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We
have had Big Brother and Treasure Island where the prizes
have always been money - In Battle Royale, we have the
Island and the competitors, but the difference is the
winner is allowed to stay alive!
Not
a film for the faint hearted, it is ultra violent. I have
been looking forward to this film being released for the
past two months, a chance to see a master actor Kitano (
Takeshi Kitano) at work. Kitano also played the brilliant
part of the Japanese gangster in "The Brother"
reviewed earlier on this site.
The
film based on the best selling novel is set in a Japan
that basically has gone down the tubes, both economically,
ethically and morally. Anarchy amongst the school going
population is rife and with this the Japanese government
enacts a new act of law called the 'Battle Royale'. Class
B9 is a mixed class comprising mainly of students between
the ages of 14-15 Also joining them are two transfer
students who actually play a key part in the film. Beware
of Kawada ! They all thought they were going on a school
trip along with their teacher .. Kitano
Joyful
and full of school boy/girl cliques and relationships,
they are drugged by gas onboard the bus and taken under
military escort to the Island. Guarded by soldiers and
controlled by Kitano they all wear an electronic neck band
which can be exploded on the whim of Kitano if there is
any disobedience. Personally I found Kitano's accuracy
with his knife to me more effective and cleaner!!
Let
the game begin.. the rules are explained on the video wall
by a naff Japanese version of Laura Croft. each student is
sent out alone and equipped with food for three days and a
weapon. Weapons are mixed so nobody will have an unfair
advantage and range from a hatchet to a machine pistol.
Each students location was plotted centrally via his
electronic dog collar which also measured his pulse thus
central command was able to verify who was still alive.
The death toll of kills was read out at noon and 6am...
who was killed in the last number of hours. The game is to
last three days, and if more than one person survives, the
others will be killed.
It
really is 'Lord Of the Flies' magnified 44 times. Would
former class room friendships last? Would loyalty count?
Boyfriends? High achievers? Who would play the game, Who
couldn't hack it and took their own lives in desperation.
Who can you trust..the answer as it turns out is nobody.
Its an interesting exercise when the only prize is to
escape with your life. There are flash backs to previous
events at school in order to link up the various
relationships amongst the students.
Kitano
doesn't even seem to act at all, casually dressed in his
track suit he could well have been lounging around his
house rather than on set. You will be glad to know that he
does retain the facial twitch that has become one of his
characteristics, his expressions which are at times quite
touching and caring hide a matter of fact natural born
killer. The film has its odd humours moments which seem
out of place, but none the less add to it.
The
end is worth waiting for. There is no point in listing the
names of the students as their names would be meaningless
in the western world, but they put in a credible
performance.
To
be honest I was slightly disappointed with the plot, but
Kitano's acting dragged it up from a six to a seven out of
ten
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