Tarantino Slams 'Hunger Games' for Plagiarizing This Cult 90%-Rated Japanese Action Gem
And it was a (very) emotional commentary.
In a new episode of The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, director Quentin Tarantino harshly criticized the Hunger Games franchise.
Tarantino Doesn't Understand Why the Creators of 'Battle Royale' Hasn't Sued Suzanne Collins
Tarantino believes that Suzanne Collins plagiarized the Japanese novel and movie Battle Royale for her story, and he doesn't understand why the original creators haven't filed a lawsuit.
Quentin Tarantino stated:
“I do not understand how the Japanese writer didn't sue Suzanne Collins for every f*cking thing she owns. They just ripped off the f*ckin' book. Stupid book critics are not going to go watch a Japanese movie called Battle Royale so the stupid book critics never called her on it.
They talked about how it was the most original f*ckin' thing they'd ever read. As soon as the film critics saw the film, they said, ‘What the f*ck? This is just Battle Royale except PG!'”
It should be noted that Kinji Fukasaku's original film was released in 2000, while the first installment of The Hunger Games was released only in 2012.
What Is 'Battle Royale' About?
In response to a massive youth rebellion, the government passed the Battle Royale act. Under this law, a randomly selected school class is sent to a deserted island every year, where the teenagers are forced to fight to the death.
Only one can survive and their former teacher, Kitano, oversees the game to ensure that the horrific rules are followed. Over the course of three days, 42 students must mercilessly destroy each other.
What Are the Similarities Between 'The Hunger Games' and 'Battle Royale'?
The two works do have a striking similarity in their basic concept. In both stories, a group of teenagers is forced to participate in a deadly game broadcast to the entire country while trapped in an isolated space.
In The Hunger Games, two tributes from each of the twelve districts battle in an arena, while in Battle Royale, an entire school class is stranded on an island.
Both works exploit the shocking realization that children are forced to brutally kill each other for the entertainment of adults or to maintain the political system.
The key difference lies in the level of violence and approach to storytelling. Battle Royale is an unfiltered, bloody action movie in which death is depicted as realistically as possible.
In contrast, The Hunger Games, a Hollywood production intended for a mass audience, softens the concept by replacing overt violence with sentimental dialogue, romance, and political satire.
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Battle Royale'?
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Battle Royale has 90% from critics and 89% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.5/10.
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On Letterboxd, Battle Royale scored 3.9/5.0.
Where to Watch 'Battle Royale'?
Battle Royale is available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
