A class of high-school students is sent to a remote island to engage in mortal combat in this dystopian satire on human society. In the near future a new law is enacted which sees a random school class selected each year to partake in a battle royale: pitting students against one another until only one remains. As a new high school class, on their way to a school trip, wake up to the horrifying realisation that they have been selected, the students are faced with a horrific choice: kill or be killed. Shuya Nanahara (Tatsuya Fujiwara) joins Noriko Nakagawa (Aki Maeda) in an attempt to find some way out of their desperate situation. Alongside transfer student Kawada (Taro Yamamoto), they must face off against the rest of the class, including the psychopathic Kiriyama (Masanobu Ando) who engages enthusiastically in the slaughter.
Based on the novel by Koushun Takami, “Battle Royale” features a simple premise which allows for a deep analysis of human psychology and relationships. Trapped in this life or death struggle, we see each student behave differently: some opt for suicide; others show surprising ingenuity and resistance to the indiscriminate cruelty of the authoritarian system; and others participate willingly; some attempt to band together; while others remain steadfastly independent. The cast of young actors do a great job, lending a believabilty to the outlandish premise. Direct Kinji Fukasaku (known for his “Battles without Honour or Humanity” series) does not shy away from the violence and bloodletting of the story, with brutal slayings being commonplace, but throughout maintains a sense of compassion for the participants, depicting their suffering in this callous world. The film is shot in a realistic style, plunging us into the dark nights and paranoid days as we witness the rapidly diminishing class. The classical score, featuring Bach and Verdi, echoes the elitist authoritarian tone along with the sense of epic, eternal struggle of humanity against its violent instincts.
“Battle Royale” is a powerful critique of totalitarian systems and societal violence. The random nature and needlessly cruel methodology of the government reflect the casual sadism of modern societies that have accepted authoritarianism. The children, and by extention the adults, no longer have any right to their own lives, instead being the property of the state. As the deaths, which occur frequently, are listed on screen, the audience is likewise in danger of becoming inured to the violence, powerfully reinforcing the central warning against just such indifference to human suffering. We see deception, cruelty, bullying, and selfishness on full display, as may well be expected when humans are forced into such a stark fight for survival; but the film balances this with notions of solidarity, friendship, and sacrifice: no less innate traits. Battle Royale is an ode to the best and worst of humanity and remains endlessly watchable for this reason.
