Battlefield Baseball
Encyclopedia
is a 2003
Japan
ese film directed by Yūdai Yamaguchi
. The film is written by Gatarō Man, based on his manga
series of the same name, and stars Tak Sakaguchi
, Atsushi Itō
, and Hideo Sakaki
. It was produced by Ryuhei Kitamura
.
The film is a combination of several genre
s, mixing martial arts
action with the cliché
s of the sports film—particularly skewering baseball
, one of Japan's most popular high school
sports—and the violence and brutality of a horror film
. The film's bizarre—sometimes almost incoherent—plot, blood and gore, and unique comedy have given it something of a "cult
" popularity in the West.
Though the film is ostensibly about high school baseball rivalries, the amount of actual baseball in the film is fairly light. There are many scenes involving bats
and balls, however.
The film was released on Region 1 DVD
by Subversive Cinema.
Tournament
. For the first time in years, Seido High School has a chance—star player Gorrila Matsui has finally given the team an opportunity to succeed. Most delighted at this prospect is Principal Kocho. His hopes are dashed, however, when the Head teacher
reveals to him that the first game will be played against the infamous Gedo High School.
Gedo is notorious for its brutal killings during games. They hardly play at all, instead engaging in a form of martial arts combat called "fighting baseball". Their matches erupt into brutal battlefields, Gedo slaughtering its opponents in any way possible, and the competing team vainly struggling for their lives. The Gedo team is almost inhuman in its slaughter, their bizarre weapons and attire coupled with their green-grey skin only increase this reputation. Understandably, Kocho is distressed—not only at the likely murder of his students, but at yet another chance to win the Koshien Stadium Tournament having been lost.
Much to his delight, however, is the appearance of mysterious newcomer Jubeh, played by Tak Sakaguchi
. Jubeh rescues Four Eyes (Megane, so named because of his eyeglasses.), played by Atsushi Itō
, from a gang of expelled students, beating Bancho (Japanese for "boss" or "leader") and catching Kocho's eye. He begs and pleads with Jubeh to join the team to help them defeat Gedo, but he steadfastly refuses. During this time Kocho and Jubeh are also confronted by a resurrected Bancho, though his "face changed". Bancho joins the team, explaining that the injuries that prevented him from playing baseball were cured by Jubeh's punches.
When confronted by Four Eyes, Jubeh reveals why he has stopped playing baseball–in song. He musically laments his pitching
skill, explaining how he became so skilled he was a danger to himself and others. Only his father, his hand confined to an absurdly huge catcher's mitt
, will allow Jubeh to pitch. He soon regrets this, however, when an accidental ball to the head kills him. Jubeh vows never to pitch again.
Despite this sorowful story, Four Eyes insists that Jubeh join the team, explaining his own plight. His mother hates baseball, and would be furious if he were to play. As a result, he must keep his presence on the Seido team a secret. Four Eyes' sheer love for the game touches Jubeh deeply, and he joins the team.
However, when the game against Gedo starts, Jubeh is nowhere to be found. As a result, the team is, predictably, slaughtered by the Gedo students. Jubeh gets there in time to hear Gorilla's last words. Finding a body he believes to be Four Eyes', Jubeh laments the loss, before realising that it's in fact a Gedo trap. The "body" explodes, hurling Jubeh across the field, sending him to an early grave.
Jubeh finds himself in a sepia-toned small town street in the afterlife. He sees a man he has not seen for some time–his father. He convinced Jubeh to embrace his pitching skills, and defeat Gedo once and for all. Jubeh pledges to do so as he watches his father ride off. Returning from the afterlife, he introduces his pitch, dubbed the "Super Tornado". Bancho also returns, again, this time as a child. He too met Jubeh's father in the afterlife, and was given his catcher's mitt.
In the meantime, somehow Four Eyes' mother has discovered that he was on the baseball team. Keeping him locked up in a cage, she watches over him day & night. Jubeh comes to his rescue, fighting his mother. He confronts her, asking her why she hates baseball so much. She reveals that her husband was killed by a baseball pitcher. All three come to a sudden realization—They are family. In jubilation, Four Eyes' mother gives him permission to play.
Kocho, Bancho, Jubeh, and Four Eyes, having formed a new Seido team, confront Gedo. The Gedo coach mocks the size and strength, or more accurately the lack thereof, of the new team. Much to his surprise however, several new team members show up—Head Teacher and Gorilla, now cyborg
s, having been resurrected by "advanced technology", one of the school's cheerleaders, and Four Eyes' mother all team up to defeat Gedo.
Ultimately, all except Jubeh and the Gedo coach have been knocked unconscious. They duel with elaborate baseball bats, before Jubeh is knocked to the ground. Then, the Gedo coach unveils his ultimate weapon: the Gedo Poison Bat. Filled with a combination of deadly poisons and healing herbs, the effect is to create a horrific pain that will last for "hundreds of years." The coach slams it down onto Jubeh—However, Four Eyes has sacrificed himself, jumping in the way of the coach's attack. Jubeh, furious at the loss of his brother, leaps up and bitterly attacks the coach. However, before he can kill the coach, the Gedo players plead for his life, explaining how he brought them out of orphanages and became like a father to them. Seeing their heartfelt plea, Jubeh can't help but allow the coach to live.
Happily, the coach gains a newfound respect for life, and throws a bottle of antidote to Jubeh. A crowd gathers, and the sun begins to shine. However, this peace is soon is interrupted by one member of the Gedo team, his head wrapped in bandages. He guns down everyone on the field, firing randomly and hitting everything in sight, including his own teammates. Jubeh manages to escape only through his own dexterity and the gunman's limited ammo. Looking around in outrage, Jubeh sheds a tear. As cherry blossoms fall, everyone on the field returns to life, before Jubeh attacks the bandaged gunman, literally knocking the muscles off his bones.
Joyously, the crowd celebrates, and the narrator states that they lived happily ever after—Including the one person on the field that day who wasn't resurrected by Jubeh's tears.
held in February 2003. Director Yūdai Yamaguchi
was a guest at the festival.
The film has been compared with other Japanese films featuring baseball prominently. For instance, one reviewer compared it to 1992's Mr. Baseball
, explaining that it was better than that film due to a relative lack of actual baseball. The parodic aspect of the film takes so much precedence that the cliché
s of baseball films are skewered more than baseball itself.
One of the key aspects of the film is its intentional strangeness. The strangest aspects of the plot (the frequent reappearances of a crowd and an alcoholic man, Head Teacher and Gorilla returning as cyborgs, etc.) are more prominent than the plot in the minds of most reviewers.
Most reviewers agree that while the film is not necessarily high art
, it is a good martial arts/horror/comedy film—they say that it is interesting and exciting enough to keep one watching until the end credits. The film's humour is often highly praised, lightening up what would otherwise be a superficial and generic action film. The film has received some criticism, largely that it is ludicrous and "stupid", or that its plot does not sustain its length. However, others argue that this is not only irrelevant—The film is intended to be ludicrous and stupid—it is actually one of the strengths of the film.
2003 in film
The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese film directed by Yūdai Yamaguchi
Yūdai Yamaguchi
is a Japanese film director who has worked mainly in the comedy and horror genres. He has "made a name for himself by mixing goofy gore with manga-esque escapades and plain utter weirdness".-Life and career:...
. The film is written by Gatarō Man, based on his manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series of the same name, and stars Tak Sakaguchi
Tak Sakaguchi
is a Japanese actor, director, fight choreorapher, and stuntman. He is best known for his lead role in Ryuhei Kitamura's cult film, Versus. Sakaguchi is a talented martial artist, and as such, stars in films featuring copious fight scenes and performs all of his own stunts. He is known to be...
, Atsushi Itō
Atsushi Ito
is a Japanese actor, He started acting at the age of three in education programs. He is currently studying at Hosei University Business Faculty. He is frequently cast as geeky or otaku characters...
, and Hideo Sakaki
Hideo Sakaki
' is a Japanese actor. He is best known from the Japanese cult films Versus, Battlefield Baseball, and Alive...
. It was produced by Ryuhei Kitamura
Ryuhei Kitamura
-External links:*...
.
The film is a combination of several genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
s, mixing martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
action with the cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
s of the sports film—particularly skewering baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, one of Japan's most popular high school
High school baseball in Japan
In Japan, high school baseball generally refers to the two annual baseball tournaments played by high schools nationwide culminating at a final showdown at Hanshin Kōshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Japan...
sports—and the violence and brutality of a horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
. The film's bizarre—sometimes almost incoherent—plot, blood and gore, and unique comedy have given it something of a "cult
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
" popularity in the West.
Though the film is ostensibly about high school baseball rivalries, the amount of actual baseball in the film is fairly light. There are many scenes involving bats
Baseball bat
A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the game of baseball to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher. It is no more than 2.75 inches in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42 inches in length. It typically weighs no more than 33 ounces , but it...
and balls, however.
The film was released on Region 1 DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by Subversive Cinema.
Plot
It's every high school baseball team's dream to go to the legendary Koshien StadiumKoshien Stadium
is a baseball park located near Kobe in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The stadium was built to host the national high school baseball tournaments, and opened on April 1, 1924. It was the largest stadium in Asia at the time it was completed, with a capacity of 55,000.The name Kōshien comes...
Tournament
High school baseball in Japan
In Japan, high school baseball generally refers to the two annual baseball tournaments played by high schools nationwide culminating at a final showdown at Hanshin Kōshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Japan...
. For the first time in years, Seido High School has a chance—star player Gorrila Matsui has finally given the team an opportunity to succeed. Most delighted at this prospect is Principal Kocho. His hopes are dashed, however, when the Head teacher
Head teacher
A head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
reveals to him that the first game will be played against the infamous Gedo High School.
Gedo is notorious for its brutal killings during games. They hardly play at all, instead engaging in a form of martial arts combat called "fighting baseball". Their matches erupt into brutal battlefields, Gedo slaughtering its opponents in any way possible, and the competing team vainly struggling for their lives. The Gedo team is almost inhuman in its slaughter, their bizarre weapons and attire coupled with their green-grey skin only increase this reputation. Understandably, Kocho is distressed—not only at the likely murder of his students, but at yet another chance to win the Koshien Stadium Tournament having been lost.
Much to his delight, however, is the appearance of mysterious newcomer Jubeh, played by Tak Sakaguchi
Tak Sakaguchi
is a Japanese actor, director, fight choreorapher, and stuntman. He is best known for his lead role in Ryuhei Kitamura's cult film, Versus. Sakaguchi is a talented martial artist, and as such, stars in films featuring copious fight scenes and performs all of his own stunts. He is known to be...
. Jubeh rescues Four Eyes (Megane, so named because of his eyeglasses.), played by Atsushi Itō
Atsushi Ito
is a Japanese actor, He started acting at the age of three in education programs. He is currently studying at Hosei University Business Faculty. He is frequently cast as geeky or otaku characters...
, from a gang of expelled students, beating Bancho (Japanese for "boss" or "leader") and catching Kocho's eye. He begs and pleads with Jubeh to join the team to help them defeat Gedo, but he steadfastly refuses. During this time Kocho and Jubeh are also confronted by a resurrected Bancho, though his "face changed". Bancho joins the team, explaining that the injuries that prevented him from playing baseball were cured by Jubeh's punches.
When confronted by Four Eyes, Jubeh reveals why he has stopped playing baseball–in song. He musically laments his pitching
Pitch (baseball)
In baseball, a pitch is the act of throwing a baseball toward home plate to start a play. The term comes from the Knickerbocker Rules. Originally, the ball had to be literally "pitched" underhand, as with pitching horseshoes. Overhand throwing was not allowed until 1884.The biomechanics of...
skill, explaining how he became so skilled he was a danger to himself and others. Only his father, his hand confined to an absurdly huge catcher's mitt
Catcher's Mitt
Catcher's Mitt is the name of a study being conducted by the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to "better understand the issues and challenges involved with removing man-made debris from earth orbit." DARPA's goal is to use the study to determine both if DARPA should invest...
, will allow Jubeh to pitch. He soon regrets this, however, when an accidental ball to the head kills him. Jubeh vows never to pitch again.
Despite this sorowful story, Four Eyes insists that Jubeh join the team, explaining his own plight. His mother hates baseball, and would be furious if he were to play. As a result, he must keep his presence on the Seido team a secret. Four Eyes' sheer love for the game touches Jubeh deeply, and he joins the team.
However, when the game against Gedo starts, Jubeh is nowhere to be found. As a result, the team is, predictably, slaughtered by the Gedo students. Jubeh gets there in time to hear Gorilla's last words. Finding a body he believes to be Four Eyes', Jubeh laments the loss, before realising that it's in fact a Gedo trap. The "body" explodes, hurling Jubeh across the field, sending him to an early grave.
Jubeh finds himself in a sepia-toned small town street in the afterlife. He sees a man he has not seen for some time–his father. He convinced Jubeh to embrace his pitching skills, and defeat Gedo once and for all. Jubeh pledges to do so as he watches his father ride off. Returning from the afterlife, he introduces his pitch, dubbed the "Super Tornado". Bancho also returns, again, this time as a child. He too met Jubeh's father in the afterlife, and was given his catcher's mitt.
In the meantime, somehow Four Eyes' mother has discovered that he was on the baseball team. Keeping him locked up in a cage, she watches over him day & night. Jubeh comes to his rescue, fighting his mother. He confronts her, asking her why she hates baseball so much. She reveals that her husband was killed by a baseball pitcher. All three come to a sudden realization—They are family. In jubilation, Four Eyes' mother gives him permission to play.
Kocho, Bancho, Jubeh, and Four Eyes, having formed a new Seido team, confront Gedo. The Gedo coach mocks the size and strength, or more accurately the lack thereof, of the new team. Much to his surprise however, several new team members show up—Head Teacher and Gorilla, now cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
s, having been resurrected by "advanced technology", one of the school's cheerleaders, and Four Eyes' mother all team up to defeat Gedo.
Ultimately, all except Jubeh and the Gedo coach have been knocked unconscious. They duel with elaborate baseball bats, before Jubeh is knocked to the ground. Then, the Gedo coach unveils his ultimate weapon: the Gedo Poison Bat. Filled with a combination of deadly poisons and healing herbs, the effect is to create a horrific pain that will last for "hundreds of years." The coach slams it down onto Jubeh—However, Four Eyes has sacrificed himself, jumping in the way of the coach's attack. Jubeh, furious at the loss of his brother, leaps up and bitterly attacks the coach. However, before he can kill the coach, the Gedo players plead for his life, explaining how he brought them out of orphanages and became like a father to them. Seeing their heartfelt plea, Jubeh can't help but allow the coach to live.
Happily, the coach gains a newfound respect for life, and throws a bottle of antidote to Jubeh. A crowd gathers, and the sun begins to shine. However, this peace is soon is interrupted by one member of the Gedo team, his head wrapped in bandages. He guns down everyone on the field, firing randomly and hitting everything in sight, including his own teammates. Jubeh manages to escape only through his own dexterity and the gunman's limited ammo. Looking around in outrage, Jubeh sheds a tear. As cherry blossoms fall, everyone on the field returns to life, before Jubeh attacks the bandaged gunman, literally knocking the muscles off his bones.
Joyously, the crowd celebrates, and the narrator states that they lived happily ever after—Including the one person on the field that day who wasn't resurrected by Jubeh's tears.
Reception
The reaction to the film has been for the most part lukewarm. Though many praised its irreverent and unique style, others found the purposefully ludicrous plot hard to follow and indicative of a lack of effort on the screenwriter's part. However, the film did win the Grand Prize at the 14th Yubari International Fantastic Film FestivalYubari International Fantastic Film Festival
The , also sometimes called YIFFF, is held in a resort-like environment in the small town of Yūbari on the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaidō. From 1990 to 1999, the festival was known as the Yubari International Fantastic Adventure Film Festival.-History:...
held in February 2003. Director Yūdai Yamaguchi
Yūdai Yamaguchi
is a Japanese film director who has worked mainly in the comedy and horror genres. He has "made a name for himself by mixing goofy gore with manga-esque escapades and plain utter weirdness".-Life and career:...
was a guest at the festival.
The film has been compared with other Japanese films featuring baseball prominently. For instance, one reviewer compared it to 1992's Mr. Baseball
Mr. Baseball
Mr. Baseball is a 1992 American film that starred Tom Selleck and was directed by Fred Schepisi.-Plot:Jack Elliot is an aging American baseball player put on the trading block by the New York Yankees in favor of a rookie first-baseman , and there's only one taker: the Nagoya Chunichi Dragons of...
, explaining that it was better than that film due to a relative lack of actual baseball. The parodic aspect of the film takes so much precedence that the cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
s of baseball films are skewered more than baseball itself.
One of the key aspects of the film is its intentional strangeness. The strangest aspects of the plot (the frequent reappearances of a crowd and an alcoholic man, Head Teacher and Gorilla returning as cyborgs, etc.) are more prominent than the plot in the minds of most reviewers.
Most reviewers agree that while the film is not necessarily high art
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
, it is a good martial arts/horror/comedy film—they say that it is interesting and exciting enough to keep one watching until the end credits. The film's humour is often highly praised, lightening up what would otherwise be a superficial and generic action film. The film has received some criticism, largely that it is ludicrous and "stupid", or that its plot does not sustain its length. However, others argue that this is not only irrelevant—The film is intended to be ludicrous and stupid—it is actually one of the strengths of the film.