Battle Royale

Every so often there comes along a movie that is shocking and though provoking and just blows the hell out of your mind. Battle Royale is one of those movies.

Based on the book of the same name, the movie finds a randomly picked class of middle school kids on an island in Japan fighting each other down to the last man in an attempt to survive and win the Battle Royale program. The BR Act was instated because of a growing amount of crime amongst the younger kids. The government figured, what better way to weed out the undesireables in society than have them killed. So as our hero Shuya and his friend Noriko try to survive, the world around them falls apart as friends kill friends and eventually everyone embraces the shocking reality of the game.

Each student gets a necklace that is set to blow up after 3 days on the island which is the duration of the game and a weapon with which to make their stand. Some get guns, some knives, some pot lids. It's random and helps even out the odds against some of the better killers. The game is also televised to homes on the mainland where the game and its outcome have become a popular form of entertainment as well.

A truly brilliant movie that speaks against violence and government, this film should be on everyone's shelves as a true work of art. The deaths, while some over the top, do more than titillate, the make you question your resolves and how well you might do in a situation such as this. Could you kill your best friend?

Takashi Kitano gives a great performance as the teacher of the class who sends the kids off to die and initiates them in the game as well as supervises it. The rest of the cast acts well and gives it their all to portray the hopeless situation that they are in. Available from import shops. Check it out.