Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983)
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (original title)Reference View | Change View
- R
- 2h 3min
- Drama, War
- 02 Sep 1983 (USA)
- Movie
During WWII, a British colonel tries to bridge the cultural divides between a British POW and the Japanese camp commander in order to avoid bloodshed.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
- Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 9 wins & 8 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| David Bowie | ... |
Celliers
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| Tom Conti | ... |
Lawrence
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| Ryuichi Sakamoto | ... |
Yonoi
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| Takeshi Kitano | ... |
Hara
(as Takeshi)
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| Jack Thompson | ... |
Hicksley
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Johnny Ôkura | ... |
Kanemoto
(as Johnny Ohkura)
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| Alistair Browning | ... |
De Jong
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James Malcolm | ... |
Celliers' Brother
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Chris Broun | ... |
Celliers 12 Years
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| Yûya Uchida | ... |
Commandant of Military Prison
(as Yuya Uchida)
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| Ryûnosuke Kaneda | ... |
President of the Court
(as Ryunosuke Kaneda)
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Takashi Naitô | ... |
Lieutenant Iwata
(as Takashi Naito)
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Tamio Ishikura | ... |
Prosecutor
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| Rokkô Toura | ... |
Interpreter
(as Rokko Toura)
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Kan Mikami | ... |
Lieutenant Ito
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Yûji Honma | ... |
PFC Yajima
(as Yuji Honma)
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Daisuke Iijima | ... |
Corporal Ueki
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Hideo Murota | ... |
New Commandant of Camp
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Barry Dorking | ... |
Chief Doctor
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| Geoff Clendon | ... |
Australian Doctor
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Grant Bridger | ... |
P.O.W. Officer
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Richard Adams | ... |
P.O.W.
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Geoff Allen | ... |
P.O.W.
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Michael Baxter-Lax | ... |
P.O.W.
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Mark Berg | ... |
P.O.W.
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Marcus Campbell | ... |
P.O.W.
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Colin Francis | ... |
P.O.W.
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Richard Hensby | ... |
P.O.W.
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Richard Hoare | ... |
P.O.W.
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Martin Ibbertson | ... |
P.O.W.
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Rob Jayne | ... |
P.O.W.
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Richard Mills | ... |
P.O.W.
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Mark Penrose | ... |
P.O.W.
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Arthur Ranford | ... |
P.O.W.
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Steve Smith | ... |
P.O.W.
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Stephen Taylor | ... |
P.O.W.
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Richard Zimmerman | ... |
P.O.W.
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Ian Miller | ... |
English Guard
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Don Stevens | ... |
Pastor
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Yôichi Iijima | ... |
Japanese Soldier
(as Yoichi Iijima)
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Satoshi Ito | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Masaki Kusakabe | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Kunihide Kuruma | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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| Hiroshi Mikami | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Arihiro Masuda | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Tokuhisa Masuda | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Takeshi Nagasawa | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Takashi Odashima | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Masanori Okada | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Shoetsu Sato | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Rintaro Shibata | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Masamichi Shibasaki | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Kaname Shimura | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Kenzo Shirahama | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Hisao Takeda | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Hidenobu Togo | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Atsuo Yamashita | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Heiwa Yoshihara | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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Takeshi Yu | ... |
Japanese Soldier
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Peter Barakan | ... |
Prisoner (uncredited)
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Alastair Floyd | ... |
P.O.W. (uncredited)
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Rex Wilmshurst | ... |
P.O.W. (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Nagisa Ôshima | ||
Written by
| Nagisa Ôshima | ... | (screenplay by) & |
| Paul Mayersberg | ... | (screenplay by) |
| Lourens van der Post | ... | (based on the novel "The Seed and The Sower" by) (as Sir Laurens van der Post) |
Produced by
| Terry Glinwood | ... | executive producer |
| Masato Hara | ... | executive producer |
| Joyce Herlihy | ... | associate producer |
| Geoffrey Nethercott | ... | executive producer |
| Eiko Oshima | ... | executive producer |
| Larry Parr | ... | associate producer |
| Jeremy Thomas | ... | producer |
Music by
| Ryuichi Sakamoto | ... | (as Ryûichi Sakamoto) |
Cinematography by
| Tôichirô Narushima | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Tomoyo Ôshima | ... | (as Tomoyo Oshima) |
Editorial Department
| Kimie Kawagishi | ... | negative cutter |
| Ken'ichi Takashima | ... | assistant film editor (as Kenichi Takashima) |
Production Design by
| Shigemasa Toda | ||
Art Direction by
| Andrew Sanders | ||
Makeup Department
| Antony Clavet | ... | makeup supervisor |
| Glenis Daly | ... | hair stylist |
| Bryony Hurden | ... | makeup assistant |
| Robern Pickering | ... | chief makeup artist |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Jonty Barraud | ... | second assistant director |
| Geoffery Hill | ... | third assistant director |
| Lee Tamahori | ... | first assistant director |
Art Department
| Masaru Arakawa | ... | set dresser |
| Lyn Bergquist | ... | property buyer |
| Kyoichi Hashimoto | ... | construction manager |
| Tetsuya Hataya | ... | assistant art director |
| Trevor Haysom | ... | stand-by props assistant |
| Ryoichi Kamon | ... | construction technician |
| Masaaki Kobayashi | ... | construction technician |
| Bryan McDonald | ... | property assistant |
| Kazumasa Nomura | ... | assistant art director |
| Chris Paulger | ... | stand-by props |
| Pam Seabold | ... | property assistant (as Pam Sebold) |
| Yutaka Wakase | ... | construction technician |
| Shoichi Yasuda | ... | property master |
Sound Department
| Eugene Arts | ... | boom operator |
| Akira Honma | ... | dubbing mixer / sound effects |
| Mikio Mori | ... | stereo sound consultant: Dolby |
| Mike Westgate | ... | sound recordist |
Special Effects by
| Kevin Chisnall | ... | special effects supervisor |
Visual Effects by
| Shulamit Levin | ... | digital restoration artist (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Rick Allender | ... | clapper loader |
| Ian Beale | ... | electrician |
| Dennis Cullen | ... | grip |
| Tex Foote | ... | generator operator (as Tex Foot) |
| Ken George | ... | still photographer |
| Brian Harris | ... | key grip |
| Don Jowsey | ... | best boy |
| Geoff Maine | ... | electrician |
| Warren Mearns | ... | gaffer |
| Brendon Mune | ... | electrician |
| Jeff O'Donnell | ... | grip |
| Ian Philp | ... | electrician |
| Andy Roelants | ... | focus puller |
| Hiroaki Sugimura | ... | camera operator |
| Takashi Ueno | ... | still photographer |
Casting Department
| Diana Rowan | ... | casting: New Zealand |
| Takashi Ueno | ... | casting: Japan |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Norman Forsey | ... | wardrobe assistant |
| Leslie Gilda | ... | wardrobe assistant |
| Kazuo Matsuda | ... | wardrobe master |
| Christine West | ... | wardrobe supervisor |
Location Management
| Takashi Shirai | ... | location manager |
Script and Continuity Department
| Raijin Nakahata | ... | continuity |
Transportation Department
| Robin Allen | ... | transportation manager |
Additional Crew
| Vivien Bridgewater | ... | production secretary |
| Sevilla Delofski | ... | assistant to producer |
| Didi Dickson | ... | interpreter |
| Mitsue Fujita | ... | assistant production accountant |
| Ralph Gardiner | ... | armorer |
| Tony Hedges | ... | production accountant |
| Margaret Hilliard | ... | production coordinator |
| Lynne Newport | ... | assistant production accountant |
| Susan Nicholas | ... | nurse |
| Roger Pulvers | ... | assistant to director / dialogue coach |
| Kuniko Usui | ... | production assistant |
| Brian Mahony | ... | insurance broker (uncredited) |
| Natsuko Toda | ... | translation: Japanese (uncredited) |
| Kansai Yamamoto | ... | concept designer (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- National Film Trustee Company
- Antares-Nova (in association with)
- Recorded Picture Company (RPC) (in association with)
- Oshima Productions (in association with)
- Asahi National Broadcasting Company (in association with)
- Broadbank Investments (in association with)
Distributors
- Palace Pictures (1983) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Fuji Eiga Company (1983) (Japan) (theatrical) (co-distribution)
- Shochiku (1983) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Universal Pictures (1983) (United States) (theatrical)
- A.A.A. Soprofilm Distribution (1983) (France) (theatrical)
- Distribuidores Reunidos (1983) (Portugal) (theatrical)
- Mas-Filmi (1983) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Spentzos Films (1983) (Greece) (theatrical)
- Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1983) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Breien Film (1983) (Norway) (VHS)
- MCA Home Video (1983) (United States) (VHS)
- Palace Video (1983) (United Kingdom) (VHS)
- Palace Video (1983) (United Kingdom) (video) (Betamax)
- Palace Video (1983) (United Kingdom) (video) (video 2000)
- 20th Century Fox (1984) (Brazil) (theatrical)
- Everard Films (1984) (New Zealand) (theatrical)
- Medusa Distribuzione (1984) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Pony Video (1984) (Japan) (VHS)
- Star Video (1984) (Australia) (video)
- TV Asahi (1984) (Japan) (tv)
- marketing-film (1985) (West Germany) (VHS)
- National Film Development Corporation (1986) (India) (theatrical)
- Canal+ (1986) (France) (tv)
- Channel 5 Video (1986) (United Kingdom) (VHS) (Budget Release)
- Bestseller Film & Video (1984) (Finland) (video)
- Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1988) (Finland) (tv) (as MTV1)
- Video Style (Finland) (video)
- Yleisradio (YLE) (1988) (Finland) (tv)
- Herald Videogram (1990) (Japan) (VHS)
- Nippon Herald Films (1990) (Japan) (VHS)
- Pony Canyon (1990) (Japan) (VHS)
- MCA/Universal Home Video (1992) (United States) (VHS)
- NHK-BS2 (1993) (Japan) (tv)
- Canal+ (1997) (France) (tv)
- Artisan Entertainment (1999) (United States) (VHS)
- EuroVideo (1999) (Germany) (DVD)
- M6 (1999) (France) (tv) (dubbed version)
- Flashstar Home Vídeo (2000) (Brazil) (DVD)
- Second Sight Films (2000) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- TF1 Vidéo (2000) (France) (DVD)
- Video Film Express (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
- ARTE (2002) (France) (tv)
- LW Editora (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
- Aventi (2003) (France) (DVD)
- Pony Canyon (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
- Atlantic Film (2006) (Sweden) (DVD)
- Future Film (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
- RTL9 (2006) (France) (tv)
- Télé Monté Carlo (TMC) (2006) (France) (tv)
- BS11 Digital (2007) (Japan) (tv)
- Paris Première (2007) (France) (tv)
- Star Media Entertainment (2007) (Norway) (DVD)
- Umbrella Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (tv)
- Umbrella Entertainment (2008) (Australia)
- Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2010) (United States) (DVD)
- The Criterion Collection (2010) (United States) (DVD)
- Kinokuniya (2011) (Japan) (DVD)
- A-Film Home Entertainment (2012) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Quality Film Collection)
- Nihon Eiga Satellite Broadcasting (2012) (Japan) (tv)
- RTL9 (2012) (France) (tv)
- WOWOW Prime (2013) (Japan) (tv)
- Bac Films (2015) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Carlotta Films (2015) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
- NHK BS Premium (2015) (Japan) (tv)
- ARTE (2016) (France) (tv)
- Arthaus (2017) (Germany) (Blu-ray)
- Arthaus (2017) (Germany) (DVD)
- ESC Distribution (2017) (France) (Blu-ray)
- The Criterion Channel (2019) (United States) (tv) (digital)
- Arrow Academy (2020) (United Kingdom) (Blu-ray)
- Paramount Channel (2020) (France) (tv)
- Elokuvapalvelu J. Suomalainen (2021) (Finland) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Paris Première (2021) (France) (tv)
- Umbrella Entertainment (2022) (Australia)
- ARTE (2024) (France) (tv)
- Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2024) (United Arab Emirates) (Middle East, North Africa and Iran - Re-issue)
- Fonovizyon (Turkey) (VHS) (?)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Cannes Film Festival (festival)
- Dolby Laboratories (sound mix)
- Locarno International Film Festival (festival)
- MIDI (soundtrack)
- Panavision (camera equipment provided by)
- Shochiku (funding)
- The David Forbes Company (marketing and distribution services)
- Visual Icon (exclusive clip and still licensing)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
In 1942 British soldier Jack Celliers comes to a Japanese prison camp. The camp is run by Yonoi, who has a firm belief in discipline, honor and glory. In his view, the allied prisoners are cowards when they chose to surrender instead of committing suicide. One of the prisoners, interpreter John Lawrence, tries to explain the Japanese way of thinking, but is considered a traitor. Written by Mattias Thuresson |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | They were all honorable men. But all what they did that can be done name of honor See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | According to David Bowie, Nagisa Ôshima directed the Japanese actors with great detail. But when it came to the British actors, they were told to "do whatever it is you people do". See more » |
| Goofs | In the final scene in the prison cell, the cross belt of Lt Col Lawrence's Sam Browne is fitted back to front. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in David Sylvian & Ryuichi Sakamoto: Forbidden Colours (1983). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Ride, Ride, Ride (Celliers' Brother's Song) See more » |
| Quotes |
Col. John Lawrence:
You are the victim of men who think they are right... Just as one day you and captain Yonoi believed absolutely that you were right. And the truth is of course that nobody is right... See more » |