Poster for Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

1983, War, 2h 4m

25 Reviews 5,000+ Ratings

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critics consensus

Worthy themes and strong performances across the board make Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence an impactful story about bridging cultural divides. Read critic reviews

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Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence Photos

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Movie Info

During World War II, British soldier Jack Celliers (David Bowie) is captured by Japanese forces and held in a prison camp by the honor-bound Capt. Yanoi (Ryuichi Sakamoto). Yanoi and gruff Sgt. Hara (Takeshi) become intrigued with Celliers' open defiance in the face of their staunchly old-world ideas about cowardice and shame. Meanwhile, a translator, Lt. Col. John Lawrence (Tom Conti), attempts to find common ground between British and Japanese beliefs.
  • Rating:
    R
  • Genre:
    War
  • Original Language:
    English
  • Director:
    Nagisa Ôshima
  • Producer:
    Jeremy Thomas
  • Release Date (Streaming):
  • Runtime:
  • Sound Mix:
    Surround

Cast & Crew

David Bowie
David Bowie
Maj. Jack "Strafer" Celliers
Tom Conti
Tom Conti
Col. John Lawrence
Ryuichi Sakamoto
Ryuichi Sakamoto
Capt. Yonoi
Takeshi Kitano
Takeshi Kitano
Sgt. Gengo Hara
Jack Thompson
Jack Thompson
Group Capt. Hicksley
Johnny Ohkura
Johnny Ohkura
Kanemoto
Alistair Browning
Alistair Browning
De Jong
James Malcolm
James Malcolm
Celliers' Brother
Chris Broun
Chris Broun
Celliers aged 12
Grant Bridger
Grant Bridger
P.O.W. Officer
Colin Francis
Colin Francis
P.O.W
Nagisa Ôshima
Nagisa Ôshima
Director
Jeremy Thomas
Jeremy Thomas
Producer
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Critic Reviews for Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

All Critics (25) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (21) | Rotten (4)
Full Review… Richard Corliss TIME Magazine Full Review… Aaron Hillis Village Voice Full Review… Geoff Andrew Time Out Full Review… Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Full Review… Janet Maslin New York Times Full Review… Dave Kehr Chicago Reader Full Review… Ian Kane Epoch Times Full Review… Jolanta Benal Gay Community News (Boston) Full Review… Jane Freebury The Canberra Times (Australia) Full Review… Andrew Gaudion VultureHound Full Review… Alonso Díaz de la Vega El Universal Full Review… David Parkinson Radio Times
View All Critic Reviews (25)

Audience Reviews for Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

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