Movie Cosmos - Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

Description:

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.

Top 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)

Yuya 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

Top Crew >

Nagisa Ōshima

Director, Screenplay

Paul Mayersberg

Screenplay

Laurens van der Post

Novel

Terry Glinwood

Executive Producer

Geoffrey Nethercott

Executive Producer

Eiko Ōshima

Executive Producer

Jeremy Thomas

Producer

Ryuichi Sakamoto

Original Music Composer

Tomoyo Ōshima

Editor

Tōichirō Narushima

Director of Photography

Larry Parr

Associate Producer

Lee Tamahori

First Assistant Director

Jonty Barraud

Second Assistant Director

Raijin Nakahata

Continuity

Warren Mearns

Gaffer

Brian Harris

Key Grip

Andrew Sanders

Art Direction

Masaru Arakawa

Set Dresser

Shōichi Yasuda

Property Master

Christine West

Wardrobe Supervisor

Antony Clavet

Makeup Supervisor

Robern Pickering

Key Makeup Artist

Glenis Daly

Hairdresser

Mike Westgate

Sound Recordist

Eugene Arts

Boom Operator

Akira Honma

Sound Effects

Ken George

Still Photographer

Takashi Ueno

Casting, Still Photographer

Diana Rowan

Casting

Joyce Herlihy

Associate Producer

Masato Hara

Executive Producer

Shigemasa Toda

Production Design

Hiroaki Sugimura

Camera Operator

Reviews:

CinemaSerf (7/10)

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 and mitigate their worst excesses. What now ensues depicts the brutality - physical and psychological employed by the sadistic "Hara" whilst interspersed with some retrospectives giving us some of the back-story of "Celliers" and his life of privilege back home. The production is rich and alluring to watch; Bowie and Sakamoto both look beautiful here - and perhaps that adds to the potency of the cruelty of the latter more. The gist of the story calls into question an whole range of emotions from the more visceral to the more profound and though it is probably a bit too long, the powerfully emotive performances are captivating. Bowie maybe wasn't the best actor ever, but here he excels and with Sakamoto provides something really quite thought provoking.

2022-04-14