Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

Where: Meyer Auditorium. In this World War II drama, a mysterious British officer interned by the Japanese as a prisoner of war catches the interest of the camp commander. Meanwhile, another POW who can speak both languages tries to bridge the emotional and language divides between captor and prisoner. / / Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is a multilayered, brutal, at times erotic tale of culture clash and one of Ōshima’s greatest successes. Rock stars David Bowie and Ryuichi Sakamoto play the leads, and Sakamoto composed the film’s hypnotic score. Actor-director Takeshi Kitano also takes the stage in his first dramatic role. / / Director: Nagisa Ōshima. Country: Japan. Released: 1983. Length: 123 min. Format: DCP. Language: Japanese with English subtitles. Image courtesy of Janus Films