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“Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison

Originally published in 1948 by Ralph Ellison, “Battle Royal” is a short story that has become a cornerstone of American literature.

Introduction: “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison

Table of Contents

Originally published in 1948 by Ralph Ellison, “Battle Royal” is a short story that has become a cornerstone of American literature. Part of Ellison’s influential novel Invisible Man , the story follows a young Black man invited to deliver a speech at a gathering of wealthy white men. However, upon arrival, he’s forced to participate in a humiliating and brutal “battle royal” with other Black youths. Blinded by sacks, they fight for the amusement of the white audience.

Famous for its powerful themes of racism, identity, and the fight for social justice, “Battle Royal” has been widely anthologized. A stark portrayal of the ongoing struggle for equality faced by Black Americans, the story remains a relevant and popular work even today.

Main Events in “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison

• Invitation and Dreams: A young Black man, striving for acceptance and recognition, receives a formal invitation to give a speech at a gathering of the town’s most important white men. He imagines this will be his chance to finally break through the barriers of race.
• Degrading Spectacle: Upon his arrival at a hotel ballroom, he becomes an uncomfortable spectator to a degrading spectacle: a blonde woman, adorned with an American flag tattoo, dances provocatively to entertain the raucous white audience.
• Surprise Announcement: Before giving his speech, the young man is informed that he’ll participate in a “battle royal” – a brutal entertainment for the white men. He and other Black youths are blindfolded and thrown into a boxing ring.
• Blindfolded Fight for Survival: Forced to fight for the amusement of the crowd, the blindfolded boys punch wildly and viciously at each other. The young man, driven by anger and fear, attacks the largest of his opponents.
• Pain and Mockery The fight turns into a bloody mess, the white men shouting and jeering. The protagonist endures punches and kicks, the pain intensifying with each blow.
• Electrified “Reward”: Beaten but determined, the young man finally emerges as the last one standing. His “reward” turns into further humiliation as the coins he’s given spill onto an electrified rug, causing him to writhe in pain.
• Distorted Speech: Battered and shaken, he rises to give his carefully prepared speech on humility and social responsibility. But the experience warps his words, filling them with the bitterness of betrayal.
• Unexpected “Prize”: Surprisingly, he is awarded a briefcase containing a scholarship to a Black college. However, this unexpected opportunity brings little comfort after the night’s events.
• Shattered Illusions: The protagonist leaves the gathering disillusioned and broken. His dreams of acceptance are shattered, replaced by a painful awareness of the deep racial divisions within his society.
• Invisible Yet Seen: The night’s trauma haunts him, forever shaping his worldview. He sees himself as both invisible in the eyes of white society, yet painfully visible as a target of their cruelty and manipulation.

Literary Devices in “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison

• Allusion : A reference to a well-known person, place, or event. Example: The protagonist’s speech contains allusions to famous historical figures such as Booker T. Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
• Foreshadowing : A hint or clue about events that will occur later in the story. Example: The protagonist’s dream of his grandfather foreshadows the theme of the story’s ending.
• Imagery : The use of descriptive language to create vivid mental images. Example: The description of the protagonist’s bloody and bruised face after the battle royal creates powerful imagery.
• Irony : A contrast between what is expected and what actually occurs. Example: The protagonist’s speech on the importance of education is ironic, given the violent and dehumanizing events of the story.
• Metaphor : A comparison between two unlike things without using “like” or “as.” Example: The protagonist’s blindness during the battle royal is a metaphor for his inability to see the true nature of his situation.
• Motif : A recurring symbol or theme that is used throughout the story. Example: The motif of the protagonist’s briefcase symbolizes the promise of education and opportunity.
• Onomatopoeia : Words that imitate the sound they represent. Example: The sound of the protagonist being knocked to the ground during the battle royal is described with onomatopoeic language.
• Paradox : A statement that contradicts itself but is nevertheless true. Example: The idea of “an invisible man” is a paradoxical statement that underscores the theme of invisibility and marginalization in the story.
• Personification : Giving human qualities to non-human things. Example: The description of the electric carpet-shocker as a “sadistic bastard” is an example of personification.
• Repetition : Repeating words or phrases for emphasis. Example: The phrase “social equality” is repeated throughout the protagonist’s speech to emphasize his message.
• Satire : Using humor to criticize and expose societal flaws and vices. Example: The story’s depiction of the white audience’s enjoyment of the violent and dehumanizing battle royal is a satirical commentary on the racism and hypocrisy of American society.
• Simile : A comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as.” Example: The protagonist’s feeling of being “like a dog” during the battle royal is a simile.
• Symbolism : Using an object or action to represent an abstract idea. Example: The protagonist’s briefcase symbolizes the promise of education and opportunity that is denied to black Americans.
• Tone : The author’s attitude towards the subject matter of the story. Example: The story’s tone is one of anger and frustration at the dehumanizing effects of racism and oppression.
• Verbal Irony : A contrast between what is said and what is actually meant. Example: The white men’s praise for the protagonist’s speech is an example of verbal irony, as they do not truly believe in the message he is conveying.

Characterization in “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison

Major Themes in “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison

• The entire premise of the “battle royal” as entertainment for white men exposes their deep-seated racism and disregard for the humanity of Black people.
• The electrified rug incident further emphasizes the white men’s cruelty and their view of Black people as objects for their amusement.
• The initial invitation and the scholarship offer create a false sense of hope for the protagonist, demonstrating how opportunity is often dangled as a cruel illusion for Black Americans.
• The scholarship takes on a bitter meaning after the humiliation, highlighting the false promise of “reward” within a racist system.
• The protagonist’s struggle to be seen and recognized as an individual, in contrast to the white audience seeing him only as a stereotype.
• The blindfold during the fight symbolizes the blindness of white society to the true complexity and humanity of Black people.
• The protagonist’s naive belief in the sincerity of the invitation is shattered by the night’s events.
• This leads to a deep sense of disillusionment with the possibility of acceptance and equality within the current social order.
• The grandfather’s deathbed warning about undermining from within highlights the long history of struggles for Black liberation.
• The protagonist inherits this burden, carrying both the pain of oppression and a lingering spirit of resistance.

Writing Style in “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison

• Vivid Depictions: Ellison uses graphic descriptions of violence (the chaotic brawl), psychological torment (the protagonist’s humiliation), and the electric shock to create a visceral experience for the reader.
• Exploring Complexity: The story goes beyond physical violence to delve into the protagonist’s complex inner world. We witness his initial hope, confusion during the fight, and ultimate disillusionment.
• Powerful Symbolism: Objects like the blindfolds and the electrified rug become symbolic of larger societal issues – the blindness of racism and the electric shock of oppression.
• Precise Language: Ellison’s word choice is sharp and deliberate, creating an atmosphere of tension and unease. For example, the term “battle royal” itself is a twisted joke, highlighting the barbarity of the event.
• Stream-of-Consciousness: The narrative style puts readers directly in the protagonist’s mind, experiencing his thoughts and feelings as they unfold. This creates a sense of immediacy and allows for a deeper understanding of his emotions.
• Social Commentary: “Battle Royal” is not just about a singular event. It’s a powerful critique of American racism and the dehumanizing treatment of Black Americans.

Literary Theories and Interpretation of “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison

Questions and Thesis Statements about “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison

Marxist Theory

• Original Thesis: “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison can be interpreted through the lens of Marxist theory, which exposes the exploitative nature of capitalism and highlights the power dynamics at play between the wealthy white men and the poor black boys in the story.
• Revised Thesis: “Battle Royal” depicts the ways in which capitalism exploits and dehumanizes Black Americans for the benefit of the white ruling class, revealing the inherent class conflict within American society.
• How does the initial invitation and promise of opportunity serve to manipulate the protagonist and obscure the exploitative nature of the event?
• How does the “battle royal” itself function as a microcosm of capitalist competition, emphasizing the way the system pits the oppressed against each other?
• In what ways does the “reward” of the scholarship perpetuate, rather than disrupt, the existing power structures and economic inequalities?

Critical Race Theory

• Original Thesis: The themes of critical race theory are evident in “Battle Royal,” as the story exposes the institutionalized racism and power structures in American society, highlighting the pervasive nature of racism and the physical and psychological violence experienced by black Americans.
• Revised Thesis: “Battle Royal” demonstrates how racism isn’t merely individual prejudice but rather a system designed to uphold white supremacy; the story reveals how this systemic racism manifests in both overt violence and insidious psychological manipulation.
• How does the setting of the story (the hotel, the gathering of powerful white men) itself embody the institutional power structures of white supremacy?
• In what ways do the events of the “battle royal” serve as a ritualized reinforcement of racial hierarchy, even if some white attendees don’t consciously view it that way?
• How does the language used by the white men and the protagonist’s forced speech expose the psychological violence inherent within a racist system?

Short Question-Answer “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison

• What is the significance of the “battle royal” scene in the story?

The “battle royal” scene in Ralph Ellison’s story is significant in several ways. It serves as a metaphor for the struggle of black Americans to gain equality and dignity in a society that denies them these basic human rights. It also highlights the brutal and dehumanizing nature of racism and the psychological trauma it inflicts upon its victims. The scene is also significant in that it serves as a turning point for the protagonist, who realizes the futility of trying to win the approval of the white men and recognizes the need to fight for his own identity and self-worth.

• How does Ellison use symbolism to convey the themes of the story?

Ellison employs several symbols throughout the story to convey its central themes. For example, the blindfold worn by the protagonist during the “battle royal” can be seen as a symbol of the blindness of American society to the injustice and violence faced by black Americans. Similarly, the protagonist’s speech about the importance of education can be seen as a symbol of the power of knowledge and the need for black Americans to empower themselves through education.

• How does the narrative structure of “Battle Royal” contribute to its meaning?

The nonlinear narrative structure of “Battle Royal” contributes to its meaning by highlighting the fragmented and disjointed nature of the protagonist’s experiences as a black American in a racist society. The story is told in a series of flashbacks and memories, reflecting the protagonist’s own fragmented and confused sense of self. This narrative structure also emphasizes the importance of memory and history in understanding the struggles of black Americans and the need for them to reclaim their own history and identity.

• How does Ellison’s use of imagery contribute to the story’s themes?

Ellison’s use of vivid imagery throughout the story helps to convey its central themes, such as the violence and brutality of racism, the struggle for identity and self-worth, and the importance of education and knowledge. For example, the scene in which the protagonist is forced to fight other black boys while blindfolded is depicted in brutal and graphic detail, emphasizing the dehumanizing nature of racism. Similarly, the imagery of the protagonist’s grandfather’s dying words, which call for resistance against oppression, serves as a powerful symbol of the need for black Americans to fight against the oppressive forces that seek to deny them their humanity.

Suggested Readings: “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison

• Baker, Houston A., Jr. “On Knowing Our Place: A Meditation on Ralph Ellison’s ‘Battle Royal’.” Blues, Ideology, and Afro-American Literature: A Vernacular Theory . Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1984, pp. 140-160.
• Butler, Robert. “The Power of Consciousness in Ralph Ellison’s ‘Battle Royal’.” Contemporary Literary Criticism , edited by Jeffrey W. Hunter, vol. 104, Gale, 1998. Gale Literature Resource Center.
• Callahan, John F. “Frequencies of Eloquence: The Ritual of Rhetoric in ‘Battle Royal’.” In the African-American Grain: The Pursuit of Voice in Twentieth Century Black Fiction . University of Illinois Press, 1988, pp. 49-83.
• Fabre, Michel, and Robert G. O’Meally, editors. History and Memory in African-American Culture . Oxford University Press, 1994, pp. 194-212.
• Scott, Nathan A. Jr., “Judgment Marked by a Cellar: The American Negro Writer and the Dialectic of Despair.” Denver Quarterly , vol. 12, no. 2, Summer 1967, pp. 5-35.

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Battle Royale Ralph Ellison Analysis Example

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Literature , Speech , Animals , Violence , Racism , Rhetoric , War , Society

Words: 1100

Published: 12/02/2019

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A Literary Analysis

‘Battle Royal’ is a powerful and evocative story that Ellison later made the opening chapter of his novel, Invisible Man (1952) ‘Battle Royal’ was originally written in 1947 and is, therefore, set in 1927 in an unnamed state in the American South.. It is an engaging text, not only because of its content and subject matter, but also because of Ellison’s writing – especially his manipulation of point of view and his meshing of past and present. Hos perspective as narrator looking back twenty year allows him to criticize the cruelty and hypocrisy of the Sooth’s segregationalist policies – which had not changed when the story and then the novel were published. Ellison loses little figurative language, but when he does it usually is used to de-value the humans in the story, so ther are several similes comparing men to animals or to worthless inanimate objects: one of the whit men present at the Battle Royal is an “intoxicated panda” 24); the narrator feels as if he is in a room “filled with poisonous cottonmouths” (25); the boys involved in the fight are “blind, cautious crabs” (25); their fist grope around in the darkness “like the knobbed feelers of hypersensitive snails” (22); the men watching the final two are “howling” like animals in their violent excitement (25). The effect of this use of figurative language is to dehumanize all the characters, black and white, and present them as animals. This is certainly appropriate to the Battle Royal which caters for the most basic impulses human beings can have: lust (the naked white woman); greed (the frantic scrambling for cash by the African Americans); and violence (the battle itself). Another pattern if imagery is drawn from the world of warfare and international confrontation: in a way it is the basis of the story given the title ‘Battle Royal,’ but it is also apparent in the narrator’s thoughts about his grandfather’s death bed words: “traitor, “spy” and “treachery” (17) suggest the world of international espionage. As the story progresses we start to have a sense that the narrator’s younger self mis-interpreted hos grandfather’s words. He thinks he is betraying the dominant white culture which is responsible in the South for segregation and for the appallingly violent treatment of the African Americans in the Battle Royal, but by the end of the story the reader can see that his grandfather meant that to co-operate with racist white people was an act of betrayal of his own people. The narrator’s younger self is hard-working and complies with the segregationist society he lives in – he plays by the rules of white southern society and is, therefore, a “traitor” to his own race. The story is a first person narrative by an African American. However, he is looking back on his younger self with the hindsight of twenty years’ experience, and, therefore, there is an element of irony in what he describes, because his older self and the readers see some the events that are described differently from the narrator’s younger self. He admits in the first paragraph, “I was naive” (17), which suggests his views have changed radically, and he introduces a concept that readers will not immediately understand. He says that to lose his naive way of looking things, he “had to discover that I am an invisible man.” (17) The first paragraph is important too si establishing that the narrator is intelligent and articulate with an educated vocabulary: “contradiction”, self-contradictory," “expectations,” “realization.” (17) Because the narrator is looking back twenty years, there is an ironic distance between him and his younger self, which allows us to interpret the story more profoundly than if it had been written in the third person. The vents described would still have been seen as racist and abusive and shocking, but the older, first person narrator is used to set up a clear moral viewpoint which implicitly criticises what goes on in this segregationalist’s society. In one sense, the real theme of this story is the narrator’s slow growth and realization of the real meaning of his grandfather’s words. However, on the surface, the real theme is the inhumanity and hypocrisy of the south’s segregationalist policies and the virulent racism that existed beneath the surface of southern society. At the Battle Royal the narrator is surprised to see some of the town’s most distinguished white citizens – businessmen, merchants, lawyers, teachers and even a pastor! They all condone and encourage the black-on-black violence that occurs in ten boxing ring and either react with amusement or hysterically violent encouragement. Ellison does not convey this through directs statements or the characters thoughts: the narrator, we already know is naive, and goes along with the humiliation given to him. Ellison does not tell us; he shows us and the fact that this is being narrated by an educated, older narrator aids our understanding of how to interpret the story. Perhaps the most painful and ironic part of the story is the fact that the narrator is allowed to make his graduation day speech again. However, the second time he delivers this speech the context is completely different and he is being condescended to by the powerful white élite of his town. He has just taken part in the violent and humiliating blindfolded boxing game and the scramble for money from the electrified rug, but, patronizingly, because he is clever they allow him to make his speech, although it is clear that some of the audience are not listening. He body is battered from the fight and the blood from his cuts is almost choking him. Because of this some the phrases from his speech takes on a profound irony: “Social responsibility” and “social equality” – two phrases that surely are hollow in the society he lives in and which are openly mocked by his audience. The older narrator does interject at one point to make clear the naive attitude of his younger self: “(What powers of endurance I had during those days! What enthusiasm! What a belief in the rightness of things!)” (26). The final patronizing and hypocritical humiliation is the presentation of the briefcase containing a “scholarship to the state college for Negroes.” (27). Rather than being angered at the system of segregation which keeps him in his place, the narrator’s younger self is “overjoyed.” (27) This story is a well-written indictment of the institutionalized racism that existed in the South in the first half of the twentieth century.

Ellison, Ralph. ‘Battle Royal’ (1947’. Pages 17 – 32 in Ellison, Ralph. The Invisible Man. (1952). London: Penguin.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Battle Royal — Overview of Ralph Ellison’s ‘Battle Royal’

Overview of Ralph Ellison's 'Battle Royal'

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Published: Feb 8, 2022

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Battle Royale Slam Book: Essays on the Cult Classic by Koushun Takami Paperback – April 1, 2014

• Print length 192 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Haikasoru
• Publication date April 1, 2014
• Dimensions 5.25 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• ISBN-10 1421565994
• ISBN-13 978-1421565996
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Haikasoru (April 1, 2014)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1421565994
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1421565996
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
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Three-time IPPY Gold Medal winner and three-time Bram Stoker Award finalist Gregory Lamberson is an author and filmmaker who loves to thrill people. Rave reviews of his work have appeared in Fangoria, Rue Morgue, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and Booklist. All of his books are available in print and as e-books, and some are also available as audio books. Lamberson has recently completed the feature film adaptation of his award-winning novel JOHNNY GRUESOME, starring Anthony De La Torre (Young Jack Sparrow in PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES_ and Michael DeLorenzo (star of TV's NEW YORK UNDERCOVER and RESURRECTION BOULEVARD), and featuring a new theme song, "Dyin' Tonight" performed by Robby Takac of the Goo Goo Dolls.

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Carrie Cuinn

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Battle Royale (2000 Film) Kinji Fukasaku

Battle Royale (2000 Film) essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Battle Royale (2000 Film), directed by Kinji Fuka...

Battle Royale (2000 Film) Material

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Battle Royale (2000 Film) Essays

Film nihilism in 'battle royale': fukasaku’s philosophy of honor, friendship, and humanity anonymous 12th grade, battle royale (2000 film).

Everybody loves a good teen film, and the genre has a lot of competition. You’ve got John Hughes’ classics like "The Breakfast Club" and "Ferris Bueller’s Day Off". Nineties teen rom-coms like "Ten Things I Hate About You" and "She’s All That"....

Kinji Fukasaku’s “Battle Royale” (2000) Essay (Movie Review)

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Fukasaku’s “Battle Royale” is set soon in the country of Japan. Most people are without jobs while many students are openly refusing to abide by the standards and processes of the education system. The social world as we know it is on the brink of total chaos. While all of this is taking place, the government is scrambling to find a way to restore order in society. In an effort to do this, they create a “Battle Royale” law. Under this new law, an annual event takes place that involves a random freshman class being placed on a desert island until only one is left while the other is killed. This is further enforced as refusal to kill will also result in being killed by outsiders.

The students are each given one of many weapons, ranging from blunt and sharp instruments to firearms and explosive weapons. The island is considered open for exploration and strategy while all students are equipped with a special neck brace that can explode to kill them.

Battle Royale includes many themes relevant to modern society, social standards, and humanity in general. Japanese culture is examined more than any other culture while no attempt was apparently made to avoid being specific to the Japanese. The movie seems to borrow from many American reality shows in its basic and specific elements. Battle Royale portrays a high level of violence however moves to perceive past the violence alone, all the while placing the viewers in the perspectives of the students.

The choice for the island participants is those who are full of dreams and life, yet are somewhat naïve to the world while being fully developed at the same time. This makes the students a particularly good choice to display the variety of events, violence, and overall emotion with regard to humanity throughout the movie. While the movie is eccentric, excessively violent to the level of sadism at some points, the overall goal of the movie is to evoke a sense of empathy and emotion from the viewers and society as a whole.

The movie deals with the areas of overpopulation, rebellion, and survival of the fittest. The government perceives the best way to amend the problems of rebellion and unemployment with the large numbers of people by both eliminating people and revealing the elite. By doing this there will be both fewer people and more elite people to solve the problems of unemployment and education. This portrayal is an attempt to show how society may already be moving that way to some extent, especially in Japan where the overpopulation problem is especially significant. Unemployment and education are problems worldwide.

The movie ends in a somewhat different way than it begins, as the individual and the paranoid are both met with consequences. This reveals the conflict in society between the group mentality that supports group mentalities in general while also aiming to categorize the worth of people based on status above most or all else. Some of the killings is voluntary through suicide, showing the feelings of social despair in many societies, especially Japan where the suicide rate is commonly known to be high.

Overall the movie displays the emerging problems in developing society. The government gains control while the masses become large, and rather than the two seeking a more peaceful resolution, something chaotic results. While the idea of a killing island festival is far off, wars and acts of violence do not seem far off, and hopefully, the problems in society as presented in the movie can be resolved with more peaceful terms. Social problems such as unemployment and the education system are becoming apparent outside of Japan as well as within it, and this movie attempts to show how these problems can lead to much more serious ones.

• Michael Bay's “Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen”
• ‘Road to Perdition’ (2002) by Sam Mendes
• Overpopulation: Causes, Effects, and Solutions
• Birth Control Against Overpopulation
• Overpopulation and Limit on Number of Children
• Presentation of Gender in Cameron's "Terminator 2: Judgement Day"
• Haggis’ Screen Adaptation of Ballard’s “Crash”
• “The Matrix” Film by the Wachowskis Analysis
• Protagonists' Escape Scene in "Furious 7" by Wan
• The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, November 16). Kinji Fukasaku’s “Battle Royale” (2000). https://ivypanda.com/essays/review-of-kinji-fukasakus-2000-movie-battle-royale/

"Kinji Fukasaku’s “Battle Royale” (2000)." IvyPanda , 16 Nov. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/review-of-kinji-fukasakus-2000-movie-battle-royale/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'Kinji Fukasaku’s “Battle Royale” (2000)'. 16 November.

IvyPanda . 2021. "Kinji Fukasaku’s “Battle Royale” (2000)." November 16, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/review-of-kinji-fukasakus-2000-movie-battle-royale/.

1. IvyPanda . "Kinji Fukasaku’s “Battle Royale” (2000)." November 16, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/review-of-kinji-fukasakus-2000-movie-battle-royale/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Kinji Fukasaku’s “Battle Royale” (2000)." November 16, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/review-of-kinji-fukasakus-2000-movie-battle-royale/.