Battle royale (Collector's edition) [DVD] (D)

Based on Koshun Takami’s novel “Shockwave”, Kinji Fukasaku’s controversial “Battle Royale” is a heady mix of violence and satire, which has drawn many comparisons to Kubrick’s “A Clockwork orange”. Not surprising, given that both films have sparked debates regarding the nature of cinema violence and its affects, while offering up an apocalyptic vision of the not too distant future. At the dawn of the new millennium Japan is teetering on the brink of chaos. Unemployment is at an all-time high and youth violence is spiralling out of control. The solution? The Battle Royale Act, a brutal government initiative which requires a randomly chosen group of teenage students to be taken to a deserted island where they must fight each other to the death. The sole survivor of the contest will become an example to Japanese youth of the extremes the government is prepared to go to in order to restore order. With its tongue firmly planted in its cheek, “Battle Royale” taps into the zeitgeist of Japanese society’s biggest fears and secret desires, as we watch in unflinching detail Japanese teenagers hack, shoot, poison and bludgeon each other to death. Warning: Some scenes may disturb. Cast includes: Takeshi Kitano, Aki Maeda, Tatsuya Fujiwara and Taro Yamamoto.