Quentin Tarantino’s Ultimate Masterpiece: Unrated Streaming Recommendation with FSK 18
Quentin Tarantino once revealed, „If there ever was a movie that I wished I had made, it’s this one.“ And we can only share the excitement of the cult director for „Battle Royale.“ Previously indexed, now stream uncut!
Many may know Chiaki Kuriyama as O-Ren Ishii’s schoolgirl bodyguard in Quentin Tarantino’s „Kill Bill.“ The Japanese actress’s early success in Hollywood was not least due to a reason: „Battle Royale.“ Quentin Tarantino celebrates the long-indexed mix of dystopian action spectacle and murderous human-hunt horror as one of his absolute favorite films and was so impressed by Kuriyama’s performance in the cult shocker that he promptly brought her on board for his martial arts revenge saga.
But the cult director goes even further: „If there ever was a movie that I wished I had made, it’s this one,“ Tarantino said about „Battle Royale“ in 2009, which he even crowned as the best film he had seen in the past two decades at that time. However, in Germany, the full-length slaughter fest was not available for viewing for a long time. The film by Kinji Fukasaku is not only considered a precursor to „The Hunger Games,“ but it also enriches the murderous fight for survival among teenagers with such brutally violent peaks that the film mercilessly failed to pass the FSK ratings board.
„Battle Royale“ was not only indexed in its uncut version in Germany but was also temporarily confiscated. Today, the situation is different: in 2017, the film finally received the green light from the FSK and was given an „18 and over“ rating in its uncut version. Since then, it is finally possible to get one of the most popular and toughest cult films of the early 2000s in its full length regularly on the market – on DVD and Blu-ray, and now even in 4K Mediabook. Or on streaming, where you can get the best deal:
„Battle Royale“ on Amazon Prime Video
The Uncut version is currently included in the streaming channel MUBI (available via Prime Video). And if you feel like watching more, you can also follow up with the sequel, „Battle Royale 2.“ But beware, it doesn’t come close to the original…
„Battle Royale 2“ on Amazon Prime Video
„Battle Royale“: The Dark Brother of the „Hunger Games“
The dystopian young adult saga „The Hunger Games“ went from bestseller to cinema phenomenon, reminding many fans of Japanese cinema of „Battle Royale,“ which had already shown a similar scenario years before:
Japan is in chaos, school violence is spiraling out of control. To counter this, the government decides to abandon a class on a deserted island every year. Whether they like it or not: The students become participants in the Battle Royale – equipped with food and weapons to engage in a three-day fight for life and death, which only one of them can win…
„Battle Royale,“ which also inspired „Squid Game“ creator Hwang Dong-hyuk to his Netflix mega-hit, reminds its audience in the best „Lord of the Flies“ manner of what people are capable of at a young age when they have no other choice – and thus poses the audience with a question: What would I do in such a situation?
This film is uncompromising and provocative, allowing a deep look into the depths of the human soul and disturbing not least because it is tough and brutal but also brings out funny moments from time to time. However, they are amusing only until the laughter gets stuck in your throat. The whole thing is strongly played. And not just by the teen ensemble around Chiaki Kuriyama, but especially by the always great Takeshi Kitano, who became famous in Germany mainly with the TV hit „Takeshi’s Castle“ but has long enjoyed the reputation of a celebrated actor and director thanks to films like „Sonatine,“ „Hana-bi,“ and „Zatoichi.“
By the way: Over time, plans for a US remake of „Battle Royale“ have been announced but never materialized. Producers Neil Moritz and Roy Lee secured the rights for a remake as early as 2006, but a massacre at the University of Virginia soon put the project in jeopardy – before the first „Panem“ book was released shortly after. The young adult novel made such a big splash that Moritz, Lee, and Co. were sure that their „Battle Royale“ adaptation would be seen as a rip-off and doomed to failure. The same fate befell the series remake that the US network CW was working on in 2012.
And speaking of Takeshi Kitano: Did you know that his most famous work in Germany has received a remake? More on this in the following article: Cult show „Takeshi’s Castle“ returns – the remake on Amazon Prime Video is set to be even bigger!
*The links to the Amazon offer are affiliate links. We receive a commission for purchases made through these links. This article is based on a post originally published on FILMSTARTS.