A controversial cross between Lord of the Flies and 1970’s dystopian reality game-show flicks, Battle Royale gives ultra-violence a message with famed yakuza filmmaker Kinji Fukasaku directing the pic. Inspired by his own tragic World War II experiences and armed with a sharp script adapted from the hit novel by Koushun Takami, Fukasaku turns a potentially exploitative premise into a mature, thrilling and emotional film. While the film loses some of the novel’s intimacy with all the characters along with most of the pointed social commentary, fantastic performances, strong pacing and the visual splendor all make the film well worth watching.
Fukusaku’s film tells the story of a Japan in the ‘near future,’ caught in a state of turmoil. Kids are out of control and rebelling against the adults, so in order to keep them in line, the government sets up the ‘Battle Royale Act,’ which publicly and annually selects a 9th grade class of about 40 kids to be sent to an island for three days. The kids are strapped with explosive collars, given weapons and rules and set loose about the island, forced to eliminate each other. If there is not a single survivor by the end of the third day, all the collars will explode.
With forty kids to deal with in a limited span of time, Battle Royale shows its cards early and reveals the handful of the film’s most important characters—including Shuya Nanahara, all-around good guy and one of the most liked members of his class. However, in a masterful and traumatizing move, his best friend Nobu is gruesomely murdered before the game even begins, setting up the suspense that even a character that is given attention and depth could suddenly bite it in the next scene, and the film would coldly move on to the next. Much of Battle Royale’s appeal comes from the questions it asks of its viewers, namely: “Can you kill your best friend?” As a result, the film, although with its fare share of carnage, focuses on seemingly silly high school drama from unspoken crushes to hidden grudges and transposes it to the deadly game where every crucial element matters. While some may find themselves entertained by the gore, viewers will be more intrigued by the ambiguous intentions, the shaky alliances and every instance of (mis)trust.
The cast of relative newcomers all give surprisingly real and ranged performances and as a result, have since been catapulted into stardom. Tatsuya Fujiwara handles a number of difficult moments well as Shuya, and Kou Shibasaki is standout for her phenomenal portrayal of the beautiful, evil and tortured Mitsuko. Takeshi Kitano is brilliantly casted as the man running the whole game and he handles it with his typical deadpan style and a touch of something oh so slightly sinister.
The film’s only major error is in its justification of the logic behind the whole program and it may prove off-putting for some viewers. It’s a very odd move and a big change from Takami’s novel—which provides a far better explanation and reason for the premise. While the film also glosses over some of the details in the novel, it takes advantage of the new medium with fine cinematography and a rich score of classical music. Since the event is apparently broadcasted all over Japan, Fukasaku occasionally takes advantage of the game show element with cold, textual updates that flash on the screen to inform us of the latest deaths.
Battle Royale comes highly recommended for reasons beyond its sheer notoriety and it simply is a unique idea that Hollywood would find difficult to produce. Readers of the novel should find the film lacking in some areas, but worthwhile in others. Satisfied viewers should enjoy the novel and hit manga series for deeper and denser content.
