Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

Synopsis

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.

Trailer

Open trailer on YouTube

Streaming availability

flatrate

YouTube TV Criterion Channel

ads

Shout! Factory TV YouTube Free Plex Plex Channel Tubi TV

Streaming data provided by JustWatch.

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

—

Chris Broun

Celliers (12 Years)

Yuya Uchida

Commandant of Military Prison

Ryūnosuke Kaneda

President of the Court

Takashi Naito

Lieutenant Iwata

—

Tamio Ishikura

Prosecutor

Rokkō Toura

Interpreter

Kan Mikami

Lieutenant Itō

—

Yūji Honma

PFC Yajima

Daisuke Iijima

Corporal Ueki

Hideo Murota

New Commandant of Camp

—

Barry Dorking

Chief Doctor

Geoff Clendon

Australian Doctor

Crew

Art

• Andrew Sanders Art Direction
• Masaru Arakawa Set Dresser
• Shōichi Yasuda Property Master
• Shigemasa Toda Production Design

Camera

• Tōichirō Narushima Director of Photography
• Brian Harris Key Grip
• Ken George Still Photographer
• Takashi Ueno Still Photographer
• Hiroaki Sugimura Camera Operator

Costume & Make-Up

• Christine West Wardrobe Supervisor
• Antony Clavet Makeup Supervisor
• Robern Pickering Key Makeup Artist
• Glenis Daly Hairdresser

Directing

• Nagisa Ōshima Director
• Lee Tamahori First Assistant Director
• Jonty Barraud Second Assistant Director
• Raijin Nakahata Continuity
• Roger Pulvers Assistant Director

Editing

• Tomoyo Oshima Editor

Lighting

• Warren Mearns Gaffer

Production

• Terry Glinwood Executive Producer
• Geoffrey Nethercott Executive Producer
• Eiko Oshima Executive Producer
• Jeremy Thomas Producer
• Larry Parr Associate Producer
• Takashi Ueno Casting
• Diana Rowan Casting
• Joyce Herlihy Associate Producer
• Masato Hara Executive Producer

Sound

• Ryuichi Sakamoto Original Music Composer
• Mike Westgate Sound Recordist
• Eugene Arts Boom Operator
• Akira Honma Sound Effects

Writing

• Nagisa Ōshima Screenplay
• Paul Mayersberg Screenplay
• Laurens van der Post Novel

Photos