Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

original title:
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
other titles:
Senjou no Merii Kurisumasu, Furyo - Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
country / year of production:
Great Britain , Japan / 1983
original length:
124 min. , color
premiere:
J: 28 May 1983
genre:
melodrama
based on:
Laurens van der Post. The Seed and the Sower. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1973.
director:
Nagisa Oshima
film script:
Paul Mayersberg , Nagisa Oshima
producer:
Jeremy Thomas (I)
cinematographer:
Toichiro Narushima
editor:
Tomoyo Oshima
composer:
Ryuichi Sakamoto
cast (role):
David Bowie (Major Jack 'Strafer' Celliers) , Tom Conti (Colonel John Lawrence) , Ryuichi Sakamoto (Captain Yonoi) , Takeshi Kitano (Sergeant Gengo Hara) , Jack Thompson (I) (Group Captain Hicksley) , David Bowie , Tom Conti , Ryuichi Sakamoto , Takeshi Kitano , Jack Thompson (I)
more:
plot synopsis:
In 1942 British soldier Jack Celliers comes to a japanese prison camp. The camp is run by Yonoi, who has a firm belief in discipline, honour and glory. In his view, the allied prisoners are cowards when they choose to surrender instead of commiting suicide. One of the prisoners, interpreter John Lawrence, tries to explain the japanese way of thinking, but is considered a traitor.
keywords:
captivity , prisoner camps , betrayal, treason , torture
war:
Second World War (1939-1945)
literature:
remarks:
Was nominated for the Golden Palm at the "Cannes Film Festival" in 1983.
availability:
VHS, DVD, CD