Movie Review: Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence is one of the best style over substance movies I have ever seen. It is a strange, erratic, at times even incoherent narrative that never stops being compelling. I think what makes it work is the strong opening and the really grounded conflict. The setup is really simple: British POW’s in a Japanese prison camp during WWII must resist cruel treatment and interrogation. On the POW side you have Jack Celliers, a South African soldier played by David Bowie, and John Lawrence, a Japanese-speaking British POW camp leader. On the Japanese side you have the harsh Sgt. Hara played by Takeshi Kitano and the androgynous camp commander Yonnoi played by Ryuichi Sakamoto who also happens to be a renowned composer, leader of the amazing band Yellow Magic Orchestra, and the guy who wrote the film’s glorious soundtrack.

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence is a strangely homoerotic story based on books by a South African writer who was also a POW during WWII. The drama and sexual tension between Celliers and Yonnoi is subtle, well-acted, but ultimately doesn’t really communicate much. What you take from the desperate moments between the prisoners and Japanese soldiers will be a function of what you bring to the movie. I can’t say that the movie challenged me intellectually or left me with any lasting complex ideas. I can say though that I really enjoyed watching it and would watch it again with others. I have also been listening to the soundtrack nonstop for months. Best of all: The film ends with one of the main characters looking into the camera and dropping the title. Sublime.

Grade: B