30 Day Film Challenge Day 26: Your Favorite Foreign Language Film

When Battle Royale released in Japan back in 2000, it was bound to cause a stir. The film's premise is simple: a group of undesirable school kids are sent to a remote island and forced to kill eachother until only one remains. The government has grown tired of the drag bad students are on the country and the economy, and so this was the way deemed most efficient to deal with the problem. Battle Royale set off shockwaves felt all throughout Japan. The government weighed in, calling the film "tasteless", and used it as a prime example of the deterioration of popular culture. But 11 years later and the film is still one of the most popular foreign films ever made. Even here in the United States, where it never got a theatrical release, it's something of a cult favorite. To me, Battle Royale is more than just an excuse to watch people murder each other mercilessly, it's a provocative and insightful film that throws all the messy interpersonal high school drama into a violent blender. In there also is a pretty pointed commentary on the stifling nature of the Japanese school system, and what happens when the government gets too obsessed with maintaining a certain social order. 

Plus there's lots of hot Asian chicks with cool weapons and stuff. Do yourself a favor and pick up Battle Royale today. If you happen to run across Battle Royale 2: Requiem, just turn a blind eye to it.