Cast your mind back to the mid noughties and you should remember that the world was going apeshit for Asian films. With Ring and Audition having made everybody soil their kecks in the late nineties and the likes of Oldboy and Ichi the Killer leaving audiences to scrape their jaws off the floor, it inevitably meant that a heap of other less impressive Asian flicks followed in their wake, filling up the spaces on DVD shelves that werent occupied by superhero films.
With a surplus of shoddy J-Horror and US remakes casting a hefty shadow over their predecessors, its actually pretty lucky that the gems of the genre have managed not to be eclipsed. To this end, its amazing to see that such a brilliant movie as Battle Royale has been given the lavish Blu-ray treatment that a film of this calibre so rightly deserves.
Set in a reality where Japanese society is crumbling at the hands of delinquent teenagers, the government launches the Battle Royale program an initiative whereby a class of schoolkids is stuck on an island, armed with a random weapon and told that the only way off the island is to be the last one standing.
Now if you havent had the sense to check the film out yet, its every bit as energetic, exciting and harrowing as the plot would suggest. Featuring haunting performances, gruesome scenes and a poignant message regarding the state of society, Battle Royale remains an uncompromising, visceral slice of Japanese cinema. Obviously then, you need it in your life which brings me onto the Blu-ray.
Despite the single disc DVD having boasted a load of neat features and the double disc featuring a sweet metal tin and even more bonus loot, the Blu-ray trumps them with a whopping package that includes the theatrical cut, the special edition directors cut, a boat load of extra features, a 32-page comic, a 36-page booklet featuring interviews and promotional material, a 16-page booklet containing a bunch of production materials and artwork and to top it all off, 5 postcards from the film. In short, its a set that would make any self-respecting fan drool.
Still thats all very well, but are all the trimmings just a way to distract from a lousy transfer and shitty audio? Well thankfully, no. But thats not to say its perfect. The colours are stark and everything is generally a lot crisper and cleaner that can be seen on standard def edition. However, there is a little bit of grain and noise in high contrast situations such as the early scene featuring the helicopter and its bright lights landing at night. Still, its a mild gripe that only stands out due to the rest of the set being absolutely perfect. Every extra you could ask for, a crystalline audio to do justice to that majestic score, and you can thank God that Arrow Video had the good sense not to lump the bloody awful sequel into this incredible box set itd be like biting into the worlds most delicious doughnut and finding a cat turd in place of jam.
Overall Verdict: After 11 years, Battle Royale remains a visceral, cerebral and socially poignant piece of Japanese filmmaking. If youve been waiting for a set that does the film justice, then you can relax. The wait is over.
Special Features:
Disc One
Theatrical Cut; original theatrical trailer, the making of Battle Royale: The Experience of 42 High School Students, conducting Battle Royale with the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra.
Disc Two
Special Edition (Director’s Cut); Special edition trailer, TV Spot: Tarantino version, shooting the Special Edition, Takeshi Kitano interview, the correct way to make Battle Royale (Birthday version), Tokyo international film festival presentation.
Disc Three
Special Features; Opening day at Maro No Uchi Toei movie theatre, the slaughter of 42 high school students, premier press conference, the correct way to fight in Battle Royale, Royale rehearsals, Masamichi Amano conducts Battle Royale, special effects comparison, behind the scenes featurette, filming on set, TV spots, promos and commercials, Kinji Fukasaky trailer reel
32 page comic
Booklets
Postcards
Poster
Reviewer: Jordan Brown