When Battle Royale was first shown it was met with shock, due to its intense violence. More specifically, this violence is against children, which makes the film even more unnerving. Quentin Tarantino has even stated that Battle Royale is the only film he wished that he would have directed.
The film takes place in a dystopian Japan, where each year a group of students is taken to a remote island and forced to fight until one survives. At the beginning of the film, the students think they are going on a field trip until the gruesome reality is revealed to them. Touching on themes such as the dangers of totalitarianism, the film paints a dreary picture of a society in which the government has complete control, and can force children to engage in a fight to the death.
After this film, the historical concept of a "battle royal" was redefined and has come to mean a group of people fighting to the death, until there is one survivor. This trope can be seen in many different aspects of popular culture, from the successful book and film franchise The Hunger Games to a number of popular video games such as Fortnite and Apex Legends. As such, the influence of this film has been massive and has influenced the way we think about the battle royale genre.
