Battle Royale II: Requiem

At the dawn of the new millennium, Japan is in a state of near-collapse. Unemployment is at an all-time high, and violence amongst the nation´s youth is spiralling out of control. With school children boycotting their lessons and physically abusing their teachers, a beleagured and near-defeated government decides to introduce a radical new measure: the Battle Royale Act. Overseen by a former teacher, Kitano (´Beat´ Takeshi), and requiring that a randomly chosen school class be taken to a deserted island and forced to fight each other to the death, the Act dictates that only one pupil be allowed to survive the punishment. He or she will return, not as the victor, but as the ultimate proof of the lengths to which the government are prepared to go to curb the tide of juvenile disobediance. Likened to Stanley Kubrick´s A Clockwork Orange by many critics, this explosive film shocked a nation with its violent portrayal of a society in ruins. With a poignant classical soundtrack, blistering action sequences and plenty of social commentary and gore in equal measure, Battle Royale is a haunting and important piece of cinema that should not be missed.