictures ever  to come out of a colourful, genre-challenging modern movie culture that Japan still thrives in to this very day.

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