1983 · drama · war · japanese
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
Directed by Nagisa Ōshima2h 4m1983
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.
Our read: Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) reads as a sombre, measured, grounded drama · war · japanese entry — measured in intensity, mid-stakes in scope, measured in temperature, ambivalent in outlook, with a strong directorial signature.
Sombre, measured, measured drama / war, grounded in texture. Ambivalent, mid-stakes, measured.
- sombre
- measured
- intense
Watching Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence tonight? Spin for your lens.
Everyone on the couch spins once and gets one craft to watch for. After the credits, compare what you caught.
Your lens for tonight
?
Everyone on the couch gets one craft to watch for. Spin the wheel to get yours. Sound on: the narrator reads your mission.
Availability in the UK · via JustWatch
More info & search links
How Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence feels to watch.
Each axis is scored by hand, not from votes or genre averages. The bar uses the film's own colours.
What watching it is actually like.
“You want a hypnotic POW drama about clashing codes of honor and desire.”
Skip it tonight — You want straightforward war action instead of restrained psychological standoffs.
Eight films that feel like this one.
Closest in the twelve-axis space, not “people also liked”. All films like Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, with why →
Discussion
Make it a movie night.
Pick a mood, get a film the whole couch will enjoy, and give everyone something to watch for.
Pick tonight's film →