In a near future Japan, the youth of society and their morals are in such a state of decay that the government has seen fit to pass a new law, whereby at random a class of school children are kidnapped and enrolled in the Battle Royale program. This is exactly what happens to the group of teenagers whose story we follow, as they are gassed on a school trip and their bus diverted to an isolated island. Here their bitter teacher (played with typical deadpan cool by Takeshi Kitano), with the aid of a truly crazy training video, explains to them the ins and outs of their predicament. You�d have thought they would be living in constant dread of a call-up but they seem strangely oblivious of the whole setup.
It�s quite simple really, only one of them will survive the programme. They have three days to ensure they are the last one standing and if more than one person is still alive after the deadline, the explosive collars they are wearing will detonate and nobody wins. He makes sure his point gets across by knifing one student in the head and blowing another�s neck off. Each student gets a rucksack with food and water, plus one random object, such as a crossbow, GPS set, rifle or binoculars.
So we have schoolchildren, actively encouraged to blow each other way with serious weaponry. Will this ever get a release in the US? Who cares, because Metro Tartan are releasing it in the UK despite the controversy it is sure to generate. As is often the case with controversial films, however, its vilification takes little account of the subtext of social satire. Okay, so reality TV is a long way off this situation, but the battle is never actually broadcast so that is not the point, it is instead about addressing the current disciplinary void in Japanese education (and in teenagers across the developed world) and also about adult�s responsibility not to wipe their hands of the children. The more obvious question posed is also the classic Lord of The Flies situation, of just what are we capable of, even at a young age, when our lives are threatened and the only solution is to kill or be killed. Always a thought provoking premise.
The young cast do not let themselves down and the story swings from pitch black humour to harrowing massacres regularly. The opening sequence of a previous winner is particularly unsettling. There is an awful sense of loss throughout the film, I think (not just of life, but of innocence and any sense of social responsibility), and combined with the not-so-hidden message it makes for quite an intense viewing. Not for people with an aversion to violence or confronting real issues. |
