Film Review: Battle Royale

They are getting blamed for playing Twister in class.

Battle Royale (2000)

Overall Score: 83%

Certified: Black Swan

Score Breakdown:

Performance:75% Plot: 90% Script:80% Visuals:85% Music:85%






This movie, as far as I know, is the most favorite Japanese cult that has ever existed in the  face of the earth. Based on a novel with the same name by Koushun Takami, this tells a story about a certain government program. A government that encourages an twisted game that is done each year, the BR Act. The novel was released in 1999 and the movie is adapted in 2000 by Kinji Fukasaku. What I've watched is the Director's Cut Special Edition, so I've got to seen a lot of extras.

This movie is named based on the program name, Battle Royale (バトル・ロワイアル), an act done by the country every year that involves numerous deaths of junior high school students. One class is picked randomly each year, and put in an isolated island, armed with weapons (not all of them will got cool ones), and basically they just have to kill each other until there's only one man standing which will makes it the winner. A massacre. This year, it was Class B from Shiroiwa Junior High School that was picked, and the films centers on their survival with a little bit of a twist.

Shuya Nanahara and Norika Nakagawa are the two main protagonists. Shuya is portrayed by Tatsuya Fujiwara, an actor that portrays Light Yagami in the Death Note live action movies. Japanese actor and singer Aki Maeda portrays Noriko in this movie. The two protagonists get a chemistry, their connections are strong as friends-but-potential-lover. What I hate about it is that their hair in this movie is so messed up, and they are the ones who is centered around while there are much more hotter male and female actors in the movie. I honestly think that the best actor and actress is not the lead character, but Taro Yamamoto as Shogo Kawada or Sosuke Takaoka as Hiroki Sugimura is probably two of the best actors, while Kou Shibasaki's portrayal as Mitsuko Souma is the best actress besides Chiaki Kuriyama as Takako Chigusa. I was dissapointed with Masanobu Ando, who plays Kazuo the psychopath. His acting is good, but the characterization is much more secretive than the novel. In the novel, he is calm, quite and together, while the movie he is more secretive while I was hoping his character would be more open in the movie. Kitano, who is portrayed by Takeshi Kitano is a very sad character. His loneliness and broken self is shown perfectly in the movie, and his dark character made it seems even...fatherly. Other characters, Takashi Tsukamoto who plays Shinji Mimura and Yukihiro Kotani as Yoshitoki Nobu is quite supporting.

The plot will seems tacky, but this story is actually brilliant. Forty two students forced to kill one another. What I love is that this world, this government and politics are not being sportsmanlike. It encourages you to do wrong, for a make-believe government policy and protocols. It's very devious but it's the law so there will be no way to prove for injustice. The world created by Koushun Takami and adapted by Kinji Fukasaku makes it seems like their country is just a big fat prison. The Battle Royale Act is like the most deadly version of a musical chair. It puts everyone on the edge. Everyone's character and true self will be revealed, some who don't want to play this game, some are eager to kill, some just want to get out and some are just forced to play. 

What disappoints me is that the characterization of this movie, not everyone is dug deep. The book holds up so much details, so much flashbacks and past memories and recollection of almost each individuals. The movie does not posses that except for the main characters. Well, it's not its fault because if everyone is being told and shown their pasts, the movie would take a very long duration and budgeting. Maybe that's why there's a part of me that wants Battle Royale to be adapted to a TV Series rather than a movie. There's numerous differences from the book and the movies like any other adaptations, and it can be viewed here. The differences is very distinct from the original book, but still makes sense. One difference that intrigues me is the character Kitano. In the book his name is Kinpatsu Sakamochi, and he is a very mean very evil advisor. In the movie it shows that he has a heart. Also in appearance, the book says his hair is shoulder length and wears a uniform, and had no relationship or connection to the class at all.


The movie's score is very theatrical. It brings back old sounds like the ones in Godzilla. Old movie with an entertaining old music. Where it's still classical and exciting and all is taken care of by Masamichi Amano who also responsible for the sequel's music in Battle Royale: Requiem.

Speaking of which, the sequel is released in 2003. But I predict it's gonna be lame, and not as cool as the first installment. The first film was from a novel, but the second film was not. So I have a feeling it will never be as brilliant as the first one. I refuse to watch it, I don't want the sequel to exploit my love for Battle Royale - I won't let it.

Watch this movie! It's epic and overall it's very brilliant and entertaining. Not one of those brainless brilliant movies and stories. I am still wishing for it to be adapted again to a TV Series. Everything is well composed, and is taken very serious of, even though the story will seem to be like a cliché, but it's not. It's a classic, but will never be a cliché.

+R