| ...The first disc contains the movie, which has been re-edited with additional footage. It's not essential by any means, but the new footage does add more depth to various characters, as well as the class as a whole. A flashback to a basketball game allows you to see them as normal students before all of the bloodshed, and it ups the "poignancy factor" a good bit. The character of Kitano, the students' 7th grade teacher, is given more depth as well, especially in his relationship with Noriko.
The second disc comes loaded with special features. There are several "Behind The Scenes" and "Making Of..." featurettes, as well as footage from the Tokyo Film Festival where "Battle Royale" debuted. Watching them, you get a real sense of just how passionate everyone, the kids included, felt about this movie. I was greatly impressed by these kids, who successfully made film that wasn't just dramatically challenging, but also very intense physically. I also came away with an appreciation for the energy and verve of director Fukasaku, who was 70 when he made this film.
Speaking of Fukasaku, also included is a funny birthday video made for him, featuring the bubbly girl from the game's instructional video giving some stern warnings (and birthday wishes) to the director. |
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