Battle Royale: Collectors’ Edition
Based on the novel by Koshun Takami, Battle Royale is an original and shocking piece of cinema that combines the stark message and extreme violence of A Clockwork Orange along with the isolation and abandon of Lord of the Flies.
Set in a near-future Japan in which civil unrest and disorder among the country’s youth are spiralling out of control, the government in an act of desparation introduces the Battle Royale Act: once a year a high school class is chosen at random to participate in a fight to the death on a remote island. Only one survivor is allowed to return home to demonstrate their resolve to restore order.
Battle Royale gained notoriety as a compelling and unashamedly violent film, and it is obvious as to why. However, behind the constant and unrelenting death match between the reluctant teenage combatants is a very interesting examination of how much personal relationships change when placed in extreme situations. As the three days progress, the classmates are pitted against one another and the basic desire for survival makes itself felt. There are betrayals, suicides, confessions and promises made to avenge the deaths of friends, not to mention some superb acting. “Beat” Takeshi Kitano is on fine form as the sadistic former teacher who is in charge of the cruel ‘game’ itself, and anime otakus may notice the enthusiastic presenter of the training video as that of voice actress Yuko Miyamura (of Evangelion fame).
What makes this film so outstanding is that the film works on several levels. There is enough bloody violence and dramatic set pieces to keep action film fans entertained, while there are numerous scenes of powerful character drama and a serious message behind it all. The point that adults cannot be trusted to take adequate care of the young is made very clear by Takeshi’s character and his disasterous home life that is in stark contrast to the absolute control he has over the hapless BR participants. The teenagers who are carrying out these terrible murderous acts are doing so for self-preservation; the finger of blame is clearly aimed at a society itself flawed and unwilling to admit these faults, punishing the guilty and innocent alike in a unrepentant and inexcusable way.
Perhaps surprisingly there are some very dark and jarring comedy elements to the film, such as the mocking way in which the BR programme is presented: the life-and-death situations are approached in a light and almost flippant way (the training video, for instance), which actually adds to the impact of the film’s messages rather than detracting from it. These days, Western audiences are exposd to increasingly controversial and sensationalist ‘reality TV’ shows, and the way in which the most recent ‘losers’ are nonchalently listed on screen gives the distinct impression that BR is very dry and shameless parody.
The film is available as a standard DVD edition but the higher retail price of the Special Edition is money well spent: as well as a DTS surround sound mix there is an extra disc brimming over with bonus material including biographies, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. These extra nuggets of information are not only interesting but give an insight into the director’s inspiration and reasons for making the film in the first place, leaving the viewer with an even greater appreciation of what the film is trying to say. There are also a few added scenes (including three ‘Requiem’ scenes at the end) that give more insight into the characters.
In Summary
If you can stomach the violence, you will be rewarded with a brave and powerful film that is much more intelligent than it first appears. Whether you want to analyse the character drama and social commentary or are simply in it for the superbly choreographed action, Battle Royale delivers on every level and with the extra footage and a generous selection of extras the Special Edition is the best version available.
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