Battle Royale [4k Ultra-HD] [Blu-ray]

Product Information

restoration of the Original Theatrical Version and Special Edition Director's Cut of Battle Royale from the original camera negative by Arrow Films, approved by Kenta Fukasaku It’s clear to see how Battle Royale inspired a plethora of dystopian stories, especially things such as The Hunger Games, but it’s also one of the most realistic of these films, presenting a grim future that’s not too different from our own. This isn’t a world where a tyrannical government is using their advanced technology to cow those under them, keeping people in rigid caste systems or anything like that. The world presented in Battle Royale is one where a desperate government put something in place as the only solution they could see, and people went along with it. The first film presents a very bleak story where no one would ever dream of standing up against such a thing, whilst the sequel shows how hard and futile such a rebellion would probably be. CD featuring the complete score to Battle Royale by Masamichi Amano and the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra

That said, Arrow’s 1.85:1 4K presentations are
still by far the best either version has ever looked. Close-ups and brightly lit scenes reveal more precise details than earlier Blu-rays managed, and even the muted colour palette has a little more life to it. restoration of the Original Theatrical Version and Special Edition Director’s Cut of Battle Royale from the original camera negative by Arrow Films, approved by Kenta Fukasaku Lossless sound is available on both discs in the original Japanese in 5.1 and 2.0 in DTS-HD Master Audio format. The soundstage is medium wide across the front, with clean and well-centered dialogue. The score is presented with excellent fidelity, supported by firm and satisfying bass. This isn’t an especially boisterous or dynamic mix, but the surround channels are used for modest but constant ambience and you will hear the occasional directional sound effect in action scenes. Optional English subtitles are included. Brand new 4K restoration of the Original Theatrical Version and Special Edition Director’s Cut of Battle Royale from the original camera negative by Arrow Films, approved by Kenta Fukasaku. The Recording of the Music Score, archive footage of Masamichi Amano and the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra

Side guide

A Tribute to Kinji Fukasaku, featuring scenes of Kinji Fukasaku on the location of Battle Royale II Humanity, Graveyard of Honor) helped launch a new wave of appreciation for Asian cinema in the 21st century. Also included in the set is the incendiary sequel Battle Royale II, the directing debut of Kenta Fukasaku (after his father passed away during production), in which a new class of delinquents are recruited by the government to hunt down the survivor of the deadly games of the first film. Of course, Battle Royale had arcs beneath its ostensible mere existence as the poster-boy for increasingly imaginative deaths, as you follow the 'hero' through the bloody landscape, but really the joy is pure and simple - wondering who is going to die next, and how. It is classic horror movie territory, with the survival aspect successively giving it some drive and focus, as various kids attempt to defeat the game, defeat the collars, or just avoid killing - with questionable success. Somewhat ironically, adult actor Takeshi "Beat" Kitano ( Sonatine, Hana-bi and the more mainstream Ghost in the Shell) is easily the star of the show despite a vastly limited runtime, giving the narrative a curiously whimsical bent, whilst imbuing it with some palpable emotional weight too. The first two discs of this set are given over to the original film, with a theatrical and director’s cut that have both received 4K transfers from the original film negatives, making these the sharpest quality versions of both films to date. Having seen the film on both DVD and regular Blu-ray I can say that there is a definite difference here, and whilst some of the darker scenes do have a slight bit of grain to them, overall they look fantastic. The sequel doesn’t fare as well as the original in terms of visual quality, but still looks incredibly good, and like the first one comes in both a theatrical and director’s cut.

Shooting the Special Edition, on-location featurette with footage of the cast and crew reuniting for the shoot of the Special Edition It’s fair then to say that Battle Royale (2000) and Battle Royale II: Requiem (2003) are the culmination of Fukasaku’s life-long exploration of these themes of death, human conflict, and violence. Battle Royale II Premiere, a featurette on the film's first screening at the Marunouchi Toei Movie Theatre This is the point of departure for all my films. Lots of people die in my films. They die terrible deaths. But I make them this way because I don’t believe anyone would ever love or trust the films I make, any other way. Also included in the set is the incendiary sequel Battle Royale II, the directing debut of Kenta Fukasaku (after his father passed away during production), in which a new class of delinquents are recruited by the government to hunt down the survivor of the deadly games of the first film.The Correct Way to Make 'Battle Royale': Birthday Version, a new version of the original instructional video made to celebrate Kinji Fukasaku’s birthday The Correct Way to Make 'Battle Royale': Birthday Version, a new version of the original instructional video made to celebrate Kinji Fukasaku's birthday Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new essays by Matt Alt and Anne Billson and archival articles

For those of you who may already own previous editions of these films on disc, the good news is that everything from the 2012 Starz/Anchor Bay Blu-ray has carried over here, as well as all of the extras from the 2010 Arrow Video UK Blu-ray release, and the 2002 Tartan DVD too. That’s virtually all of the special features that have been produced over the years (save for a few items created by Capelight Pictures’ for recent German BD releases). Here’s a disc by disc breakdown of what you get… DISC 1 – BATTLE ROYALE: ORIGINAL THEATRICAL VERSION (4K UHD) Kinji Fukasaku trailer reel, a collection of original trailers for Fukasaku's classic yakuza films from the 70s The Recording of the Music Score, archive footage of Masamichi Amano and the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra. Playing like a turbo-charged hybrid of Lord of the Flies and The Most Dangerous Game, the final completed work by veteran yakuza film director Kinji Fukasaku (Battles without Honor and Humanity, Graveyard of Honor) helped launch a new wave of appreciation for Asian cinema in the 21st century. Bloody Graduation: Kenta Fukasaku on Battle Royale II, an exclusive brand new interview with the director and screenwriter of Battle Royale II

Sound: Battle Royale II

An interview with ‘Beat’ Takeshi Kitano during the filming about his life, career and character in the film going into further detail about the process from what was mentioned in previous featurettes on the first disc as well as a discussion on the violence in the film. The Correct Way to Make ‘Battle Royale’: Birthday Version, a new version of the original instructional video made to celebrate Kinji Fukasaku’s birthday A public introduction by the director and main cast during the Opening Night at the Marunouchi Toei Theatre in Tokyo on 16th December 2000 showcasing the large crowds that were lining up to see the film complete with programmes and an atmosphere of excitement. With all the other behind the scenes features focusing on the cast sharing their experiences at the time of filming, it’s great to hear their words on the film upon its completed state where they’re clearly proud of the film they made.

Playing like a turbo-charged hybrid of Lord of the Flies and The Most Dangerous Game, the final completed work by veteran yakuza film director Kinji Fukasaku (Battles without Honor and

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The Making of Battle Royale: The Experience of 42 High School Students, documentary featuring footage from the shooting of the film and cast and crew discussions Lossless sound is once again available on both discs in the original Japanese in 5.1 and 2.0 in DTS-HD Master Audio format. The soundstage is medium wide across the front, with clean and centered dialogue. The score is presented with excellent fidelity, supported by decent bass. This mix has a little bit more bluster than the original, with more aggressive use of the surround channels in combat sequences (particularly the teens’ “amphibious” lading on the island). Beyond that, the surround channels are used for constant ambience. Optional English subtitles are included. High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the Battle Royale II: Requiem theatrical cut and the Battle Royale II: Revenge extended cut. Although newcomers may find the lite version - The Hunger Games - robs this 2000 cult classic of some of its originality, it's still got some bite as a no-holds-barred survival horror... with school kids. However, what doesn’t really need to be seen but comes with the set anyway is Battle Royale II, the sequel that followed in 2003. Original director Kinji Fukasaku died during pre-production and so his son Kenta Fukasaku took over directing duties and, as Japanese cinema expert Mark Schilling says in the accompanying documentary Coming of Age: Battle Royale at 20, he did the best he could.