After looking at my top 5 films from last year I was trying to decide what my favourite film of all time was. Not an easy task when you think about it! After much deliberation it came down to The Matrix vs. Battle Royale. Both are brillient (yet very different) films in their own right, each making the more decerning viewer think about the philiophical and moral implications of what is portrayed on screen. If I were pushed to choose one I would have to go for Battle Royale simply because it is a relativly unknown film in the west and has never had a proper theatrical release over here (and probably never will) due to its content.
In short Battle Royale is the story of a highschool class in post-modern Japan who are taken from their normal lives, and are thrust into a military controlled island in which they are forced to kill their own friends in order to survive. The reasons for this I will leave to you to discover. The film is undoubtedly brutal but its violence is in no way glorified and highlights its futility.
For a far better and more in depth review see here and here (Warning: SPOILERS). N.B. I would not recommend this film for anyone under 18 or to those who watch MTV or any other rubbish like that.
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