MUBI

I’m not one to say that “the book is better than the movie” often, because I feel that many movies simply take the book versions of themselves and enhance the viewing experience. This is the only film I’ve ever watched where I can truly say that I’d rather read the book and not watch the film at all. I know it would be hard to develop 42+ characters in one movie, but this movie fails miserably at being cohesive or even true to the story at all. It essentially focuses on one story, which is dumbed-down for the viewing audience, and leaves out the other half or third of the book. It’s truly a shame, this could have been a great movie, if they hadn’t tried to Disney the thing up.

Kinji Fukasaku has been making films since the days of the Japanese New Wave, when the films had a rebellious freshness to them that shocked the rigid Japanese studio system, but this violent clunker, and it’s sequel, his final two films, is less the work of a rebellious, artistic upstart than someone trying to shock with the vilest of intentions. The appearance of Takeshi Kitano, given his importance to the rise of artistic violence in modern Japanese cinema, is meant to be both ironic and a social comment, but his performance, as a teacher who oversees the systematic annihilation of his class of students in a winner-take-all island version of the Most Dangerous Game, is lackadaisical. The young actors playing the students fare better, but it’s hard to pay attention to performance and characterization (whatever of it there is) when each player is subject to death at any minute. This may be a cult classic, or a guilty pleasure, or whatever you want to label it, but I’m not buying, I’d much rather spend my time with Kitano’s “Hana-Bi” or Fukasaku’s “Under the Flag of the Rising Sun” for more studied, coherent examinations of violence and modern warfare.

I felt compelled to see this since Tarantino cited it as his favorite movie since he became a director (and I do happen to admire QT, which seems to put me in the minority on The Auteurs!). Indeed, Chiaki Kuriyama who plays a sweetly homicidal teen here was later cast as the memorable Gogo Yubari in Kill Bill Vol. 1.

Make no mistake, films like these owe their popularity and endurance not for any refined artistry or acting or profound dialogue. They achieve cult status by taking an outrageous concept and fearlessly executing it with full commitment to being as nonsensical and offensive as it possibly can be. By embracing the absurd, they help stretch the boundaries of the medium, which is somewhat noble despite the trashiness of the content.

I can’t say that this is my favorite or even that it’s a good film. But I was thoroughly entertained by the premise of an older generation of Japanese revolting against the delinquent younger generation. The kids are forced to slaughter each other, to earn the right to become an adult. Takeshi Kitano gives a wonderfully cynical performance as the disgruntled school teacher who unleashes his wrath on the unruly brats with brutal force. The violence is over-the-top but it taps a common societal nerve: who hasn’t encountered an obnoxious teen with a gross sense of self-entitlement who deserved to be “schooled” a little? In a way, I saw this as a twisted grown-up’s fantasy in which they get to remind the little turds who’s really in charge.

I may be displaying a hint of psychosis in saying this, but I don’t think the film took the absurdity far enough. The sappy scenes with the “good” kids didn’t make much sense — why were they sent to the island in the first place? — and the cornball acting (especially the weenie lead, Shuya) was oddly out of place. Generating sympathy for the kids seems to go against the premise of the film, almost as if back-tracking from the idea of annihilating them for fear of going too far. As proof of this, the best scenes are the ones in which the seemingly nerdy/timid/gentle kids shred their veil of innocence in a flash and turn on each other like rabid dogs. Such scenes have a raw, savage quality that best captures the overall tone of the film.

Great high school satire that blends over-the-top thrills, horror, melodrama, and black comedy. I could have used more island and less flashbacks, but overall you become invested with the main characters and what motivates their choices. Its great to watch with friends who can buy into the campy acting and bloody gore. However, if the idea of kids killing kids is too much for you, you may not like Battle Royale, but its a must see for horror fans.

The most impressive and fun thing about Battle Royale is how it manages to wring real emotion out of it’s outrageous and outlandish subject. Genre films that dwell in exploding heads and machine gun wielding teenagers don’t usually mix it with the grace and drama of a oscar hopeful. Brisk,bloody and rich with memorable characterizations thanks to it’s in depth source material. Battle Royale stands at the top of the class for both bloody thrills and satire.

Those who wanna be overly critical need to point out a better comic book movie about teenagers with potentially exploding heads killing each other on an island. That or enjoy it on it’s own intended terms.

4/10

“Battle Royale” is entertaining, but doesn’t have substance.

It’s like a sausage without a casing.

Not a Criterion material, but still, there’s something in this film that makes its audiences watch it. What’s that? Might be the idea of kids being trapped in a place and forced to do what they don’t want to do – a plot that’s very similar to Pier Paolo Pasolini’s “Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom”. This film doen’t know its point, it doesn’t know what it wants to say.

I liked the musical score, though.