When I found out what film Mark was picking this week I genuinely celebrated. Is that sad? Most definitely. But there were two reasons for my celebrating. Firstly, I have been meaning to watch this film for years at this point so to now finally being made to had me excited. Secondly, it matches up perfectly with the franchise I am planning to do for this week’s Franchise Friday (if you know you know). The stars aligned in that sense. So, this morning I plonked myself down in my chair all giddy to watch this film. Did it live up to my pre-existing hype? The film is set in a not too distant future where the youth have rebelled against their elders and the rate of youth crime has risen dramatically. In an attempt to counteract this the government pass the ‘Battle Royale Act’, which has one random school class picked each year to be taken to an isolated island where they are given three days to complete one task: kill or be killed.
This film pretty much delivered exactly what I expected from it. It is a pretty non-stop action film where kids reluctantly (or not so reluctantly) murder each other. It doesn’t try to be anything more or anything less than that. Narratively we are given everything we need to know about why the Battle Royale is a think through text right at the start of the film so we don’t have to waste any time on setting it up, we can just get right into it. The actual script for the film is not the strongest. There are quite a few narrative sub-plots that are either set up and concluded in the same scene or are hardly set-up at all and it gives the film several moments where you’re wondering what is going on or who characters are meant to be. The main narrative is decent though, but the concept of the film is strong, and its execution is done so well that the narrative basically becomes second fiddle. In terms of performances, everyone does a decent job. The cast is pretty big and so the fact that no one was bad is quite impressive. That being said, there were also no particular standouts in terms of performances either. Everyone does the job needed of them and they are able to get across who their characters are and their different personalities well. The film is also shot well, but there are these weird moments where quotes pop up on a black screen and it happens several times throughout the film. I don’t really know why they are there, and they don’t really match the rest of the style of the film. I didn’t dislike them, I just thought it was odd. There is also a black humour element to the film. There is one scene in particular where the kids are shown an instructional video for the Battle Royale and the juxtaposition of how the video is presented and what it is actually presenting are so opposed that it is genuinely hilarious. The excessive violence also gives the film a slight comedic edge.
Apparently, this is a favourite film of Quentin Tarantino and having seen it that is absolutely no surprise at all. It does have a real Tarantino vibe to it, especially in its violence. The film is excessively bloody with the violence being so over the top that it doesn’t feel like you’re watching something nasty or mean spirited. It is a film that has fun with its violence and the excessive nature allows for the frankly dark concept of the film to be fun. And this film is a ton of fun. I have already mentioned that there is a big cast, and the film does not kill anyone of them off-screen. If a character dies you either see it happen or see the aftermath. And if you see it happen it usually happens in the most ridiculous and fun ways. The film is also pretty relentless in giving you scenes where people are dying. Every other scene is pretty much a scene where kids are being killed. And you may think that this entire paragraph has been me revelling in the violence of the film, and you would be right. But, like I say, the excessive nature means that the violence is never realistic, like a Tarantino film. There is one particular kill in the film which did actually make me react in repulsion, and that was more to do with the fact that I am the owner of a particular set of genitalia and you can guess what happens from there.
I had a blast with this film. It is a film that knows exactly what it wants to be and delivers on it brilliantly. The narratives of the film are up and down in terms of execution, but they are also only really there to serve the concept and give the film some structure. Now, very much like Quentin Tarantino, this film is not going to be to everyone’s taste. But it is right up my street and I had a ton of fun watching it. I wonder if I will have a similar reaction this Friday…
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