Battle Royale
Many members of the Japanese Parliament tried to get the novel banned, but to no avail. When the film was released, they attempted to ban it also. Both efforts resulted in the novel and film becoming even more successful as people bought the book and went to the movie to see what the fuss was all about.,(at around 12 mins) When Kitano throws the knife and hits the first girl to die we see the knife land in the middle of her forehead, yet when he kneels down to retrieve the knife he pulls it out of her eye. (In later versions of the film this error was digitally fixed),[Shougo has just finished bandaging Noriko's leg]
Shuya: You know a lot about medicine.
Shougo Kawada: Well, my father was a doctor.
[a few minutes later, Shougo serves Noriko and Shuya food]
Noriko Nakagawa: Wow! This is pretty good!
Shougo Kawada: It should be. My father was a chef.,As the credits roll, a class picture is displayed, showing all of the students that have been killed in the Battle Royale, including the two transfer students.,The Special Version includes the following:
Redone opening titles
Redone sound effects
Added CGI blood to make the shootouts more graphic Also, many shots were added, deleted, reedited, and extended for pacing and clarity purposes, including the following:,Featured in Japanorama: Episode #1.2 (2002),Shizuka na hibi no kaidan wo
(Stairway of Quiet Everyday Life)
Performed by Dragon Ash
Courtesy of Victor Entertainment, Inc.,Most of the reviewers here speak from their own viewpoints, i.e. non-Japanese westerners, and they praise/knock the movie based on its violence, plot, etc. That's fine. But through their ignorance of the culture this film springs from, they are missing its subtleties.

I've been teaching in a Japanese high school for three years now. Once I saw this movie, I could instantly appreciate its skill and surprising frankness at commenting on some of the sad and strange realities of Japan's modern youth.

Japan is a culture obsessed with youth. Almost everything here is tailored to the under-30 (and much younger, actually) crowd. For example, most westerners watching Japanese TV will be surprised at how childish it seems. The things that seem childish to your average American junior-high student are very appealing for a Japanese high-school student. Girls in their 30s desperately try to be "cute" to attract guys. Adults and children alike read comics by the droves, and sometimes pops up a strange, not-too-well-hidden undercurrent of pedophilia.

This movie takes the heavily cliquish, often childish, and often incomprehensible (to me) social system of young Japanese boys and girls and gives them guns. This is the natural result. Take it from me, the characters and situations are very realistic.

This gets mixed with the growing anxiety among the older generation at the rising rudeness and rebellion of the new generation in a culture that values politeness above all else. From a frustrated and humiliated teacher; to students killing each other over seemingly unimportant squabbles; to the overly-cutesy, peppy training video that perfectly mimics nearly any show on NHK these days -- this film subtly and brilliantly comments on half-a-dozen issues that weigh heavily on the minds of Japanese people today. That's why it was such a big hit in Japan.

Maybe you just have to live here to get it. I give it 5 stars.,