4K Ultra HD – UK Edition – Arrow Films – 122 min – 26 April 2021
Video format
• Intermediate Master: 4K
• Standard HDR: Dolby Vision
• Ratio: 1.85
Soundtrack
• Japanese DTS-HD MA 5.1
• Japanese DTS-HD MA 2.0
Subtitles
• English
It is brought to the attention of our dear readers as well as the viewing equipment specified and used by each tester of the MaG team, the rendering may differ from one installation to another, whether or not it is calibrated, as well as personal preferences and expectations may influence the rating.
WORK – Evil through evil
In the near future, students from class B of 3rd at Shiroiwa College were brought to an island deserted by a mysterious army. An adult suddenly appears in front of them: their former teacher Kitano. He announces that they will participate in a massacre game whose rule is to kill each other. Only the last survivor can return to his home. Deliciously amoral, this adolescent slaughter game is a societal study based on violence and education.
This unforgettable experience of impeccable cruelty raises the following existential question: Hell, is (really) the others? Given a well-recorded scenario, an angry staging and scenes of great brutality (see anthological sequence of the lighthouse), this tense mixture of love, friendship, betrayals and killings seems destined to never take a wrinkle.
IMAGE – Blood prison
From the original negative, this native 4K restoration (for both versions presented on separate disks) is just fabulous. Perfectly cleaned and encoded in Dolby Vision, the image that emerges in front of our eyes (ebahis) is faithful to the very raw character of the work (the granularity, tighter than in HD, is always part of it).
With an unprecedented depth at home, it benefits from surprisingly fine details (the fabrics of clothing, the textures of buildings, the backgrounds of the island) even though rare planes display signs of softness, a deliberately dull colorimetric palette (except the greens of lush nature) far removed from the bleached hues of the previous Blu-ray, otherwise more striking contrasts (the blacks, now ink, are no longer crushed) and much more striking light sources (reflections on water, daylight, computer monitors).
SOUND – Crying, crying, screaming!
Between brutality and softness, this regularly explosive multichannel soundtrack (in the middle of the action) is provided with a beautiful energy.
The dialogues are clear, the dynamics are merciless, the effects as the atmospheres are well placed, the rear scene is well sought after, the (memorable) orchestral score is excellently restored and the LFE channel is not left behind.
However, it is possible to hear a slight breath two or three times (a few minutes in short).
CONCLUSION – This is just a game.
Indisputable for fans, this sumptuous set that aligns five discs (two 4K Ultra HD for cinema and director-cut Battle Royale, two Blu-ray versions Requiem and Revenge of the Battle Royale 2, and a CD of the original tape) barred bonus (comments, documentaries, interviews, etc.) as well as several goodies (poster, book of 120 pages and a deck of cards) is an unexpected gift from the publisher Arrow Films. That the game « Education » Start!
Artistic note
9
Video quality
9
Audio quality
9
0
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