Battle Royale
Kinji Fukasaku’sBattle Royaleis one of the most violently distressing and controversial motion picture ever made . The story about a class of 42 9th - graders lawfully sanctioned to absorb in a barbarous fighting to the death on a distant island for three days boast some of the most extreme and alarming acts of violence ever practice to celluloid .
Released shortly after the notorious Columbine massacre in the U.S.,Battle Royaledrew rough criticism for its depiction of intense wildness perpetrated by high - school bookman . In the years since it ’s discharge , the motion picture has become a beloved craze classic and a highly reveredJapanese horrorhit . As the film celebrates its twentieth anniversary this December , here are 10 things you did n’t know aboutBattle Royale .
Japanese Censorship
Prior to yield on thefilm adaption , the Japanese Parliament attempted to ban the Koushun Takami novel on which it is based . When the governance give out to do so , the censoring was aimed at the film variant .
When Japanese officials betray to ban the photographic film in the country as well , both the picture and novel became vastly popular . The seek to smother the release of the material had the diametric effect on Japanese citizens , asBattle Royalewent on to become one of the 10 highest - grossing motion picture in Nipponese account .
Banned In Several Countries
Although Japan fail to censorBattle Royalein its homeland , other countries were more successful in limiting viewership . For case , the picture show is censor on South Korea TV for being far too graphically vehement .
In 2006 , the photographic film was indexed for being a youth - endangering culture medium by Germany . As a result , nobody was allowed to betray copies of the movie in Germany and outstanding copies were impound by the police . In 2013 , the courtyard case was appealed and overturned . In 2017 , the picture was taken off the indicant and arrogation listing . The film was not blackball in the U.S. , but it take nigh a decade for it to be unfreeze due to licensing way out .
Locations
Battle Royalewas take all throughout Japan , using several location in the process . The street chronological sequence were shot in Shibuya - ku , Tokyo , many exterior picture were filmed at Shukugawara Dam , Tama River , Kawasaki - shi , Japan .
For the remote scene , motion-picture photography was done on the real island of Hachijo - Kojima , an uninhabited isle located in the Izu Sir Ernst Boris Chain , hundreds of miles to the south of Tokyo . Hachijo - Kojima is not only used for the island at the death of the film , but also for the shots of the students on the shoreline .
No Stunt Doubles
More than 800 worker try out for the teenage student inBattle Royale . To ready for their roles , six month were spent doing physical test with the thespian , while doing intensive book - interpretation .
But the most shameful matter about the thespian is that not a undivided person used a stunt doubly on the set ofBattle Royale , not even spark advance actress , Tatsuya Fujiwara . Moreover , only two actor were fitted with squibs while shoot ( phoney blood bundle ) , Takayo Mimura , and Takeshi Kitano .
Day For Night
In a method not uncommon on many flick productions , several nighttime scenes inBattle Royalewere actually shot during the daytime .
One example of the day - for - dark proficiency include the aspect in the cottage as Kawada , Noriko , and Shuya are accosted by Kiriyama . The panorama was filmed in broad daylight and was subsequently color - tinted in postproduction to make it appear as if it were nighttime .
Extra Footage Shot After Initial Release
While it ’s fairly common for filmmakers to shoot day - for - nighttime , film supererogatory footage after the theatrical release is anything but typical . But that ’s precisely what manager Shinji Fukasaku did onBattle Royale .
For the special version DVD release , new scene were filmed after the theatrical cut of the movie . Eight minutes of footage was added into the cut , including three epilogues , two flashback , extra gibe of the beacon conform to the shootout , supplemental CGI , and extended stroke inside the classroom .
Student Painting
The iconic jejune painting of the class of students slaughter on a hillside was create by none other than Takeshi Kitano , the role player who portrays Kitano - sensei in the cinema . Kitano - sensei depict Noriko ( Aki Maeda ) as the victor in the painting , which he exhibit to her and Shuya when they enter the classroom .
In another real - life link , when Kitano - sensei speaks to his daughter on the sound , he ’s really converse with Aki Maeda ’s sis , Ai Maeda .
10th Anniversary 3D release
For the 10th anniversary of the picture show on November 20 , 2010 , the picture show was reformatted for a 3D dismissal . The postproduction rebirth was supervise by theatre director Kinji Fukasaku ’s Logos , Kenta .
In February of 2011 , the 3D version ofBattle Royalewas screened at the Glasgow Film Festival in Scotland . Later in 2011 , a release of the three-D cut was planned in the United States but was cancel for unknown reasons by year end . A non-3D Blu - re DVD ofBattle Royalewas at last released in the U.S. in 2012 good manners of Anchor Bay Entertainment .
Sequel
When Kitano passed , his Word Kenta Fukasaku took his home and nail directorial duty onBattle Royale II.Unfortunately , theobscure horrorfilm paled in comparison to its precursor , earning just $ 14 million against a $ 9 million budget while garnering a paltry 4.7/10 IMDB - rating .
American Remake
Plans for an American remake ofBattle Royalewere in the works as early as 2006 . New Line Cinema pass on the remaking an unofficial 2008 release date despite securing the right to the original moving-picture show .
In 2007 , the Virginia Tech massacre registered as the most fatal mass shooting in America at the sentence . As a outcome , plan to refashion Battle Royale was stop . In 2012,The Hunger Gamesfranchise was set up , prompt many to gloss on theparallels the story hadwithBattle Royale . The massive success ofThe Hunger Gamesended architectural plan for an American remaking , as New Line producer Roy Lee claim that it would be discarded as a copy of the popular YA version .
NEXT:12 Movies That Inspired The Hunger Games
