Levi-Strauss' Theory of Binary Opposites

This is the first part of Battle Royale 2 after the opening credits. Please note the film is Japanese.
1. 1. What is the genre of the film? How are the genre signifiers introduced?

The genre of my film is teen/thriller/slasher and throughout this opening sequence it is clear to see this. In the previous scene we see he signifier for teen genre through the uniformed characters as which showed that the film is going to be about teenagers. However in the main sequence it is clear that this is not our typical teen film. The dark lighting and fact that they are wearing army clothes immediately suggests that something is wrong. We begin with a still long shot which shows the scene of all the kids fighting trapped by a ring of armed soldiers and in turn a cage. At this point the thriller and slasher genres are not clear however we expect something wrong and to those that would have watched the prequel the imagery is identical and later in the film will match the genre it belongs to

2. Who are the main characters and how are they opposed?

The main characters are Nannahana who we meet in the previous sequence and ‘Taku Rikki’ who we meet in this scene. We know that he is important as he has a dramatic entrance. A long shot where the audience is blinded as light floods the dark room in which the main characters are trapped in. Another way we know of his significance is that he protected by armed guards and walks with authority and purpose. his dark clothes and intimidating presence suggest that he is the evil character.


3.What are the main themes of the film and how are they introduced?
The main themes take a while to be introduced however one they are it very obvious as they are announced by one character to the others. The themes are revealed through a series Close ups and medium long shots that show both the teacher and the students reactions to the news.

He teaches them about past war and conflict and suggest the reason behind their troubled situation is revenge on America and terrorists. This leads me to conclude that from the opening sequence the themes identified are revenge, war and fighting. From previously watching the film I also know of themes of Love although these are not clear in the above sequence.

4. How is the narrative organised to show conflict?
The narrative shows through visual representation. The army uniforms and clear presence of weapons quite obviously shows conflict and war. It is then shown verbally when the teacher talks about war and revenge. The positioning of characters also shows conflict, they are trapped in a cage and circled by soldiers who point guns at their faces. The binary opposites in this sequence may not always be conventional however they are clear. For example, teacher vs students, power vs helpless and the offer to fight or peace. The twist of this offer of course is that refusal to fight would mean death.