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Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence: Difference between revisions
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[[File:shackles.jpg|thumb|350px|Come on, lads. Can't we all just get along?]]
'''''Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence''''' is a 1983 film from Japanese director Nagisa Oshima, and is based on ''The Seed and the Sower'' by Sir Laurens van der Post. The film is set in a Japanese POW camp in Java during the [[World War II|second world war]], and focuses on the [[Culture Clash|clash of cultures]] and building tensions between the Japanese overseers and the British prisoners. Oh, and [[Foe Yay]]. An awful, awful lot of foe yay. Seriously, you guys. Until you see this film, you can not believe the foe yay. The DVD box claims it "hints at a sexual attraction between Celliers and Yonoi", but this is a lie. The film hints in the way a pneumatic drill hints at noise, meaning that you needn't worry. It's no spoiler.
Captain Yonoi (Ryuichi Sakamoto) is the [[Incredibly Lame Pun|straight]]-laced camp commandant, devoted to [[The Stoic|discipline]], order and his [[Patriotic Fervour|beloved country]]. When he is called to attend the military trial of Major Jack Celliers ([[David Bowie]]), he is fascinated by the prisoner's display of honor and dignity and gets all hot and bothered. When Yonoi questions Celliers on whether he can prove he was tortured, Celliers gives him a Look, some proof (namely [[Shirtless Scene|taking off his shirt]]), and it all goes downhill from there...
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Examining power, cultural differences, tolerance, forgiveness and taboos, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence is very much a character and psychology driven film, because, let's face it, POW camps aren't known for their exciting itineraries. The film is also of note for being a Japanese film set in a Japanese POW camp, meaning the director shares nationality with those in charge rather than the prisoners.
The film appeared at the 1983 Cannes film festival, but seems to have existed under the radar as far as the modern world is concerned
{{tropelist}}
* [[Bilingual Dialogue]]: Averted - Yonoi and Lawrence are the only people in the camp who are fluent in both languages. The others simply have to guess at what is being said.
* [[The Captain]]: Yonoi, obviously.
* [[Captain Smooth and Sergeant Rough]]: Only slightly, in that Hara is certainly shown to be coarser and more down-to-earth than his superior officer, but is by no means the only one to dole out punishment and mistreatment to the prisoners.
* [[Chaste Hero]]: Celliers has had "no romantic interludes of any real importance". It is (heavily) implied, however, that this is for [[
* [[Culture Clash]]: Another main theme.
* [[Cultured Warrior]]: Yonoi: "To be or not to be... that is the question, Major Celliers." See also [[Samurai]].
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* [[Staged Shooting]]: See picture above. In a fake execution, Celliers is told he has been found guilty of war crimes and is chained up in front of a firing squad. They shoot but - Surprise! Just kidding!
* [[Stalking Is Love]]: Yonoi asks Lawrence so many questions about Celliers that Lawrence comments on it (Yonoi avoids the question), and when Celliers is in solitary confinement {{spoiler|it is revealed that Yonoi goes 'on patrol' there *cough*watcheshimsleep*cough* every night.}}
* [[The Stoic]]: Yonoi and Hicksley. Particularly Yonoi, who is a machine of self-discipline.
* [[Survivor Guilt]]: Yonoi was once part of an extreme military faction who staged an uprising against the government. The officers in charge of the uprising were all executed - apart from Yonoi.
* [[Tall, Dark and Handsome]]: Inverted - it is mentioned in the film's special features that one of the reasons Yonoi is attracted to Celliers is his exotic blond hair.
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[[Category:Films of the 1980s]]
[[Category:Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence]]
[[Category:Japanese Films]]
[[Category:Films Based on Novels]]
[[Category:Military and Warfare Films]]
[[Category:Film]]
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