MERRY CHRISTMAS MR LAWRENCE

UK, 1983, 124 minutes, Colour.
David Bowie, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Tom Conti, Jack Thompson
Directed by Nagisi Oshima.

Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence is based on some stories by Laurens van der Post, The Seed and the Sower' and the short stories 'A Bar of Shadow' and 'The Sword and the Doll'. The screenplay was written by its Japanese director Nagisa Oshima in collaboration with Paul Mayersberg (Eureka). Oshima made such films as The Ceremony, Empire of the Senses, Empire of Passion.

The film was made in New Zealand and in the Cook Islands, standing in for the tropical Java prison. Pop singer David Bowie is the main British character while Japanese pop singer and composer Ryuchi Sakamoto is the Japanese Commander of the camp. Serious actor Tom Conti is Colonel John Lawrence and is paralleled with the Japanese Sergeant Hara played by Japanese comedian Takeshi. The-supporting cast is led by Jack Thompson as a very British, stiff upper lip, officer.

The film is a questioning of Japan's involvement in World War Two, the impact of the war on the ideology of the Japanese empire, the coming to terms with the defeat in World War Two. It also shows the meeting of East and West as interpreted by Oshima. While the film is a Japanese production, with style designed for Japanese audiences, it is also a British production (by Jeremy Thomas - Mad Dog Morgan, Eureka, The Last Emperor) and is designed also for western audiences.

1. A portrait of East meeting West? World War Two and the perspective of the '80s - for the Japanese, for the British?

2. The work of Laurens van der Post, his fiction, his experiences, his point of view? Oshima and the adaptation of van der Post's work? The collaboration of Paul Mayersberg? A western film in structure and . style? An eastern film (even, as suggested, a Buddhist meditative film)? The contrasting world views and their mutual influence?

3. The blend of Japanese and western styles: the structure of the sequences, their fluidity, parallels, hierarchies? The stars and their careers and generally working against popular image?

4. The location photography, the Cook Islands and New Zealand for Java, the tropics, the prisoners' camp, the flashbacks and the English mood? The musical score?

5. Audience attitudes towards World War Two, Japanese and British? Identifying? The Japanese focus and the war, the reasons, success and failure, the taking of prisoners and the treatment, the Emperor and Japanese loyalties, values? Defeat? The importance of death in the Japanese culture? Repression and codes of honour? The repercussions in 1946?

6. Western audiences and the point of view: identification with the prisoners, British codes and customs compared with the Japanese, honour and loyalties? Japanese cruelty? Japanese war criminals? 1946?


7. The structure of the film and the parallels: Gonoi and Selliers, Lawrence and Hara Kiri? Codes, culture, personalities?

8. The portrait of Captain Gonoi: his age and experience, manner, his experience in Manchuria and the military uprisings? In charge of the camp, his behaviour, his attitude towards the Korean guard, Kanemoto? The command to commit hara kiri? His ordering the prisoners to watch? Hicksley and h-is defiance? Not revealing the weapons experts? His visit to Batavia, his interceding for Selliers? Relationship with the officers and the guards? His attitude towards law? The parade, Hicksley and his defiance, Hicksley's execution? The attitude of Selliers, his coming forward, kissing him on both cheeks publicly? Selliers buried, his taking his hair? Japanese prisoner of war, his death? Codes of honour and death?

9. The contrast with Hara: the comic actor in this role, his work as a guard, his comparisons with gonion, contrasts? The importance of his drinking, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, releasing the prisoners? Lawrence's visit to his in 1946 and their perspective on the experience, the camp, Gonion?

10. Tom Conti as Lawrence: civilised, his background, place in the camp intermediary, his narration and point of view? His relationship with Gonion, with Hara? Tempering the severe stances of Hicksley? Sympathy with Selliers, the imprisonment, the attempt to escape, freedom? Listening to Selliers - absolving him? His visit to Hara at the end? The British perspective of 1946?

11. David Bowie as Selliers: his war experience, his place in the camp, career, enigma, the parallel with Gonion? Their background and breeding? His guilt, in prison, the plan to escape? Telling his story to Lawrence? The importance of the flashbacks: the school, his brother with the hunch, his love for him, going to school, the boys and the bullying, his disowning his brother, the consequences? His attitude towards Gonion, the decision to kiss him publicly? The effect on Gonion? His being buried, the taking of his hair and its being dedicated at the shrine of Gonoi's ancestors in Japan?

12. The portrait of Hicksley, Jack Thompson and his stern militarism, echoes of The Bridge on the River Kwai? British codes, execution?

13. The experience of Dijon, Kanemoto, relationship of the men, sexual exploitation? The execution?

14. Men together in prison, relationships, sexuality? Repression?

15. Prisoners, prisoners of war, the codes, Japanese interpretations?

16. The importance of death in both cultures? As a matter of honour? Stoicism? Loyalties?

17. The aftermath of World War Two, Lawrence's visit to Hara? The interaction of East and West? The effect on Japan?