A strangely poignant culture clash, set as it is a Japanese POW camp during World War II, Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence is a redemptive intensity of a narrative with a memorably haunting soundtrack.
Fluent in Japanese, Colonel Lawrence (Tom Conti – The Dark Knight Rises, Reuben Reuben) attempts to bridge the gap between captors and their prisoners to avoid bloodshed and win some concessions from camp commander, Yonoi (Ryuichi Sakamoto – The Last Emperor, New Rose Hotel). The arrival of Major Jack Celliers (David Bowie – The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Prestige) sees Yonoi develop an obsession and queer desire for the new prisoner.
Beautifully staged set pieces from director Nagisa Ôshima (In the Realm of the Senses, Max My Love) with that haunting Ryuichi Sakamoto-penned soundtrack cannot hide the awkwardness of Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence with its schematic ‘by numbers’ plot and character development in its attempt to be simultaneously brutal and tender.
Rating: 59%
An Opinion or Two 