Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (Senjou no Merii Kurisumasu, aka Furyo in many European editions) is a 1983 film directed by Nagisa Oshima, produced by Jeremy Thomas and starring David Bowie, Tom Conti, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Takeshi Kitano. It was written by Oshima and Paul Mayersberg and based on World War II experiences as a prisoner of war of the writer Laurens van der Post as told in his works The Seed and the Sower (1963) and The Night of the New Moon (1970). Ryuichi Sakamoto also wrote the musical score. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Nagisa Oshima (大島 渚 Ōshima Nagisa, born March 31, 1932) is a famous Japanese director. ... Jeremy Thomas (born 26 July 1949 in London, England) is a British film producer. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... Tom Conti (born November 22, 1941) is a Scottish actor. ... Ryuichi Sakamoto at his New York City studio September 2003 Ryuichi Sakamoto (坂本 龍一 Sakamoto Ryūichi, born January 17, 1952, Nakano, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese musician, composer, producer and actor. ... Takeshi Kitano , born January 18, 1947 in Umeshima, Adachi, Tokyo) is a Japanese comedian, actor, presenter, author, poet, painter, one-time video game designer, and film director who has received critical acclaim, both in his native Japan and abroad, for his highly idiosyncratic cinematic work. ... Universal Pictures is the main motion picture production/distribution arm of Universal Studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal. ... Optimum Releasing is a film distribution company working in the UK The company releases many film, but is perhaps best known for its Anime releases, including the contract to release all Studio Ghibli films in the UK http://www. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... // February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Lets Spend the Night Together opens in New York North Americas Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi Tootsie Trading Places, starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy WarGames, starring Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy Superman III Flashdance Staying Alive Octopussy Mr. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... Nagisa Oshima (大島 渚 Ōshima Nagisa, born March 31, 1932) is a famous Japanese director. ... A film producer creates the conditions for making movies. ... Jeremy Thomas (born 26 July 1949 in London, England) is a British film producer. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... Tom Conti (born November 22, 1941) is a Scottish actor. ... Ryuichi Sakamoto at his New York City studio September 2003 Ryuichi Sakamoto (坂本 龍一 Sakamoto Ryūichi, born January 17, 1952, Nakano, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese musician, composer, producer and actor. ... Takeshi Kitano , born January 18, 1947 in Umeshima, Adachi, Tokyo) is a Japanese comedian, actor, presenter, author, poet, painter, one-time video game designer, and film director who has received critical acclaim, both in his native Japan and abroad, for his highly idiosyncratic cinematic work. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... Sir Laurens Jan van der Post by Frances Baruch Sir Laurens Jan van der Post (aka Laurens van der Post) December 13, 1906 – December 16, 1996. ...

Plot

The film deals with the relationships among four men in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during the Second World War — Jack Celliers (Bowie), a rebellious prisoner with a guilty secret from his youth in New Zealand; Captain Yonoi (Sakamoto), the young camp commandant; Lieutenant Colonel John Lawrence (Conti), a British officer who has lived in Japan and speaks Japanese fluently; and Sergeant Hara (Kitano), with whom Lawrence develops a peculiar friendship. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

Like Celliers, Yonoi, too, is tormented by guilt. Having been posted to Manchuria previously, he is unable to be in Tokyo with his Army comrades, the "Shining Young Officers" of Japan's February 26, 1936 military coup d'etat. When the coup fails, the young army officers are executed. Yonoi regrets not being able to share their patriotic sacrifice. Jack Celliers had betrayed his deformed younger brother while the two of them were attending boarding school. Although Celliers confesses this only to Lawrence, Captain Yonoi senses in Celliers a kindred spirit. He wants to replace Hicksley with Celliers as spokesman for the prisoners. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Captain Yonoi's men believe that Celliers is a devil sent to kill their captain's spirit and that he must be destroyed so that order can be maintained. Yonoi himself calls Celliers a demon and indeed Celliers may be seen as the demon of Yonoi's repressed homosexuality. He could equally be seen as a god, freeing Yonoi from that repression. Derrida wrote that when boundaries of friendship are challenged, questions of identity are raised, and Celliers' identity is constantly being questioned in the film.

Analysis

The film also deals with communication between cultures. Lawrence is the only one who can effectively communicate with the Japanese officers, but the British camp commandant, Colonel Hicklsey, sees his liaison with the Japanese as betrayal. Each culture has its own code of conduct, each of which is unfathomable to the other. Lawrence tries to bridge the gap, but he is hampered by the fact Yonoi and Hara don't understand the British as well as Lawrence understands the Japanese.

Psychological and psychoanalytical reasons for the way people act in time of war are closely examined.

Both Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Bowie were superstars in their own cultures. A strong sense of national identity is established. The film is seen mainly from the British point of view, although filmed by a Japanese director. It is an even-handed treatment of intercultural communication, and the controlling power of desire and the unexpected forms that it can take.

Music

The film is mostly known for its Soundtrack by Ryuichi Sakamoto. The main score, titled like the movie, ranks among Sakamotos most known songs and made him known to a broader public. Ryuichi Sakamoto at his New York City studio September 2003 Ryuichi Sakamoto (坂本 龍一 Sakamoto Ryūichi, born January 17, 1952, Nakano, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese musician, composer, producer and actor. ...

There exists also a 12" vinyl remake version on famous Italian record label DISCOMAGIC named Clock On 5 - Theme From Furyo (http://www.discogs.com/release/488118)

External Links

• Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence at the Internet Movie Database