Battle Royale [DVD]

Loved the first one when I saw it years ago on DVD. Now looks even better in HD.The box set is great with load of stuff in there.

When I first heard about this film I thought it sounded like a cool idea, if a little cliched these days, but after reading reviews all I expected was a pointless and purely escapist gore-fest. Though this is probably true to a certain extent, it doesn't really feel like a gory movie. There is a great deal of violence and death, but this is never really dwealt upon. People die, there names flash up on the screen, and we move on. Very little of the violent scenes are really gratuitous: there are only two characters who could really be seen as representing the mindless killing that we might expect from a film like this. One, however, we learn is not so much revelling in murder, as doing so to escape from the life she has been forced into. The other, the infamous Kiriyama, kills with apparent pleasure but without uttering a word. We never really know what we are thinking.There are probably three reasons to watch this film, or at least three ways to view it. One is as a slickly written and filmed movie which bombards us with so many stories that we are unable really to predict what will happen, despite the many cliches thrown at us. This is the mature film-making of a mature film-maker, capable of keeping a film going without attempting to instil any overall message. The attempts of those characters we might expect the director to most sympathise with, those who attempt to rebel against the system (as I think the director did in his younger days) are thwarted by Kiriyama's dispassionate shooting spree, without the group ever really having a chance to carry out their plan.The second reason is perhaps the multitude of characters and their reactions to the situation, which is quite explicitly established as a paradigm of real life, as Kitano tells Class B 'Life is a game. Now fight for srvival and see if you're worth it.' This is where the Lord of the Flies element comes in. No matter who a character is, their intentions will always be compromised by those of another. The characters are carried along by the system dying deaths as absurd and pointless as the game itself. The message is perhaps dark, but if you llike looking at the woorld in this kind of way, you'll enjoy the movie.The third reason is no doubt the quality of the acting, with most of the characters played by school-age children. Its this that gives the movie its originality and subtlety. The relationships between characters seem as apprehensive and real as they would be in a real school situation. At the same time no character is a steretype; there are no jocks or geeks as such, and no time is spent lingering on past events which are proved now by the situation to be irrelevant.I'm not sure this film can be classed a masterpiece, but at the same time is far more enjoyable than many films that would be, and not just in a guns 'n death kinda way. It's a beautiful, often subtle film, and though not exactly profound it makes no attempts to be so. If you're looking for gratuitous violence you might be disappointed. Suffering in this film is for the most part self-inflicted. This is a film about school-leavers fighting not only a world which despises them, but also a world which loves them.

Great boxset a good purtche no faults

There was no way I was NOT going to like a Blu-Ray version of this masterpiece, but even so Arrow Videos have absolutely wowed me with their considered and generous treatment of the release. The packaging is robust and well-designed, the video extras are numerous and non-filler, and the extra gifts ("Parents' Day" comic, the two booklets, the poster, and film stills) are all well presented and very well picked.The box is very strong hard card in a matte finish, with front cover art that features a "school lockers" motif and a rear which is devoted to describing the set. Inside the box are five folding cardboard sleeves which share the locker motif on their rears. Two of the sleeves contain all the printed extras, and have the special edition posters on their fronts. The other three sleeves contain the Blu-Ray discs and the fronts feature stylised artwork of Kiriyama (Theatrical Release), Kawada (Director's Cut), and Mitsuko (Additional Extras), along with their weapons of choice. In short a strong but not overpowering artistic theme is maintained throughout the set which I think declares "someone who cares about the film designed me".The Amazon product description actually does a good job of listing the content but the set specifications could be better. Specs are:* Running time (theatrical) = 114 minutes;* Running time (director's) = 122 minutes;* Language/Subs = Japanese/English;* Aspect Ratio = 1.85:1;* Audio = DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 / Stereo.It's interesting to note that the subtitles for the Director's Cut have been entirely re-translated. This creates trivial semantic differences between many bits of dialogue in the two versions of the film, but puts an entirely new spin on a minority of other scenes. It's worth watching both films back-to-back to see how the feel of certain character interactions changes.With regard to new footage, I don't want to spoil anything. But I will say the only additional parts which I thought added anything essential to the film were a flashback to Mitsuko's childhood (be assured it's as creepy as one might reasonably expect), and a re-telling of Noriko's dream in one of three "Requiems" at the end of the film. Having said that, nothing in the Director's Cut detracts from the film and I felt that it was a slightly superior cut.With regards to the Blu-Ray quality, the sound is tremendous. The picture quality is pretty good and has scrubbed up well for a film of its age, especially considering that a lot of it was shot in the dark and the pouring rain, both of which create serious issues for cinematographers! I noticed that some of the killings have had blood-spatter digitally added - it's incredibly obvious but since most of the deaths were nowhere near as messy as they should have been it sort of helps. There are all sorts of rumours going around on the internet that this is an "up-scaled Standard Definition" version of the film. I've not seen anyone provide convincing evidence either way on that, and personally I found the picture quality to be excellent compared to the previous releases.One scene in the Director's Cut sticks out as looking utterly un-restored; I'm not sure if they tried and failed or somehow missed it. When Mitsuko takes Hirono's gun after their confrontation in Megumi's shack, and Hirono turns to run, it is clearly obvious that the footage has not been touched. Doesn't really make much difference, it just sticks out like a sore thumb when the rest of the film has been polished to such a shine.In conclusion, if you are any kind of a fan then for the price you simply cannot get a better presentation of this unique and epic film. You should definitely buy this before the 10,000 copies are gone for good. I am so glad I bought this set, and even though I am not that fond of the sequel I'll be buying that film too if it gets the same treatment! This special edition set is truly essential, and it's how all special editions should be put together - with the appropriate care, attention to detail, and the deserved reverence!