Battle Royale: book vs. film (spoilers within)

[rarnom]

*rant*
So, anyone see the CRAPFEST that is the film of Battle Royale? I know lots of people think it is just the greatest movie ever with all its violence and biting social commentary. But I am sure none of those people have read the book. The book is a billion times cooler than the movie ever was. Anyone else read the book and seen the film and want to comment? I read the book first and then saw that pile of crap of a film.

ahem. O.k. anyone else?

[rav96]

Ive read the fisrt two Vols of The Manga!
and i have to say they sucked!

But not the Book

[Robojack]

I'm honestly not surprised, rarnom. Even in Hollywood, movies are never are usually never as detailed or as deep as the original novels they were based on. But now that you mentioned it, is the book available in English? I'd really like to read the book.

[rarnom]

Originally posted by Robojack
I'm honestly not surprised, rarnom. Even in Hollywood, movies are never are usually never as detailed or as deep as the original novels they were based on. But now that you mentioned it, is the book available in English? I'd really like to read the book.

Well, I know that is almost always the way it is, but this was really really a bad bastardization of the book.
The book is in English, it is published by Viz. It is 15.95. It is awesome. here is an amazon link if you are curious: battle royale book

[Mantis421]

Lets all remember that their is some things that are done in books that can't be done in movies. Good example is Clockwork Orange in the book the two chickies he takes home from the arcade are 14-15 of age in the movie they are of age. The movie would of got banned if they had fallowed the boot to the T

[rarnom]

Well, sure, I do agree, but I don't think this is exactly the same situation. Clockwork Orange was based on a book that was initially incomplete as it was. The book originally had 21 chapters, but wasn't released as such until the 90's I think. In the last chapter Alex decides on his own that he needs to change and be good and lots of people thought that took all the edge away from the book. But it really is a great commentary on how you can't force people to change. Also, besides changing the age of the girls, in the book the 'sex' was rape, not the high speed love fest of the film.

But back to the movie, I couldn't believe all the changes they made and characters they left out. Like take for example the Sakamochi character in the book, why change him into some disgruntled former teacher? What was up with that super lame water color painting of all the kids killing each other, and how he was like in love with Noriko. Give me a break. They weren't going to cross any lines by sticking to the book. I just think they could have made a really great film, but they blew it. Especially if you compare it to Clockwork Orange, a film that was made in the 70's when the american film industry had tighter restrictions and such. Nowadays, with the way Asian cinema is, they could have done anything.

If you have read the book, you'll see that it is nothing that would be too hot for Japanese cinema...

Now the manga is a whole other story, I do enjoy the manga, but I find the barrage of sex and cussing a little tiring at times. They add so much stuff. I really was annoyed with volume 8. That was just ridiculous the way they took an awesome scene from the book and made it into a tacky, psychosexual bloodbath. Really lame.

[meoryo]

I actually liked the movie....probably part of the reason why is because I have never read the book. I don't plan to read it either, though I like a good manga, books bore me ^^.

[rarnom]

Originally posted by meoryo
I don't plan to read it either, though I like a good manga, books bore me ^^.

Fair enough, but you might be surprised, this might be the first book you like. Other than the calm and happy first 15 pages, the book is anything but boring...

[DarkKnightBob]

Originally posted by rarnom
*rant*
So, anyone see the CRAPFEST that is the film of Battle Royale? I know lots of people think it is just the greatest movie ever with all its violence and biting social commentary. But I am sure none of those people have read the book. The book is a billion times cooler than the movie ever was. Anyone else read the book and seen the film and want to comment? I read the book first and then saw that pile of crap of a film.

ahem. O.k. anyone else?

And I bet you were dissapointed that remote control cars never lived up to how cool it was to ride a REAL car.

When will people get the whole thing that you cannot fit everything that happens in a book into a film. They are TOTALLY different medias. They have totally different rules for what you can use to get the readers interest.

Books express concepts and can have a half hour discussion on a philosophical topic. Films requires action and movement.

Hey why don't you write to the shorty from new zealand and complain that he needed to make the LOTR trilogy 50 hours long in order to TRULY express the book exactly how it was supposed to be.

[rarnom]

Originally posted by DarkKnightBob
And I bet you were dissapointed that remote control cars never lived up to how cool it was to ride a REAL car.

Um, since when is riding in a car cool? :confused:

Originally posted by DarkKnightBob
When will people get the whole thing that you cannot fit everything that happens in a book into a film. They are TOTALLY different medias. They have totally different rules for what you can use to get the readers interest.

Books express concepts and can have a half hour discussion on a philosophical topic. Films requires action and movement.

The thing is that I DO get it, normally I don't care too much about book-to-film conversions. Take 'Fight Club' for an example, that was a sweet movie, and it stayed very true to the book, sure there were some little changes, but they just were part of taking the story from page to film. (Even though I admit I prefer the book) And on a more juvinille note, the movie "Holes" also was a basically perfect book to film conversion...(hey, I teach 4th grade, so I have read that one a bunch...)

My beef with BR is that even with the fact that they could only fit so much in the film, they changed so many characters and events from way cool stuff in the book, to really lame stuff in the film.

My dream is that someone will bust out a sweet anime adaptation or even a live action series. You know, it could probably fit into 52 eps or so...

[DarkKnightBob]

But it still isn't the book. I mean come on. If you want the book storyline then read the book. You can't blame a film for not being the same as the book. I Robot is an extreme of how this takes the piss I admit. But the film Battle Royale is still awesome.

I mean jurrasic park changed a lot of the characters took parts from the first book and put them in the sequels but it was still a good film.

I judge a film as being either bad or good not on how it lives up to the book.

The closest rendition to a book was the film Black Hawk Down personally but that is special circumstances what with it being a real life event and all.

[meoryo]

Originally posted by DarkKnightBob

Hey why don't you write to the shorty from new zealand and complain that he needed to make the LOTR trilogy 50 hours long in order to TRULY express the book exactly how it was supposed to be.

thats mean ^^

[Mantis421]

Of all the books I can think of that were turned into movies the only one I can think of that is almost a match of the book was Pet Semetary. Some of the worst translations I can think of were Dune the 1981 version great movie, but not if you read all 4 books and Solaris from about a year back. The book was a masterful piece but the movie changed alot from the book


____________________________
I said I was a preacher, I never said I was a good one though
D. Wolfwood

[rarnom]

Originally posted by Mantis421
Some of the worst translations I can think of were Dune the 1981 version great movie, but not if you read all 4 books and Solaris from about a year back. The book was a masterful piece but the movie changed alot from the book

I agree with you about Dune. The movie was pretty fun, but yah, not a great transfer from book to film... But, you gotta love Sting!!!

[rarnom]

Speaking of Dune, did you see the tv miniseries that was on Sci-Fi a while ago? I didn't see it, but I am curious to know if it was more true to the book since they had more time to work with...