Set in a dystopian timeline, the film tells us of Japan's collapse and massive unemployment. Its government has passed a law to reign in a restive student populace. Draconian is the mildest way to describe it, as teenage students are isolated and forced against their will to kill each other off until there is one left standing. All at the behest of a school teacher named Kitano, not surprisingly played by the iconic Takeshi Kitano, who at once embodies authority with a dangerous edge.
Students Shuya Nanahara and Noriko Nakagawa (played by Tatsuya Fujiwara and Aki Maeda) become the focal point of the movie, growing closer as they try to survive. They are presented as a romantic couple, but the movie does not exploit romance. Instead, it uses their pairing wisely, kindling our interest to gradually progress through the story's themes and suspense.
This same thoughtful characterization is lavished upon all the students. Though their high school personas and allegiances emerge, they are more archetypical than stereotypical. There is the beauty, the pariah, the sweet girl, the bad girl, the computer geek, the loner, and the hero, but these labels are not what solely defines them. The film is able to shape them as genuine individuals through their concerns and their relationships, despite their limited screen time.
The film is famous for its violence, achieving widespread fame in Asia after its release. It was not however screened in the US, in light of the Columbine shootings the year before. But despite its outlandish premise and bloodshed, its intentions go far beyond cheap thrills. The plot may be contrived but the drama is real.
We come to see the dynamics of student cliques; how crushes and betrayals affect their chances of survival. We see them rationalize each other's worth by juvenile standards. We see paranoia, vindictiveness, compassion, and a longing for acceptance. In the face of death, the story becomes a magnified reflection of adolescence and humanity.
On an even deeper level, the film taps into the Japanese Generational Conflict better than any in recent memory. In a society where tradition and the past are held in utmost esteem, Japan's youth gets the short end of the stick. That rings true even today as young workers are left out at the expense of an older generation's vested interests, and distrust over government is high even in times of catastrophe. Kinji Fukasaku, a director known for films against Japanese post-war hypocrisy, once again uses a bleak canvas to rail against this cultural liability.
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