Battle Royale

In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill each other under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.

Japanese cinema can sometimes throw up some very interesting ideas, often being far more willing to push the boundaries of what is acceptable than many studios here would ever dare. Battle Royale is one such example and delivers an experience that is both inventive and nightmarish, but also just as incredibly entertaining as it is taboo.

I hadn't seen this in ten years or so and was somewhat concerned that the spectre of The Hunger Games (being more or less a poor, sanitised facsimile of the film) might detract from the experience this time around. Thankfully, this wasn't the case and it didn't enter my mind once. From the first few seconds onwards, its captivating melodrama and gleeful pomp had me glued to the screen, absorbed in the universe gone askew in which pitting children against each other in a fight for survival is an acceptable method of discipline. It's this aspect of the premise, more so than any others, that renders imitators so inferior. The sadistic nature of the world, the sheer cruelty of it, that give it so much more weight. However, this is not necessarily to say that it sets out to succeed through disturbing the viewer.

At its heart, this is an action flick. Yes, there is a great deal of blood, and yes, these murderers (and victims) are school children, but the action sequences are by far the most prominent point of the film. It's sometimes almost surprising that it was released as recently as 2000, mostly due to the very '80s action feel that can be found in many of the scenes. There's a sort of grubby, Escape from New York air to it that I just love. In addition to this, it is also about as far from Hollywood as you can get. The Asian style of storytelling is markedly different from that of Hollywood and its ilk, making for an experience that is always refreshing, should you be the sort that takes in a great deal of American cinema.

As far as the characters are concerned, I can only say that there seem to be many unstable types in the Japanese school system. Granted, these particular youths are intended to be disaffected and rebellious in the extreme, but the frequency and ease with which they turn sociopathic is alarming. Having said that, it does make for some very memorable imagery. On top of this, those overseeing the bloodbath are just as warped as those forced to take part and seem to take no small degree of pleasure in the carnage as it unfolds. Most have little to no depth to them, but this works just fine given the nature of the movie. At the very least the central players are afforded some dispensation in this respect.

Overall, there's very little time to catch a breath given the pace of the film, with violence that comes thick and fast, as well as the gore. In light of this, the degree of depth is surprising and certainly has the capacity to get you thinking.

The Verdict:

8/10
An action flick that spares no stomach when it comes to the blood, but at the same time isn't completely brainless. Both controversial and incredibly entertaining in equal measure.    

Cast Away

A FedEx executive must transform himself physically and emotionally to survive a crash landing on a deserted island.

I was actually put in mind to watch this again by the disappointment of Life of Pi. Much of Ang Lee's effort seemed like a lighter version of Cast Away and didn't carry close to as much weight as the Robert Zemeckis film.

There aren't a great many negatives to discuss, but I do want to get one out of the way early on. This movie has the most product placement I think I've ever seen in the medium. From the firm for which Hanks's Chuck works to the company he keeps on the island, it sometimes comes across as though certain scenes have been engineered to maximise brand exposure. Fortunately, the impact this has on the integrity of the film is minimal. 

Key to the success of the picture is its star. Tom Hanks has gradually drifted away from the comedy roles that launched his career, and by the time this film was released in 2000, he had already established himself as an accomplished dramatic actor. His strength here is to be able to prevent the film slipping into a mire of doom and gloom that would have made for a very different feature. Though the battle to survive is a difficult one, the material allows for him to lift the mood as required, and he does so ably.

There is much made in the first twenty minutes of Chuck's relationship with Helen Hunt's Kelly. They share a woolly taste for dreadful jumpers and the setup is absolutely necessary considering how the plot moves forward. Having said that, it's definitely the weakest section of the film and things don't really get going until we board the plane that will ultimately carry us to the island. 

Maybe it's just me, but I find any and all air crash sequences terrifying when they're done well and this most definitely is. The aftermath of the crash also makes brilliant use of light and darkness in rattling the senses and accentuates the peril being faced on the open ocean. This is complemented throughout the film by the juxtaposition of raucous storms with tranquil images and birdsong, which is also very effective.

The score is conspicuous by its absence in all but the most emotional of scenes, emphasising the loneliness and desolation of what is essentially a paradise prison. Supporting this is the wise creative choice of never leaving Chuck's side, joining in all his hardships, small victories and heartache. Never do we see the ongoing search for him, nor the affect his disappearance has on those closest to him. Further to this, I'm also a big fan of the character dynamics in play towards the end of the movie. It's atypical, but not so much that it endangers its appeal to a wider audience.

The Verdict:

7.5/10
A well-crafted film that makes it impossible not to identify with the fight for survival. Characterised by inventive plot devices and smart writing, it's a film that lingers long after viewing.