Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (Japanese: 戦場のメリークリスマス, Hepburn: Senjō no Merī Kurisumasu, 'Merry Christmas on the Battlefield'), also known as Furyo (俘虜, Japanese for "prisoner of war"), is a 1983 war film co-written and directed by Nagisa Ōshima, co-written by Paul Mayersberg, and produced by Jeremy Thomas. The film is based on the experiences of Sir Laurens van der Post (portrayed by Tom Conti) as a prisoner of war in Japan during World War II, as depicted in his books The Seed and the Sower (1963) and The Night of the New Moon (1970). It stars David Bowie, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Takeshi Kitano and Jack Thompson; Sakamoto also wrote the score and the vocal theme "Forbidden Colours", which features David Sylvian.
The film was entered into the 1983 Cannes Film Festival in competition for the Palme d'Or. Sakamoto's score won the film a BAFTA Award for Best Film Music.
PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on a vintage T-shirt design for the 1983 war film, "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" (戦場のメリークリスマス), co-written & directed by Nagisa Ōshima. T-shirt from the private collection of @g2desu in Osaka.
"My fondest memory of Japan is the snow. The trees covered with snow."
-- LT. COLONEL JOHN LAWRENCE (played by Tom Conti)
Watch "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence [1983] Official Trailer" on YouTube
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A brilliant film I will never watch again. 😭 Ryuichi Sakamoto not only starred in the film (excellent in the role of Capt. Yonoi), but he also composed the soundtrack.
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So while I can never ever watch the film again, I can listen to the beautiful soundtrack...RIP Mr. Sakamoto
If you think you've received flattering compliments about your looks in your life, remember that Takeshi Kitano heard from David Bowie that he has beautiful eyes.
i’m curious… when celliers says “it is beautiful” in the scene towards the end where they’re standing rank, is he referring to yonoi? because the scene before that before it cut to celliers is yonoi 😭
also,, did yonoi use the “imma send a pension to ur wife” as a dark and threatening way to break the news to lawrence, or does lawrence actually have a wife? 💀
Le célèbre compositeur japonais Ryuichi Sakamoto lutte depuis des années contre un cancer qui se propage inexorablement. Dans l'impossibilité de faire des concerts, le musicien a décidé d'enregistrer des sessions live qu'il mettra bout à bout dans un album. Voici donc une version dénudée et bouleversante de sa plus célèbre partition, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, issu du film éponyme que nous connaissons mieux en France sous le titre Furyo.
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«Mais combien de fois encore verrai-je la pleine lune ?»