Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

1983 • 2h 4m •

Drama History War

MOVIEVIBE Rating

★ 7.3/10

546 reviews

Your Rating

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.

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

Top Billed Cast

David Bowie

Celliers

Tom Conti

Lawrence

Ryuichi Sakamoto

Yonoi

Takeshi Kitano

Hara

Jack Thompson

Hicksley

Johnny Ohkura

Kanemoto

Alistair Browning

De Jong

James Malcolm

Celliers' Brother

Detailed Critic & Audience Reviews

C CinemaSerf Verified TMDB Critic

2022-04-14

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 ...