BATTLE ROYALE (Batoru Rowaiaru) (2000) - ♦♦♦♦

 Directed by - Kinji Fukasaku

Written by - Kenta Fukasaku (based on the novel by Koushun Takami)

Starring - Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Takeshi Kitano

"Before The Hunger Games, there was Battle Royale. An idiosyncratic view on a futuristic world that explores various delicate themes and issues through beautifully dark and graphic novel like visuals, plenty of stylised violence and gore and an excellent pace that carefully dictates the suspense of the film. 

The story, set in a futuristic world, revolves around a group of ninth graders kidnapped by the Japanese government and forced to kill each other in order to survive. This set set up is excellent to play with influences from themes such as teenage angst and revolutionary idealisms. 

Its depiction of the human condition and the disturbingly dark projection of the character's personalities, particularly in their interactions with one another, also seems to openly play upon fears of a dystopian society of emotional coldness and narcissist selfishness - a modernised Zero for Conduct in a hyper technological Japanese setting. 

Director Kinji Fukasaku's film is very impressive, despite his occasional excesses and so and so acting ala Roger Corman B-movies, which takes a little of the edge from the film and strengthens Battle Royale's forays into comic book like satire."

Action, Japan