Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence was the first English-language project of Japanese director Nagisa Oshima (Death by Hanging, In the Realm of the Senses). In tune with his previous filmic essays on racism and brutality, Merry Christmas concentrates on a war of wills between rebellious POW David Bowie and camp commandant Ryuichi .. Read more
| Starring | David Bowie, Tom Conti, Ryuichi Sakamato |
|---|---|
| Director | Nagisa Oshima |
| Genres | Drama |
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Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence was the first English-language project of Japanese director Nagisa Oshima (Death by Hanging, In the Realm of the Senses). In tune with his previous filmic essays on racism and brutality, Merry Christmas concentrates on a war of wills between rebellious POW David Bowie and camp commandant Ryuichi Sakomoto. Assuming that his other prisoners' unwillingness to protest their cruel treatment is a sign of weakness, Sakomoto is most impressed by Bowie's enigmatic defiance. While Bowie and Sakomoto seem to be operating on a high spiritual and intellectual plane, bilingual prisoner Tom Conti (the Mr. Lawrence of the title) engages in a more standard adversarial relationship with sadistic sergeant Takeshi Kitano.~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
| Starring | David Bowie, Tom Conti, Ryuichi Sakamato |
|---|---|
| Director | Nagisa Oshima |
| Studio | ELEVATION |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 2 mins Blu-ray: 2 hrs 2 mins LOVEFiLM Instant: 1 hr 58 mins |
| Certificate |  DVD LOVEFiLM Instant |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English Blu-ray: English LOVEFiLM Instant: English, Japanese |
| Subtitles | LOVEFiLM Instant: English |
| Released | Production year: 1982 To Watch Online: LOVEFiLM Instant: 08 Apr 2011 To Rent: DVD: 24 Jan 2005 Blu-ray: 24 Oct 2011 |
| Watch now | Included in all packages with LOVEFiLM Instant. Subscribe. |
Uncomfortably titled and unavoidably downbeat character drama with some unpleasant moments; despite good work all round it seems to head straight for every cliché perpetuated by The Bridge on the River Kwai.
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Brutal and beautiful
Very few movies depict the vast chasm between two cultures with respect, but this is one of the few that pulls it off. Set near the end of WW2, this movie ... read more »
[Highly rated reviewer]
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Brutal, yet haunting - a must see film
I first watched this film in my first year at uni (1983), 28 years later it still had the same impact, in spite of the dated cinematography. A superb film, ... read more »
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Worth seeing (again).
Watched this again after many years having just seen Sakamoto in concert at the RFH in London a few weeks ago. The film still stands as a battle between two ... read more »
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- 2
Lets sing on a song for the rain forest David, on this mahogany piano.
Didnt get it really...sorry. I mean, I didnt see its point. Bowie is some messiah like figure at the Japenese POW camp, that you are expecting to deliver some ... read more »
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