BR Discussion

Subject: BR Discussion Sun Jun 21, 2015 7:46 pm

How many times have you seen BR! And what was your first impression ?

When did you first watch it?

For me it was 2004.I actually watched it on Tv here in the UK,on channel 4 i think it was.(The Uk only having 5 channels)I had never heard of it and just caught it by chance.But was blown away by the killings and gore without being over the top.The more gore you have the less real it comes across i feel.

But it's wasn't just the killings,but how they didn't seem senseless,it wasn't just killing for the sake of it.It had so much raw emotion that pulled you into the charters.It's like a roller coaster.It didn't stop,or get stale,it keeps on going up and down until the end.

And each character has their emotional roles to play.Some people might see it as sick,disgusting 113 Minutes (original) 121 (Extended) of crude killings of teenagers.Senselessly killing each other.But when you break it down the story has two points of view. One it's shows how uncontrollable the human mind can be and how it can come to some atrocious conclusions.Which has been viewed in society for as long as it's existed.

Seeing how each character perceives the situation and how that makes them react.Some shut down and don't want to face anything,some kill themselves,others try to run and hide and wait it out,some can only think about themselves and as long as they are alive then that's all that matters.Then there's the last few who seem to enjoy killing with no mercy. All of that is a window into how different the human mind processes reality. And all of that is true. You truly never know how someone will act in a situation.The people you go to school with or work,people you think you know, when put in a situation could kill you instantly with no remorse,for fun,to survive,some trying to survive and feeling bad for having to do it and others who just loose it. People who you thought were strong could just freeze and curl up.

There is far more to BR than just random killing.

The 2nd which is somewhat controversial was the whole reason behind why they were taken to the island. Which was because teenagers were becoming worse in society and the older generation wasn't happy with it.So they made the game i assume to put fear into people so they would act more respectful and diligent. Which i can't confirm if the author took that from real life, watching children growing up acting worse than the previous generation,listening to peoples grumbles about it,seeing problems arising in society.

But it also shows how we see life and our actions, how people think we should live and act and how to deal with situations .That aspect of the film shows how older generations who are in power fail to understand the younger generations, fail to understand a new way of thinking.So instead of finding a positive way to reel the young ones in their solution is to use force and fear which would of been what they experienced when they were young.

My only negatives about BR are.
I wish the film could of been more like the novel.Making Kawada Shougo and Kiriyama Kazuo some random guys who just happen to be there felt odd for me,it felt like being drawn back and two from a close knit group to the outside of the group created by those two being separated from the class as outsiders,when really in the novel they are a part of the class.

The concept of the film is a new and confusing one when it came out and Making Kawada Shougo and Kiriyama Kazuo outsiders made it even more confusing.Who were they? Why are they here? Whats their history. Even though sadly the film doesn't get into alot of people characters,you have an understanding and connection to all of those that are their because they all went to school together. Kawada Shougo saying at the end he came back because of his girlfriend. That makes no sense at all.

1.why would they let him back.
2 Why would you come back when you survived the first one,there is nothing to gain.Unless i missed something,there doesn't really seem to be a logical reason for him to be there.

3 Kiriyama Kazuo being there just to kill also doesn't do it for me, it breaks down what the story was to be about. Focusing on a class of students,their connection too each other and how they emotional deal with what's going on with them.Making Kawada Shougo and Kiriyama Kazuo not a part of the group like in the novel for me messes up the balance and focus on the class.

The film for me will always be one of my favourites,it has an atmosphere to it that i can not explain with words,it's a personal feeling and experience,i feel lost in time when i watch it,taken back to better days, a different world that we have now.

It was the opening to my chapter into the world of Japan

Subject: Re: BR Discussion Fri Jul 03, 2015 2:55 pm

I've seen Battle Royale,so many times I lost count...The count I remember was 147 times,but I know I saw it more than that,afterwards.....

I got the Special Edition of the movie....I only saw the sequel only once,it's not a bad movie,but it's not better than the original one.

Subject: Re: BR Discussion Fri Jul 03, 2015 3:04 pm

I hope they do something for the 20th anniversary,in a few years.

Subject: Re: BR Discussion Sat Jul 04, 2015 10:48 am

Ive got the original version on DVD

I watched the 2nd again this year. It's pretty poor to be honest.I have no idea why they even came up with that concept to begin with.If they were going to make a 2nd one surely they should of just kept the same concept but added new twists and killings etc.

People would of course say,oh it's boring it's just the 1st one but abit different.But! How many films have done that, the SAW films,Final destination just to name two. They both have sold really well and have had a decent following. Sometimes a good thing doesn't need to be changed, it doesn't need to be original,it just needs a few tweaks.

I really feel they should of taken that approach with the 2nd.They should never of made a franchise out of it,just added the 2nd and leave it at that.

They could of captured the two main characters who were on the run and put them back into a new game.They could of had two classes from different schools fight it out between themselves with the added main characters from the 1st film. Now that would of been a proper sequel.

Subject: Re: BR Discussion Thu Jul 23, 2015 1:50 pm

The reason why the first two films were different is because the director of the first film died,while in production of the second silm...His son took over and I guess,it didn't do to well,because many fans don't like the second movie.

Me personally,I thought the second film was okay,but I prefer watching the first film.

One of these days,I'm gonna have to do a Battle Royale marathon...They was suppose to make it into a TV show here in the States,but fans didn't want it,since the States has a track record of messing up foreign film(something I agree with)....

Overall,I like both movies and the manga....I've been trying to find the novel,for years.

Subject: Re: BR Discussion Fri Jul 24, 2015 7:55 pm

Yeah but the director started to make the second that way from the start.

If he lived i doubt it would of changed.

It was a pretty poor film when you compare it to the first.

Im glad it didn't get made into a tv show,that would of been awful.

The novel is on Amazon.It's had a few translations over the years.Another one just came out.

Ive got the 2010 version.Has an interview with the director and also the novelist

Subject: Re: BR Discussion Fri Apr 08, 2016 7:32 pm

I saw Part II,a few weeks ago and was thinking to myself it was different than the first movie.I still like the movie,but it's no where near as the first movie.

I'm glad they didn't try to make a trilogy out of it though...

Subject: Re: BR Discussion Mon Apr 11, 2016 1:21 pm

It's like a complete different concept altogether.

They just kept the two main characters and the Exploding collars.Thats the only connection it has to Battle Royale.

I honestly think the 2nd should of been a carry on from the first.Even though people would of said it's just the same,while the film was at it's peak,people would of flooded the cinemas to watch it. Many films have done it before. Would of been alot better than what they made.

A would love a 3rd film if it went back to the original plot.The only issues now is,with everything being all modern i think films loose that gritty look and feeling they had in the 1990s early 2000s. Unless it was made to look like that,i found some new films are too pretty looking, too modern. Now i love quality but if you imagine Battle Royale,the ring,the grudge or any other film from 1990s to early 2000s filmed in 4k, people using smart phones,facebook, the modern internet. It would just look naff. It would loose the feeling of isolation,the rawness.

If someone could pull off an old school approach to making a Battle Royale 3 then id be excited. :Grin:

Subject: Re: BR Discussion Sat Apr 23, 2016 11:16 pm

I would love a trilogy,also,but I don't think it would happen though.From what I see in the Japanese movie industry,they usually make two movies and keep it moving.The only exception is the "Death Note" and the "Zatoichi"movies

You're right about everything being too "pretty" though,these movie studios use too much CG in their movies,especially in science fiction and fantasy movies.I understand,why they do it,but sometimes too much doesn't necessarily mean it will look good.

Subject: Re: BR Discussion Sun Apr 24, 2016 6:17 pm

I don't think it will happen either!

It's the same with Tv shows.They seem to make one season then end it,unless the first season because popular,then they make more.But very rarely do they make 3+ seasons. Id have to look into it and see how many there is.

CGI is so over the top now,animatronics were so much realistic and added such a richer atmosphere

Subject: Re: BR Discussion Mon May 09, 2016 11:37 pm

Piggybacking the discussion on anime/novel and light novels,did you read the manga to Battle Royal.

I read the manga along time ago and couldn't believe,how the manga is different from the movie...in a good way of course.

I need to redownload it,because it was around 2007,when I read it.It was on my old laptop that died.

:River of tears

I also need to download the sequel to the manga.

Subject: Re: BR Discussion Tue May 10, 2016 11:03 am

I downloaded it a few years back,but deleted it not long after.

At the time i wasn't really into manga so it didn't interest me,but after i started looking at mangas i went back to take look at it and i really didn't like the artwork.
The characters looked to western to me.It put me off so i never bothered buying it.

The manga seems very different to the film and novel,for me it's wayyyy to over the top.It's more graphic, with rapes and more brutal killings,it made the school kids out to be pure insane serial killers. Like Jason from Friday the 13.Ive not read the whole manga so i can't speak about how it all pans out,so im sure there's some normal kids in it.

But for me it's over the top.

The novel came first,which i own and love,(think i'll start reading that again today )and that describes things perfectly and slowly.You defiantly need to read it.

Didn't know they made a sequel for it.

What i would love is if the author Koushun Takami wrote another book similar to the original.Forgetting the silly 2nd film.But the issue with that is the first ended in a good way,"well as good as you can get in that situation" would a 2nd ruin what the 1st created,tainting the history of Battle Royale?

Would of been nice to have another book though,Maybe working Shuya Nanahara and Noriko Nakagawa,back into it somehow.Maybe having a main guy that created Battle Royale being on an island watching and controlling the game like Kitano was in the first,and they enter the game somehow so they can kill him in the hope that killing the creator and driving force of Battle Royale,that Battle Royale will then cease to exist.

Takami has not released any work since Battle Royale though.I guess he got rich from it,and also he probably has a fear of trying to top it.Who knows? :Fine Then: