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Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

★ 7,3 /10 (555 Votes)
1983 JA 124 min

Overview

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.

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Release date

28/05/1983

Votes

555

Popularity

8.6

Java, 1942 — A clash of cultures, a test of the human spirit.

Genres

Status

Released

Original title

戦場のメリークリスマス

Language

JA

Runtime

124 min

Revenue

$2,306,560

David Bowie

David Bowie

Celliers

Tom Conti

Tom Conti

Lawrence

Ryuichi Sakamoto

Ryuichi Sakamoto

Yonoi

Takeshi Kitano

Takeshi Kitano

Hara

Jack Thompson

Jack Thompson

Hicksley

Johnny Ohkura

Johnny Ohkura

Kanemoto

Alistair Browning

Alistair Browning

De Jong

No photo

James Malcolm

Celliers' Brother

No photo

Chris Broun

Celliers (12 Years)

Yuya Uchida

Yuya Uchida

Commandant of Military Prison

Ryūnosuke Kaneda

Ryūnosuke Kaneda

President of the Court

Takashi Naito

Takashi Naito

Lieutenant Iwata

No photo

Tamio Ishikura

Prosecutor

Rokkō Toura

Rokkō Toura

Interpreter

Kan Mikami

Kan Mikami

Lieutenant Itō

Yūji Honma

Yūji Honma

PFC Yajima

Daisuke Iijima

Daisuke Iijima

Corporal Ueki

Hideo Murota

Hideo Murota

New Commandant of Camp

No photo

Barry Dorking

Chief Doctor

Geoff Clendon

Geoff Clendon

Australian Doctor

Grant Bridger

Grant Bridger

P.O.W. Officer

No photo

Richard Adams

P.O.W. #1

Geoff Allen

Geoff Allen

P.O.W. #2

No photo

Michael Baxter-Lax

P.O.W. #3

No photo

Mark Berg

P.O.W. #4

No photo

Marcus Campbell

P.O.W. #5

Colin Francis

Colin Francis

P.O.W. #6

No photo

Richard Hensby

P.O.W. #7

No photo

Richard Hoare

P.O.W. #8

No photo

Martin Ibbertson

P.O.W. #9

No photo

Rob Jayne

P.O.W. #10

No photo

Richard Mills

P.O.W. #11

No photo

Mark Penrose

P.O.W. #12

Arthur Ranford

Arthur Ranford

P.O.W. #13

No photo

Steve Smith

P.O.W. #14

No photo

Stephen Taylor

P.O.W. #15

No photo

Richard Zimmerman

P.O.W. #16

Ian Miller

Ian Miller

English Guard

No photo

Don Stevens

Pastor

No photo

Yōichi Iijima

Japanese Soldier #1

No photo

Satoshi Itō

Japanese Soldier #2

No photo

Masaki Kusakabe

Japanese Soldier #3

No photo

Kunihide Kuruma

Japanese Soldier #4

Hiroshi Mikami

Hiroshi Mikami

Japanese Soldier #5

No photo

Akihiro Masuda

Japanese Soldier #6

No photo

Tokuhisa Masuda

Japanese Soldier #7

No photo

Takeshi Nagasawa

Japanese Soldier #8

No photo

Takashi Odashima

Japanese Soldier #9

No photo

Masanori Okada

Japanese Soldier #10

No photo

Shoetsu Sato

Japanese Soldier #11

No photo

Rintaro Shibata

Japanese Soldier #12

No photo

Masamichi Shibasaki

Japanese Soldier #13

No photo

Kaname Shimura

Japanese Soldier #14

No photo

Kenzo Shirahama

Japanese Soldier #15

No photo

Hisao Takeda

Japanese Soldier #16

No photo

Hidenobu Togo

Japanese Soldier #17

No photo

Atsuo Yamashita

Japanese Soldier #18

No photo

Heiwa Yoshihara

Japanese Soldier #19

No photo

Takeshi Yū

Japanese Soldier #20

No photo

Tokuju Masuda

Original Soundtrack

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CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

2022-04-14

⭐ 7

This offers a really poignant look at what we might describe as mutual insanity. "Maj. Celliers" (David Bowie) is convicted by the occupying Japanese on the island of Java on citing rebellion. With hindsight, perhaps he would rather not have been, but he is spared the firing squad and sent to the POW camp of "Col Yonoi" (Ryuichi Sakamoto) who leaves much of the day to day brutality to his henchman "Sgt. Hara" (Takeshi Kitano). Also interned is "Col. Lawrence" (a strong performance from Tom Conti) who knows a thing or two about the culture of their "hosts" and tries, as best he can, to mediate …

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