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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

(aka "Batoru rowaiairu" or "Battle Royale")

directed by Kinji Fukasaku
Japan 2000

Pop quiz: What would happen if someone, say a Japanese filmmaker named Kinji Fukasaku, threw TV’s Survivor, cinema’s The Running Man, and literature’s Lord of the Flies into a big cinematic pot and stirred? Yup, you’d have Battle Royale, a Japanese film about a class of ninth graders who, according to a newly passed law called the BR (Battle Royale), must go to an obscure island and participate in an decidedly sick and deadly game.

 

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Reviews        More Reviews       DVD Reviews

DVD Comparison:

Warner - Region 2- PAL vs. Tartan - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Universe Laser - Region 3 - NTSC

NOTE: This is for the THEATRICAL RELEASE

   Thanks to Mark Wilson for the NTSC screen captures and Vincent Bouche of DVD Compare for the PAL screen captures!

(Warner (France) - Region 2- PAL - LEFT vs.Tartan - R0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Universe - R3 - NTSC - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers

 

 

Thinking of buying from YesAsia? CLICK HERE and use THIS UPDATED BEAVER PAGE to source their very best...

Distribution

Warner Home Video France

(editor is M6 Video)

Region 2- PAL

Tartan

Region 0 - NTSC

Universe Laser
Region 3 - NTSC
Runtime 1:48:34 1:52:56 1:52:56
Video
1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced

Average Bitrate : 5.3 mb/s

PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 4.50 mb/s
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 7.66
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate:

Warner R2

 

Bitrate:

Tartan

 

Bitrate:

Universe

Audio
Japanese DD5.1
DUB: French DD5.1
Japanese (Dolby Digital 5.1)

DTS 5.1 Japanese (Full Bit Rate)
DD 5.1 Japanese
DD 2.0 Stereo Japanese

Subtitles French (removable, and all the screen texts have been translated in French...) English and none English, Chinese (simplified), and Chinese (traditional) Subs and none
Features

Release Information:
Studio: Warner Region 2
Theatrical Release Date: Dec 16th, 2000

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1

Edition Details :
Dual Layer

 
Extras :
- Theatrical Trailer (in french only, that's bad too), and two trailers for other movies
- Teaser (no dialogue in this teaser, but screen texts are in french)
- "Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra And Masamichi Amano" featurette: footage from the recording of the original soundtrack
(it runs for 7'06" and it's music only)
- "The rules of Battle Royale" (in japanese with french subtitles) (2'34")
- "Stage Introduction" featurette: on the opening day of Battle Royale in Japan (in japanese with french subtitles) (14'25")
- "Making of" (in japanese with french subtitles) (50'22")
- Beat takeshi filmography (text in french)
- Takeshi Kitano interview (text in french)
- Data Files for all 42 students : contains detailed information about characters only (text in french)
- Rules of Battle Royale (text in french)
- Production notes (text in french)
- Ikuro Takano and Kinji Fukasaku interview  (text in french)

DVD Release Date: Sept. 4th, 2002
Transparent Keep Case

Chapters 12

Release Information:
Studio: Tartan Video
Theatrical Release Date: Dec 16th, 2000

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1

Edition Details:

Single Layer
Bad progressive flags

Extras:
Star & Dir. Filmographies
Original Theatrical Trailer
Stills Gallery
Mark Wyatt Film Notes

*(PAL) Version also available from Tartan

 

DVD Release Date: May 27, 2002
Transparent Keep Case

Chapters 20

Release Information:
Studio: Universe Laser
Theatrical Release Date: Dec 16th, 2000

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen  - 1.85:1

Edition Details:

Dual Layer

Extras:

Trailer
Filmograghies

DVD Release Date: Jan 2002
Keep Case

Chapters 9

 

Comments: NOTE: 2010 Arrow Blu-ray (both Theatrical an Director's Cut) compared HERE.

Although I detect some edge enhancement in the Warner Region 2 release, it is still more detailed than the other two versions... by quite a lot. The French disc also has some great Extras, but of course, its downfall for most purchasers is it has no English subtitles. This will take it out of the running for most fans of the film.

Between the other two the Tartan has the edge in detail most probably because of the anamorphic enhancement. The subtitles are larger and more fully defined on the Tartan DVD. The Universe image quality is hazy next to the Tartan. Between these two theatrical releases of this film on DVD, the single layered Tartan Region 0 NTSC is the one to choose.

NOTE: There is a comparison with the poorer quality Tartan PAL edition located  HERE

   - Gary W. Tooze


Recommended Reading for Japanese Film Fans (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)

The Japan Journals : 1947-2004,

by  Donald Richie

The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film
by Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp

Kon Ichikawa (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs)

by James Quandt, Cinematheque Ontario

Shohei Imamura (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs, No. 1)
by James Quandt
Eros Plus Massacre: An Introduction to the Japanese New Wave Cinema (Midland Book, Mb 469)
by David Desser
The Films of Akira Kurosawa by Donald Ritchie

Tokyo Story

by Yasujiro Ozu, Kogo Noda, Donald Richie, Eric Klestadt

Ozu by Donald Ritchie

A Hundred Years of Japanese Film by Donald Richie

Check out more in "The Library"



DVD Menus

(Warner (France) - Region 2- PAL - LEFT vs.
Tartan - R0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Universe - R3 - NTSC - RIGHT)

 

 


Screen Captures

(Warner (France) - Region 2- PAL - TOP vs.Tartan - R0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Universe - R3 - NTSC - BOTTOM)

 

Subtitle sample ( NOTE: French subs won't capture )

 

 

 


(Warner (France) - Region 2- PAL - TOP vs.Tartan - R0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Universe - R3 - NTSC - BOTTOM)


(Warner (France) - Region 2- PAL - TOP vs.Tartan - R0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Universe - R3 - NTSC - BOTTOM)


(Warner (France) - Region 2- PAL - TOP vs.Tartan - R0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Universe - R3 - NTSC - BOTTOM)


(Warner (France) - Region 2- PAL - TOP vs.Tartan - R0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Universe - R3 - NTSC - BOTTOM)


Hit Counter


DVD Box Covers

 

 

Thinking of buying from YesAsia? CLICK HERE and use THIS UPDATED BEAVER PAGE to source their very best...

Distribution

Warner Home Video France

(editor is M6 Video)

Region 2- PAL

Tartan

Region 0 - NTSC

Universe Laser
Region 3 - NTSC

 

Report Card:

 

Image:

Warner - R2

Sound:

-

Extras: Tartan
Menu: Tartan (animated with theme music)

 




 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Gary Tooze

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