Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
Year:
1982
Production Country:
Great Britain / Japan / New Zealand
Drama set in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp during the Second World War exploring the human and inhuman aspects of the clash between two very different cultures. British officer John Lawrence bears witness to the rebellion of South African prisoner Jack Celliers and the strange and unspoken bond he forms with the camp commander, Captain Yonoi.
Cast & credits
Cast
- Major Jack "Straffer" Celliers David Bowie
- Colonel John Lawrence Tom Conti
- Captain Yonoi Ryuichi Sakamoto
- Sergeant Gengo Hara Takeshi Kitano
- Group Captain Hicksley Jack Thompson
- Kanemoto Johnny Okura
- De Jong Alistair Browning
- Celliers' brother James Malcolm
- Jack Celliers, aged 12 Chris Broun
- commandant of military prison Yuya Uchida
- Colonel Fujimura, President of the Court Ryunosuke Kaneda
- Lieutenant Iwata Takeshi Naito
- prosecutor Tamio Ishikura
- interpreter Rokko Toura
- Lieutenant Ito Kan Mikami
- PFC Yajima Yuji Honma
- Corporal Ueki Daisuke Iijima
- new commandant of the camp Hideo Murota
- chief doctor Barry Dorking
- Australian doctor Geoff Clendon
- POW officer Grant Bridger
- POW Richard Adams
- POW Geoff Allen
- POW Michael Baxter-lax
- POW Marc Berg
- POW Marcus Campbell
- POW Colin Francis
- POW Richard Hensby
- POW Richard Hoare
- POW Martin Ibbertson
- POW Rob Jayne
- POW Richard Mills
- POW Mark Penrose
- POW Arthur Ranford
- POW Steve Smith
- POW Stephen Taylor
- POW Richard Zimmerman
- English guard Ian Miller
- pastor Don Stevens
- Japanese soldier Yoichi Iijima
- Japanese soldier Satoshi Ito
- Japanese soldier Masaki Kusakabe
- Japanese soldier Kunihide Kuruma
- Japanese soldier Hiroshi Mikami
- Japanese soldier Akihiro Masuda
- Japanese soldier Tokuhisa Masuda
- Japanese soldier Takeshi Nagasawa
- Japanese soldier Takeshi Odashima
- Japanese soldier Masanori Okada
- Japanese soldier Shoetsu Sato
- Japanese soldier Rintaro Shibata
- Japanese soldier Masamichi Shibasaki
- Japanese soldier Kaname Shimura
- Japanese soldier Kenzo Shirahama
- Japanese soldier Hisao Takeda
- Japanese soldier Hidenobu Togo
- Japanese soldier Atsuo Yamashita
- Japanese soldier Heiwa Yoshihara
- Japanese soldier Takeshi Yu
Credits
Direction
- Directed by Nagisa Oshima
- Assistant Director (1st) Lee Tamahori
- Assistant Director (2nd) Jonty Barraud
- Assistant Director (3rd) Geoff Hill
- Assistant to the Director Roger Pulvers
- Continuity Raijin Nakahata
Production
- © National Film Trustee Company Ltd.
- Made in association with Antares-Nova N.V.
- Made in association with Recorded Picture Company
- Made in association with Oshima Productions
- Made in association with Asahi National Broadcasting
- Made in association with Broadbank Investments Limited
- Executive Producer Masato Hara
- Executive Producer Eiko Oshima
- Executive Producer Geoffrey Nethercott
- Executive Producer Terry Glinwood
- Producer Jeremy Thomas
- Producer's Assistant Sevilla Delofski
- Associate Producer Joyce Herlihy
- Associate Producer Larry Parr
- Production Co-ordinator Margaret Hilliard
- Production Accountant Tony Hedges
- Assistant Accountant Lynne Newport
- Assistant Accountant Mitsue Fujita
- Location Manager Takashi Shirai
- Production Assistant Kuniko Usui
- Production Secretary Vivien Bridgewater
Casting
- Casting (Japan) Takashi Ueno
- Casting (New Zealand) Diana Rowan
Writing
- Screenplay by Nagisa Oshima
- Screenplay with Paul Mayersberg
- Based on 'The Seed and the Sower' by Laurens van der Post
Photography
- Director of Photography Tôichirô Narushima
- Camera Operator Hiroaki Sugimura
- Focus Puller Andy Roelants
- Clapper/Loader Rick Allender
- Gaffer Warren Mearns
- Best Boy Don Jowsey
- Electrician Geoff Maine
- Electrician Ian Beale
- Electrician Ian Philp
- Electrician Brendon Mune
- Generator Operator Tex Foot
- Key Grip Brian Harris
- Grip Dennis Cullen
- Grip Jeff O'donnell
Stills
- Stills Photography Takashi Ueno
Special Effects
- Special Effects Akira Houma
Editing
- Editor Tomoyo Oshima
- Assistant Editor Kenichi Takashima
- Negative Cutting Kimie Kawagishi
Design
- Production Designer Jusho Toda
- Art Director Andrew Sanders
- Assistant Art Director Tetsuya Hataya
- Assistant Art Director Kazumasa Normura
- Set Dresser Masaru Arakawa
- Properties Shoichi Yasuda
- Properties Buyer Lyn Bergquist
- Properties Assistant Pam Seebold
- Stand-by Props Chris Paulger
- Stand-by Props Chris Paulger
- Stand-by Props Assistant Trevor Haysom
- Props Assistant Bryan Mcdonald
- Construction Manager Kyoichi Hashimoto
- Construction Technician Ryoichi Kamon
- Construction Technician Masaaki Kobayashi
- Construction Technician Yutaka Wakase
Costumes
- Wardrobe Supervisor Christine West
- Wardrobe Master Kazuo Matsuda
- Wardrobe Assistant Norman Forsey
- Wardrobe Assistant Leslie Gilda
Make-up
- Makeup Supervisor Anthony Clavet
- Makeup Chief Robern Pickering
- Makeup Assistant Bryony Hurden
- Hair Glenis Daly
Film processing
- Filmed with Panavision
Music
- Music Ryuichi Sakamoto
- Brother's Song Composed by Stephen McCurdy
Sound
- Sound Recordist Mike Westgate
- Boom Operator Eugene Arts
- Sound Re-recording Tetsuya Ohashi
- Sound Re-recording Aoi Studio
- Dolby Stereo Consultant Mikio Mori
- Dolby Stereo Consultant Continental Far East Inc
- Sound Effects Akira Honma
- Dubbing Mixer Akira Honma
Consultant
- Transport Manager Robert Allen
- Nurse Susan Nicholas
- Dialogue Coach Roger Pulvers
- Interpreter Didi Dickson
- Armourer Ralph Gardiner