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Battle Royale (2000)

Batoru rowaiaru (original title)
Not Rated | | Action, Adventure, Drama | 16 December 2000 (Japan)
Battle Royale Poster
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.

Director:

Kinji Fukasaku

Writers:

Koushun Takami (novel), Kenta Fukasaku (screenplay)

Stars:

Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Tarô Yamamoto | See full cast & crew »
81
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Popularity
2,494 ( 155)
7 wins & 9 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tatsuya Fujiwara ... Shuya Nanahara - otoko 15-ban
Aki Maeda ... Noriko Nakagawa - onna 15-ban
Tarô Yamamoto ... Shôgo Kawada - otoko 5-ban
Takeshi Kitano ... Kitano-sensei (as Bito Takeshi)
Chiaki Kuriyama ... Takako Chigusa - onna 13-ban
Sôsuke Takaoka ... Hiroki Sugimura - otoko 11-ban
Takashi Tsukamoto ... Shinji Mimura - otoko 19-ban
Yukihiro Kotani Yukihiro Kotani ... Yôshitoki Kuninobu - otoko 7-ban
Eri Ishikawa Eri Ishikawa ... Yukie Utsumi - onna 2-ban
Sayaka Kamiya Sayaka Kamiya ... Satomi Noda - onna 17-ban
Takayo Mimura Takayo Mimura ... Kayoko Kotôhiki - onna 8-ban
Yutaka Shimada Yutaka Shimada ... Yûtaka Seto - otoko 12-ban
Aki Unone Aki Unone ... Fumiyo Fujiyôshi - onna 18-ban (as Aki Inoue)
Ren Matsuzawa Ren Matsuzawa ... Keita Îjima - otoko 2-ban
Hirohito Honda Hirohito Honda ... Kazushi Nîda - otoko 16-ban
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Storyline

Forty-two students, three days, one deserted Island: welcome to Battle Royale. A group of ninth-grade students from a Japanese high school have been forced by legislation to compete in a Battle Royale. The students are sent off to kill each other in a no-holds-barred game to the death, until one survives -- or they all die. Some decide to play the game like the psychotic Kiriyama or the sexual Mitsuko, while others are trying to find a way to get off the Island without violence. However, as the numbers dwindle is there any way for Shuya and his classmates to survive? Written by Prissy Panda Princess

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

japanese schoolgirl | miniskirt | jgirl | social commentary | cult film | See All (439) »

Taglines:

Could you kill your best friend? See more »

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie is banned in South Korea TV due to graphic violence scenes. See more »

Goofs

Bags that are given to students aren't big enough to fit some of the weapons (e.g. crossbow, sickle, etc). See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Reporter: This year Zentsuji Middle School number 4's Class E was chosen from among 43,000 Ninth grade classes. This year's game, said to be more blistering than the last - - Oh look there! There she is! The winner's a girl! Surviving a fierce battle that raged two days, seven hours, and 43 minutes - the winner is a girl! Look, she's smiling! Smiling! The girl definitely just smiled!
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Crazy Credits

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. See more »

Alternate Versions

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:
  • A longer basketball sequence
  • Added reaction shots of the kids in the classroom to Kitano's "Do you know this law" question, and after Kuninobu's death.
  • A flashback shot of Mizuho and Inada and Kaori Minami to remind us of who they were when we see their bodies.
  • Closer shots of Takiguchi and Hatagami's corpses
  • An additional shot of Nanahara weeping at the top of the lighthouse
  • Additional shots of postcards from Mimura's uncle
  • Kitano shutting down power to the computers and ordering the soldiers to reboot after the Third Man attack
  • A scene with Mitsuko as a 9-year-old coming home to find a pedophile in her house.
  • An additional shot of Mimura triggering the explosives on the truck
  • Requiems that show the real flashbacks, and we hear the dialog during Noriko's dream.
See more »

Connections

References Lord of the Flies (1963) See more »

Soundtracks

Radetzky March
Op 228
Johann Strauss Sr.
See more »

User Reviews

 
So Much to Like
6 October 2019 | by brentenkingsten – See all my reviews

Tyranny of adults

Imposition of societal norms on the young generation

Pretty girls in cute school uniforms (this is not USA so girls are not fat tattooed or trashy) and

Action and violence

What more can anyone want?
53 of 66 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Was this film banned in the US?
Q: who is the the child that appears at the beginning of film is she connected to the story?
Q: Is the Battle Royale supposed to symbolise anything or is it just a gore-fest?
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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

16 December 2000 (Japan) See more »

Also Known As:

Battle Royale See more »

Filming Locations:

Hachijo Island, Tokyo, Japan See more »
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Box Office

Budget:

$4,500,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$958,989
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Toho Company, AM Associates, Fukasaku-gumi See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1
See full technical specs »
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