Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence cover

 Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence still

Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence - 1984




Jeremy Thomas Productions - 122 min.
DVD UPC # 5028836030034; 5060034570998; 4009750214015; 842017202318; 9788320813524; 9315842007195

Cast: David Bowie, Tom Conti, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Beat Takeshi, Jack Thompson, Johnny Okura, Alistair Browning.
Screenplay: Nagisa Oshima with Paul Mayersberg; Photography: Toichiro Narushima; Music: Ryuichi Sakamoto; Editor: Tomoyo Oshima; Producer: Jeremy Thomas; Director: Nagisa Oshima.
In 1942 Java, after the Japanese have invaded and taken British soldiers prisoner, beating and idiosyncratic Japanese practices are the new order. A New Zealand soldier (Bowie) is captured on a mission and brought into this environment where, in spite of the hostility, there is attraction in various ways between jailers and prisoners. There is much depth to this film and you might find it useful to view it a second time. Wonderful soundtrack and production design, with settings in Raratonga and Auckland.

Censor rating: M - Review rating: B+

AVAILABILITY OF VHS OR DVD COPIES

New R4 PAL DVDs sell for about $15au or $15nz. R2 PAL DVDs can be found from UK sources for about 10#. Most dvds are 1.80:1 with 2.0 dolby digital sound, but non-anamorphic. The "Collector's Edition" version is anamorphic (enhanced for 16x9).
The 'Optimum Classic' or "Collector's Edition" R2 DVD, selling for 15-20#, has been digitally remastered from a new 35mm print containing extras of: "The Oshima Gang, Making of a Documentary" and interviews with Nagisa Oshima, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Jeremy Thomas. There is also an Australian/NZ R0 PAL version of the "Collector's Edition" which sells for about $25au or $25nz.
NOTE: The R0 NTSC versions coming from Brazil are NOT in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio - they are pan & scan.


SOUNDTRACK ON AUDIO CD

Click for Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence CD Details


REVIEWS

DVD Compare's Review

All Movie Guide Review

Movie Review Query - 11 articles

Pedro Sena rec.arts.movies.reviews

Four Word Film Review

"Set in a torture- and- hara- kiri- ridden World War II P.O.W camp, this international co- production explores the free floating, samurai- stern sexual attraction between Japanese jailers and their British captives [...] " - (J. Hoberman, "Rockers", The Village Voice, September 6, 1983)

An Anglo-Japanese co-production, set in wartime Java. Hard to accept David Bowie as the epitome of military toughness, but not bad as a study of the military mentality and its limits. All the critics noticed the homo-erotic overtones, but everyone overlooked the clear religious references to Jack Celliers as a Christ figure. (Nicholas Reid - 'A Decade of New Zealand Film')


TRAILER & MISC

Official Trailer

Laserdisc info at IMDB

1983 - National Board of Review, NYC - Best Actor: Tom Conti
1984 - BAFTA - Best Film Score.


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