Today's selection was based on an article I read in Entertainment Weekly. The June 16, 2006 issue boasted that it would list the 25 "Most Controversial" movies of all time.
In my opinion, the list was a total letdown. You know what was number one on the list? Passion of the Christ...
...*snore*...
Being a product of the 80's generation raised with a mind full of pop culture references, and a movie buff, I guess that my definition of "controversial" differs from most others. You gotta remember, we saw things on live TV that blew our minds. Come on, people! I've seen former President Reagan get shot, I've seen the Space Shuttle blow up, hell, there were many mornings when I woke up and the first thing I saw was Tammy Faye Baker's face . 
Much like Tammy Faye, the torture shots in Passion is nothing more than creepy special effects makeup. You need to do more than that to shake me.
Just to rag on Entertainment Weekly some more, here's just a sample of the other movies they placed on the list:
- #3 Fahrenheit 9/11 - Or as I call it, The Exorcist for Bush voters...
- #12 The Deer Hunter - Couldn't get through it. I fell asleep during that long-ass wedding scene...
- #19 Basic Instict - Come on... really...?
- #22 Do the Right Thing - Oooohhh, a black man threw a garbage can through a window! Call the National Guard!
- #23 Kids - Finally, a truly controversial movie! But #23? That one should be in the single digits.
- #25 Aladdin - Yes, the Disney movie. Apparently an Arab-American focus group didn't like one (I repeat, "one") of the lyrics. Disney's response? They cut it from the release. Where the hell is the controversy?
So here's one movie that should be on the list:
ALL TIME BEST CONTROVERSIAL MOVIE
Battle Royale, directed by Kinji Fukasaku
Wanna hear about controversy? North American movie distributors were afraid to buy it, therefore it's very rare to find screening or a copy of the VHS/DVD in Canada or the US. If you want details of why, feel free to visit this link.
Made in Japan in 2000 and starring an all Asian cast, Battle Royal has a strong cult following all over the world. The movie as spawned sequels, adaptations in novels and mangas (comic books), video/board/card games, clothing merchandise, music CDs... I mean it's a phenomenon!
The story takes place in the near future (which would be now if the movie was made in 2000). Japan is falling apart economically. There is rampant un-employment and the country is vastly over-populated. The social fabric has fallen apart so much that the youth see no hope in their future. As a result, the schools are riot zones, and the teachers, rendered impotent by apathy and bureaucracy, are victims of violence perpetrated by their students. In short, the center is not holding.
We focus on the students from Shiroiwa Junior High School, Class 3-B. 
The students have been selected to participate in a special field trip. During the bus ride, they are rendered unconscious by a special gas. Military type personnel take over the bus. The students wake up to find themselves kidnapped on a remote island. Each one wears a computerized collar around their necks.
Enter the murderous Teacher, played by "Beat" Takashi Kitano. The Teacher informs his former students that they have been selected to participate in the government sponsored "Battle Royale Survival Program". The program is the result of the BR Act, which was signed into law in response to the lawlessness among the countries youth. The rules are:
- The collars are waterproof, shock proof, tamper proof and contain a small explosive. Anyone who tries to remove the collars will get their heads blown off.
- The students are to participate in a 3 day survival game on the island.
The island is divided into multiple danger zones, which change every hour. Any one caught in the danger zone at the wrong time will get their heads blown off.
- Each student is given a backpack containing water, bread, a map, a compass, a flashlight and one random weapon. The weapons range from a fully automatic sub machine gun to a pot lid. No one knows what they are going to get. Anyone who tries to cheat or get off the island will get their heads blown off.
- The object of the game is that the students have 3 days to kill each other. There can be only one survivor in Battle Royale. If there is more than one survivor at the end of the 3 days, they will all get their heads blown off.
So the crux of the tale is this... how do the stresses of such a survival program play out amongst typical junior high school students? What happens when the class nerd is finally armed and has full leave to confront his tormentors? What happens the the prettiest and most popular girl in school when she finally learns her peers were all jealous and secretly hated her all along? What happens the young, and so "in-love" couple when they realize that at some point one will be forced to kill the other? And by the way, who are those two new kids with all the scars? The one's who look like they've played this game before?
Battle Royale is the new millenniums answer to Lord of the Flies. The movie has resonance in these modern days of Columbine and 9/11 tragedies. The performances of the young cast is great, and the drama translates very well. The movie is unrated, but if you find a copy, I recommend that you exercise your parental discretion. The screen violence is not intended for young viewers.
4 comments:
The initial set-up of this movie reminds me of Ender's Game - kids being forced into something (in these two cases, violence) without their knowledge. In Ender's Game, the premise was that it was okay because the kids were saving the planet from invasion/certain death. What's the premise in this movie? Why are they allowed to do this to the kids? And where are their parents? Off cavorting with Michael Jackson, no doubt.
I actually didnt know most the movies you mentioned. But i dont think that PAssion of the christ is a controversial movie. I mean, alot of people make a fuss about it but i think that The Da Vinci code produced more controversy. Thats just my opinion though
RESPONSE to JENERIC - The first movie doesn't really explain the motives for the BR Act. I think the sequel tries to explain it, but unfortunately it's a pretty bad movie (unlike the first). I haven't read the book or manga so I don't know if they explain it. My theory was that the gov't was using the survivors as super-soldiers.
RESPONSE to VICK - Your opinion is always welcome here.
RESPONSE to SARAH - I thought the same thing when I showed the riot scene from "Do The Right Thing" for my grade twelve french project.
Really amazing! Useful information. All the best.
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