ALL SCI-FI

[Bongopete]

I love this movie.

I thought I would just leave it at that, but no . . . I will explain a bit more about what it is. HAS anyone else seen this?

'Battle Royale' came out in 2000 and was based on a best selling novel in Japan by the same name Batoru Rowaiaru.

The novel right at the outset makes it clear that this is an alternate timeline. WW2 in the Pacific was a draw for example.

The film doesn't make that point really clear, but obviously the events indicated at the beginning haven't happened and it appears to take place today..so . . . alternate Earth.

Very loosely the basic idea could be compared in some ways to Escape From New York and Lord of the Flies. As explained at the beginning of the movie, disaffected youth have become almost uncontrollable in schools, rejecting their parent's and country's cultural beliefs and frightening them.

The Japanese government establishes an act where once a year (in the book it is multiple classes) an entire class of school students are kidnapped (after having been chosen by lottery) and moved unconscious to an isolated location (in the film, an island) where they are made to fight to the last student (oh, and to the death btw).

After being told of what has happened to them, and they are given a bag with food and water and a weapon they are made to leave and begin. They have three days to accomplish the elimination of everyone of their classmates but one. At the end of three days, if there are more than one left or anyone who tried to opt out is left, all are killed by the detonation of a collar around their necks.

The story had the greatest potential for being turned into a gratuitous 'torture porn' flick . . . which is unfortunately what would happen if made by Hollywood.

However Battle Royale avoids this completely. There IS blood, but not the way Hollywood would revel in it.

The film is about high school students, and all the student cast were of that age when they made the film.

The film has been thought to be an allegory to many things, so you really need to come to that opinion on your own — though teenage angst, third world children soldiers, and reality tv are but a few.

Bottom line is, this is not a Hollywood film, and not an exploitation one either. I don't know if there is an official English dubbed version of this or if you simply have the subtitles. But don't let that stop you.

[kolchak]

I saw this fascinating blend of pop culture and futurist horror.

The best part was the instructional video featuring the cute girl casually explaining how they were mostly going to die.

(spoiler)

Heartbreaking scene where three guys hack into the system and are on the verge of blowing the whole thing up and saving everyone, but one nut shoots them all.

Tragic.

Definitely something different and thought provoking.

Thank goodness Hollywood didn't do this (though 'Hunger Games' has some similarities)


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"God is not worried about the 21st Century. He knew it was coming." T.Shawyer

[Krel]

I haven't had the opportunity to see the film, but I have read that the cast was actually high school age kids, not twenty-something actors playing high school kids. The writer says that it adds an extra horror to the film.

David.

[Bud Brewster]

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The trailer is a powerful promo for this unusual movie.

__________Battle Royale Official Blu-Ray Trailer


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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)