This is, hands down, the BEST MOVIE COMING OUT OF JAPAN IN YEARS. As a reviewer who read the book first and loved it, I had high expectations for this movie and it did not let me down. Here's a quick plot summary: the Japanese government is in chaos. The adults are afraid the youth, who are apparently uncontrollable and boycott school. Therefore, the government institutes 'Battle Royale', a program designed to rein in the youth. A ninth-grade class is randomly selected each year, sent to a deserted island, supplied with weapons, and forced to kill each other until there is one survivor.
I would have thought it difficult for a movie to track all 42 kids. In the book, this is fine since the book is 600+ pages. But this also works very well in the movie since the director somehow gives almost all the characters substantial screen time and v. memorable scenes. He doesn't cut any character short. And even the short scenes have real poignancy. Therefore, we remember almost all the characters, what they did, and how they died.
THE ACTING IS SUPERB. The kids in this movie are played by actors between 15-20 years old. With the exception of one or two, the actors were v. believable and conveyed all the teenage angst, suspicion, hatred, rage, love, goodness, and all the other goodies in the book. Just to mention a few standouts: ERI ISHIKAWA (Yukie Utsumi) is the best actress, best-looking girl, and my favorite in this entire movie. She's perfect as the class representative who tries to calm everyone down but ends up feeling the same suspicion that is doing her classmates in. Her lighthouse scene is the most memorable scene in the film, and in my opinion, one of the best scenes in the history of cinema; just watch her face aahhhh, that is perfect acting TAKESHI "BEAT" KITANO (Kitano) is the perfect combination of menace and sympathy as the teacher who sends the kids to their deaths and reads out the names of the dead with phrases like, 'Here is your list of goners! Only 3 dead. You're slacking off, I'm disappointed with you!' I love how emotions can flicker on and off his face; at one point, he can be scary and mean and terrible as hell; at other times, we feel sorry for him! TATSUYA FUJIWARA (Shuya Nanahara) and AKI MAEDA (Noriko Nakagawa) are fantastic as the couple we root for. Aki Maeda, especially, looks adorable in the movie and conveys innocence and purity so well. TARO YAMAMOTO (Shogo Kawada) is one of my fave characters in this movie and is the best bad-ass I've seen in movies for a while. He looks simultaneously tough and soft, which gives him an interesting complex. MASANOBU ANDO (Kazuo Kiriyama) and KOU SHIBASAKI (Mitsuko Souma) are deliciously wicked as the class's two crazy/wild ones, the two that are consciously going out to kill their classmates without remorse. And, on a vain note, SOUSUKE TAKAOKA, who plays the sweet and caring Hiroki Sugimura, is a major hottie.
The DIALOGUE in this movie, like the book, is sometimes cringe-worthy (you know, like, 'Damn! I survived, thanks to my excellent bulletproof vest!!'). However, because it is usually delivered perfectly and on target, I hardly noticed it. (It may also be because the actors were speaking Japanese and I was only reading subtitles because I can't understand Japanese.) Although I did like the book better than the movie (tells you how good the book was since I think the movie is FANTASTIC), there are some moments in the movie that outshine even the book because of the acting and the way the dialogue is delivered. For example, Yukie's LIGHTHOUSE SCENE is much better in the movie than it is in the book. I love the way their voices become delirious and the way their anger escalates (it's nearly palpable!).
Also, the setting is well-done, too. There are a lot of neutral and cool colors like whites, grays, and cool blues that set the mood and provide a contrast for all the bright red blood. That reminds me: this movie has, like the book, been criticized as VIOLENT EXPLOITATION. That is understandable since the movie shows young classmates killing each other in messy, realistic ways, some willfully and some out of fear. The movie is v. bloody and v. violent and sometimes gratuitous. I normally don't like violence, I don't like blood and guts and gore flying everywhere. I really hate those 'Halloween' and 'Freddy' and 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' type movies because blood spills needlessly and in an excessive/stupid way. But 'Battle Royale' is different. The violence will sometimes make your stomach turn, but you'll think, that's the only way it could have been done.
And lastly, I have to praise the way CLASSICAL MUSIC is used in this movie. It's done in a v. artsy way that makes you think about the horrible things you've seen and make sense out of it, and I loved it. The use of Mozart and Giuseppe Verdi's 'DIES IRAE (REQUIEM MASS)' in the opening sequence is especially incredible. It practically lets you know that you're in for a wild, thought-provoking, horrific, unique, and exciting ride. Also, MASAMICHI AMANO (the composer) did a great job on the original music in 'Battle Royale.' I've listened to most of the soundtrack and think every one I've listened to has real poignancy and feeling. The way it is used in the film is even better; it brings even more meaning to what the kids are feeling and what they are doing.
This is an INCREDIBLE movie - a mind-blowing exposition of the minds of teenagers and a fantastic exercise of style. I LOVED this movie. After watching it, you will be thinking about it for days; all the scenes of teenage angst will not leave your mind too easily. I give it my highest recommendation...go watch it right now!!
I would have thought it difficult for a movie to track all 42 kids. In the book, this is fine since the book is 600+ pages. But this also works very well in the movie since the director somehow gives almost all the characters substantial screen time and v. memorable scenes. He doesn't cut any character short. And even the short scenes have real poignancy. Therefore, we remember almost all the characters, what they did, and how they died.
THE ACTING IS SUPERB. The kids in this movie are played by actors between 15-20 years old. With the exception of one or two, the actors were v. believable and conveyed all the teenage angst, suspicion, hatred, rage, love, goodness, and all the other goodies in the book. Just to mention a few standouts: ERI ISHIKAWA (Yukie Utsumi) is the best actress, best-looking girl, and my favorite in this entire movie. She's perfect as the class representative who tries to calm everyone down but ends up feeling the same suspicion that is doing her classmates in. Her lighthouse scene is the most memorable scene in the film, and in my opinion, one of the best scenes in the history of cinema; just watch her face aahhhh, that is perfect acting TAKESHI "BEAT" KITANO (Kitano) is the perfect combination of menace and sympathy as the teacher who sends the kids to their deaths and reads out the names of the dead with phrases like, 'Here is your list of goners! Only 3 dead. You're slacking off, I'm disappointed with you!' I love how emotions can flicker on and off his face; at one point, he can be scary and mean and terrible as hell; at other times, we feel sorry for him! TATSUYA FUJIWARA (Shuya Nanahara) and AKI MAEDA (Noriko Nakagawa) are fantastic as the couple we root for. Aki Maeda, especially, looks adorable in the movie and conveys innocence and purity so well. TARO YAMAMOTO (Shogo Kawada) is one of my fave characters in this movie and is the best bad-ass I've seen in movies for a while. He looks simultaneously tough and soft, which gives him an interesting complex. MASANOBU ANDO (Kazuo Kiriyama) and KOU SHIBASAKI (Mitsuko Souma) are deliciously wicked as the class's two crazy/wild ones, the two that are consciously going out to kill their classmates without remorse. And, on a vain note, SOUSUKE TAKAOKA, who plays the sweet and caring Hiroki Sugimura, is a major hottie.
The DIALOGUE in this movie, like the book, is sometimes cringe-worthy (you know, like, 'Damn! I survived, thanks to my excellent bulletproof vest!!'). However, because it is usually delivered perfectly and on target, I hardly noticed it. (It may also be because the actors were speaking Japanese and I was only reading subtitles because I can't understand Japanese.) Although I did like the book better than the movie (tells you how good the book was since I think the movie is FANTASTIC), there are some moments in the movie that outshine even the book because of the acting and the way the dialogue is delivered. For example, Yukie's LIGHTHOUSE SCENE is much better in the movie than it is in the book. I love the way their voices become delirious and the way their anger escalates (it's nearly palpable!).
Also, the setting is well-done, too. There are a lot of neutral and cool colors like whites, grays, and cool blues that set the mood and provide a contrast for all the bright red blood. That reminds me: this movie has, like the book, been criticized as VIOLENT EXPLOITATION. That is understandable since the movie shows young classmates killing each other in messy, realistic ways, some willfully and some out of fear. The movie is v. bloody and v. violent and sometimes gratuitous. I normally don't like violence, I don't like blood and guts and gore flying everywhere. I really hate those 'Halloween' and 'Freddy' and 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' type movies because blood spills needlessly and in an excessive/stupid way. But 'Battle Royale' is different. The violence will sometimes make your stomach turn, but you'll think, that's the only way it could have been done.
And lastly, I have to praise the way CLASSICAL MUSIC is used in this movie. It's done in a v. artsy way that makes you think about the horrible things you've seen and make sense out of it, and I loved it. The use of Mozart and Giuseppe Verdi's 'DIES IRAE (REQUIEM MASS)' in the opening sequence is especially incredible. It practically lets you know that you're in for a wild, thought-provoking, horrific, unique, and exciting ride. Also, MASAMICHI AMANO (the composer) did a great job on the original music in 'Battle Royale.' I've listened to most of the soundtrack and think every one I've listened to has real poignancy and feeling. The way it is used in the film is even better; it brings even more meaning to what the kids are feeling and what they are doing.
This is an INCREDIBLE movie - a mind-blowing exposition of the minds of teenagers and a fantastic exercise of style. I LOVED this movie. After watching it, you will be thinking about it for days; all the scenes of teenage angst will not leave your mind too easily. I give it my highest recommendation...go watch it right now!!