Battle Royale:
As violent as it is deep
I feel it only right to give my thoughts on this review’s film right away: If someone asks if you want to watch Battle Royale with them, you answer “yes” immediately. That’s what happened to me in 2012, when I first watched this film with a friend. This film is not a work of art, but it is certainly an experience that everyone should have at some point in their lives. Battle Royale, a 2010 Japanese film directed by the late Kinji Fukasaku, is less a story than it is a character study filled with action, tense atmosphere, and the type of violence that makes Quentin Tarantino giggle with delight.
Battle Royale is a film that, as an American viewer, makes me feel that I’m not getting the full experience. There are definitely cultural elements unique to Japan within the film, causing plenty of moments that made me stop to literally say “what just happened?” And yet, I can overlook these moments for all the moments that made me and my friend howl with delight. Between an interesting approach to the plot, a unique style, a traditional style of sound, and some value to a second viewing, Battle Royale is a film that will put a smile on your face.
When discussing plot, usually I go straight into what the film is about. Battle Royale, however, gets compared to another film so frequently that I feel a need to address this first and foremost: Yes, it’s kind of like The Hunger Games. No, The Hunger Games is not a rip-off of Battle Royale. In Battle Royale, a 9th grade class is randomly selected by the government each year to violently fight each other to the death. This is where the comparisons begin and end for the two films. Beyond that element, Battle Royale is completely different than the Hunger Games. The film follows the entire class, with two characters getting the main spotlight, as they try to survive the deadly game. A ticking clock hangs over our many protagonists’ heads, a three-day time limit continually tugging at their sleeves. I’m a bit sorry to say that, while the film has twists, it’s mostly not that shocking from a storytelling perspective. It’s not as simple as the mindless spectacle of films such as xXx, the G.I. Joe franchise, and The Purge, but this film isn’t meant to cause serious debate. Instead, the main draw of Battle Royale is in the characters. You get to know almost all of the class, understanding their personalities even for those who only become central for a few moments. It’s interesting to see an approach where intense violence goes hand in hand with a large cast of deep characters. In this regard, the plot of the film moves between interesting and predictable depending on what you choose to focus on at any particular moment.
In terms of the sound, Battle Royale has a lot going for it. Diegetic ambient sound definitely adds a lot to the piece in a manner that accentuates the loneliness and isolation of the story. Taking place on an island, the film uses the crashing waves and howling winds to emphasize the beauty and danger of nature as the students form relationships and attempt to murder one another to save their own lives. The musical style is the rather typical to classic films of the thriller genre, utilizing orchestras to exploit common emotional cues. In several cases, these musical pieces are familiar works of Western composers. This common style doesn’t hurt the film, however, as the content of the film is unique and tense enough to make the style work. When characters are on the verge of death, you feel their anguish and fear from the almost apocalyptic strings and chorus. When a relationship blossoms between two of the students, you feel the connection through the gentle, slow pace. When there is suspicion of a certain character’s motivations, the low bass makes you sit on the edge of your seat. Battle Royale’s use of music is earned through its knowledge of its intentions, with each piece being dramatically different to suit the scenes.
Ah, the style of Battle Royale. If you asked me to describe it using other films, I’d say it’s a combination of Man of Steel’s coloring, a heavily toned-down version of the camerawork from Cloverfield, and the violence of either volume of Kill Bill. What you get is a slightly shaky, very bleak-looking product packaged in bloodshed. And yet, it works incredibly well for what it’s trying to portray. The characters are constantly in turmoil and despair, suiting the camera style and the coloration. Even when things seem their brightest in the film, there is never a sense of comfort or stability. In many films, I hate the use of the unsteady camera due to its being pointless. Films such as Man of Steel, Transformers, and Hancock utilize this style without reason beyond it being a trend. While certain films can use it properly, such as Chronicle using it to contrast the decaying mental state of its protagonist as the camera gets smoother and The Dark Knight demonstrating the instability of The Joker, many films use of the “shaky cam” only for the sake of using it. In this regard, Battle Royale’s style utterly fits the content.
Rewatching Battle Royale doesn’t add a lot to the experience, I’m sad to say. However, it does add a little depending on how you watch it. When seeing it with my friend initially, we focused on the spectacle as we would a B-movie. We hooted and hollered at every moment someone died, constantly tried to guess the next twist, and took the experience less seriously for the sake of being with one another. We still enjoyed the experience, mind you, but we spent the time laughing rather than thinking. When I sat down this week to watch this film for the second time in my life, I got much more involved as a viewer. The characters were interesting and unique, the focus clearly on them throughout the film. The actual plot, while a bit predictable, was interesting on multiple levels. There were many issues I had with the film, but they did not harm the complete experience. While I’m not sure if it’s worth watching time and time again, watching with friends versus watching by yourself brings two extremely different experiences.
Ultimately, I recommend Battle Royale as an experience everyone should try once or twice. However, I feel I should emphasize once or twice. The film really isn’t worth watching again and again as far as I’ve been able to tell thus far. However, it can entertain a crowd looking for both spectacle as well as interesting perspectives on film. While the plot is a bit on and off and the film doesn’t beg for continual viewings, the sound design is great and the style is fantastic. Battle Royale is worth a watch, especially since it’s readily available on Netflix. Turn the film on, sit back, and enjoy the ride. Happy viewing.