Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

124 mins | Drama, War, History | May 28, 1983

Island of Java, 1942, during World War II. British Major Jack Celliers arrives at a Japanese prison camp, run by the strict Captain Yonoi. Colonel John Lawrence, who has a profound knowledge of Japanese culture, and Sergeant Hara, brutal and simpleton, will witness the struggle of wills between two men from very different backgrounds who are tragically destined to clash.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

124 mins | Drama, War, History | May 28, 1983

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
Island of Java, 1942, during World War II. British Major Jack Celliers arrives at a Japanese prison camp, run by the strict Captain Yonoi. Colonel John Lawrence, who has a profound knowledge of Japanese culture, and Sergeant Hara, brutal and simpleton, will witness the struggle of wills between two men from very different backgrounds who are tragically destined to clash.
IMDb rating 7.2
Producers National Film Trustee Company, Recorded Picture Company, Broadbank Investments, Oshima Productions, Asahi Broadcasting Company, Antares-Nova
Original title 戦場のメリークリスマス
Directors Raijin Nakahata, Jonty Barraud, Nagisa Ōshima, Lee Tamahori
Writers Laurens van der Post, Nagisa Ōshima, Paul Mayersberg

Cast

David Bowie

as Celliers

Tom Conti

as Lawrence

Ryuichi Sakamoto

as Yonoi

Takeshi Kitano

as Hara

Jack Thompson

as Hicksley

Johnny Ohkura

as Kanemoto

Alistair Browning

as De Jong

James Malcolm

as Celliers' Brother

Chris Broun

as Celliers (12 Years)

Yūya Uchida

as Commandant of Military Prison

Ryūnosuke Kaneda

as President of the Court

Takashi Naito

as Lieutenant Iwata

Tamio Ishikura

as Prosecutor

Rokkō Toura

as Interpreter

Kan Mikami

as Lieutenant Itō

Yūji Honma

as PFC Yajima

Daisuke Iijima

as Corporal Ueki

Hideo Murota

as New Commandant of Camp

Barry Dorking

as Chief Doctor

Geoff Clendon

as Australian Doctor

Grant Bridger

as P.O.W. Officer

Richard Adams

as P.O.W. #1

Geoff Allen

as P.O.W. #2

Michael Baxter-Lax

as P.O.W. #3

Mark Berg

as P.O.W. #4

Marcus Campbell

as P.O.W. #5

Colin Francis

as P.O.W. #6

Richard Hensby

as P.O.W. #7

Richard Hoare

as P.O.W. #8

Martin Ibbertson

as P.O.W. #9

Rob Jayne

as P.O.W. #10

Richard Mills

as P.O.W. #11

Mark Penrose

as P.O.W. #12

Arthur Ranford

as P.O.W. #13

Steve Smith

as P.O.W. #14

Stephen Taylor

as P.O.W. #15

Richard Zimmerman

as P.O.W. #16

Ian Miller

as English Guard

Don Stevens

as Pastor

Yōichi Iijima

as Japanese Soldier #1

Satoshi Itō

as Japanese Soldier #2

Masaki Kusakabe

as Japanese Soldier #3

Kunihide Kuruma

as Japanese Soldier #4

Hiroshi Mikami

as Japanese Soldier #5

Akihiro Masuda

as Japanese Soldier #6

Tokuhisa Masuda

as Japanese Soldier #7

Takeshi Nagasawa

as Japanese Soldier #8

Takashi Odashima

as Japanese Soldier #9

Masanori Okada

as Japanese Soldier #10

Shoetsu Sato

as Japanese Soldier #11

Rintaro Shibata

as Japanese Soldier #12

Masamichi Shibasaki

as Japanese Soldier #13

Kaname Shimura

as Japanese Soldier #14

Kenzo Shirahama

as Japanese Soldier #15

Hisao Takeda

as Japanese Soldier #16

Hidenobu Togo

as Japanese Soldier #17

Atsuo Yamashita

as Japanese Soldier #18

Heiwa Yoshihara

as Japanese Soldier #19

Takeshi Yū

as Japanese Soldier #20