Battle Royale

Battle Royale (バトル・ロワイアル Batoru Rowaiaru) is a 2000 Japanese dystopian thriller film adapted from the 1999 novel of the same name by Koushun Takami. It is the final film directed by Kinji Fukasaku, written by his son Kenta, and stars Takeshi Kitano. The film follows a group of junior high schoolers forced to fight to the death by the Japanese government. The film drew controversy and was banned or excluded from distribution in several countries.[3][4]

The film was first screened in Tokyo on more than 200 screens on December 16, 2000, with an R-15 rating, which is rarely used in Japan, and during the first weekend it grossed 212 million yen (US$1.8 million).[5][6][7] It was also the highest-grossing Japanese-language film for six weeks after its initial release, and it was later released in 22 countries worldwide,[3][8] grossing $25,895,894. It received a global audience and critical acclaim. It is often regarded as one of Fukasaku's best films, and one of the best films of the 2000s.

Fukasaku started working on a sequel, Battle Royale II: Requiem, but he died of prostate cancer on January 12, 2003 after shooting only one scene with Takeshi Kitano. Kenta completed the film in 2003. Battle Royale has been influential in global popular culture, inspiring a number of films, shows, comics, manga, anime, visual novels, and video games; the battle royale genre is named after the film.

Following a major recession, the Japanese government has passed the "BR Act" to control Japan's unruly youth. Middle school student Shuya copes with life after his father commited suicide. Noriko is the only student regularly attending class 3-B. Their teacher, Kitano, resigns after being wounded by a student.

One year later, class 3-B takes a field trip, but they are gassed and taken to a remote island. Kitano reappears surrounded by JSDF soldiers, explaining to the class that they are chosen to participate in the annual Battle Royale as a result of the Act: they have three days to fight to the death until a victor emerges, while explosive collars will kill uncooperative students or those within daily "danger zones". Each student is provided rations, water, a map of the island, compass, and a random weapon.

The first six hours see twelve deaths, four by suicide, and most caused by the desperate, psychotic Mitsuko Souma and psychopathic volunteer Kazuo Kiriyama. Transfer student Shogo Kawada lets Shuya go, while basketball player Shinji Mimura plots to hack into the military's computer system to disrupt the program. Amid shifting loyalties and violent confrontations, Shuya promises to keep Noriko safe as his friend secretly loved her. He carries her to a clinic, where Kawada reveals that he won a previous Battle Royale at the cost of his girlfriend, Keiko Onuki, whose death he seeks to avenge. When Kiriyama attacks, Shuya entrusts Kawada to protect Noriko and runs as a distraction. Although saved by Hiroki Sugimura, a martial artist looking for Kayoko Kotohiki, Shuya is wounded.