Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

In this World War II drama, a mysterious British officer interned by the Japanese as a prisoner of war catches the interest of the camp commander. Meanwhile, another POW who can speak both languages tries to bridge the emotional and language divides between captor and prisoner.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is a multilayered, brutal, at times erotic tale of culture clash and one of Ōshima’s greatest successes. Rock stars David Bowie and Ryuichi Sakamoto play the leads, and Sakamoto composed the film’s hypnotic score. Actor-director Takeshi Kitano also takes the stage in his first dramatic role.

Director: Nagisa Ōshima. Country: Japan. Released: 1983. Length: 123 min. Format: DCP. Language: Japanese with English subtitles.
Image courtesy of Janus Films