Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence: Difference between revisions

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=== ''[[Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence]]'' provides examples of: ===

=== ''[[Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence]]'' provides examples of: ===

* [[All-Star Cast]]: Both [[David Bowie]] and Ryuichi Sakamoto were chosen for their status as well-known musicians in their own countries. The film also stars [[Takeshi Kitano]] as Sergeant Hara.

* [[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.

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* [[Heroic BSOD]]: Yonoi has one of these when {{spoiler|Celliers kisses him.}}

* ~Hey, It's That Guy!~: Academy Award winning composer Ryuchi Sakamoto plays Captain Yonoi and famous director [[Takeshi Kitano]] plays Sgt. Hara.

* [[Irony As She Is Cast]]: "I wish I could sing" and "I've had no romantic interludes of any real importance" from the mouth of [[David Bowie]]. Well, the film was made before he met Iman...

* [[Irony as She Is Cast]]: "I wish I could sing" and "I've had no romantic interludes of any real importance" from the mouth of [[David Bowie]]. Well, the film was made before he met Iman...

* [[Useful Notes/The Laws and Customs of War|The Laws and Customs of War]]: The Geneva convention is invoked regularly by Hicksley, despite the fact that Yonoi claims it does not apply.

* [[Leitmotif]]: Assorted. Pay enough attention and they'll highlight what's going on under the surface - particularly in Yonoi's head, since Ryuichi Sakamoto was instructed to write the score with Yonoi in mind. The main theme is actually better known than the film itself.

* [[Magnetic Hero]]: Although being in a POW camp prevents the formation of any sort of merry band, Celliers seems to be one of these. Despite being of a lower rank and not knowing him particularly well at the outset, Celliers is immediately recognised by Lawrence, who is delighted to see him and speaks high praise of him to Yonoi. He is described as a natural leader, and assumes the role when {{spoiler|he defies the fast imposed by Yonoi}}. And his magnetic hero qualities are almost certainly related to [[Even the Guys Want Him|what's bothering Yonoi]].

* [[My Greatest Failure]]: Celliers is haunted by {{spoiler|his betrayal of his younger brother, a hunchback. On his brother's initial arrival in their all-boys boarding secondary school, Celliers did nothing to spare his brother the initiation ritual, knowing that his back would be the cause of derision. Despite being asked if he had any reason to want to keep his brother out of the ritual, Celliers states that his brother is perfectly fine. Why? Because he couldn't bear the shame of being associated with something imperfect. As a result of the mockery he endures during the ritual, Celliers' brother's spirit is crushed forever and he never sings again.}} This is also a case of [[It's All My Fault~~|It's All My fault~~]]. Because it is.

* [[My Greatest Failure]]: Celliers is haunted by {{spoiler|his betrayal of his younger brother, a hunchback. On his brother's initial arrival in their all-boys boarding secondary school, Celliers did nothing to spare his brother the initiation ritual, knowing that his back would be the cause of derision. Despite being asked if he had any reason to want to keep his brother out of the ritual, Celliers states that his brother is perfectly fine. Why? Because he couldn't bear the shame of being associated with something imperfect. As a result of the mockery he endures during the ritual, Celliers' brother's spirit is crushed forever and he never sings again.}} This is also a case of [[It's All My Fault]]. Because it is.

* [[No-Holds-Barred Beatdown]]: "I do wish they would stop hitting me..." - Lawrence

* [[No One Gets Left Behind]]: {{spoiler|When Celliers tries to escape from the camp he seeks out Lawrence, who he finds tortured, delirious and hanging from a tree. He cuts him down and then attempts to make his escape, carrying the helpless Lawrence in his arms.}}

* [[Obligatory War Crime Scene]]: Plenty, actually. [[The Woobie|Lawrence]] is frequently the victim, playing a starring role in exciting features such as {{spoiler|being beaten brutally and left hangingby his hands from a tree overnight}}. Another example {{spoiler|Yonoi forcing the sick and dying prisoners to assemble, despite the medic's desperate plea that it's a war crime}}.

* [[Officer and A Gentleman]]: Both Lawrence and Yonoi.

* [[Officer and a Gentleman]]: Both Lawrence and Yonoi.

* [[One-Man Army]]: It is implied that Jack "Strafer" Celliers is one of these.

* [[Patriotic Fervor]]: Yonoi has lots and lots of this. Hara and Hicksley have their fair share as well.

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* [[Rule 34]]: Subverted - despite the beating, bondage, whipping, obsessions with discipline and control, hierarchical power structures, canonical [[Foe Yay]], [[Stalking Is Love|watching people while they sleep]], and [[David Bowie]] there is next to no fanfiction about this film on the internet.

* [[Samurai]]: While Yonoi is not exactly one of these, he would clearly like to be.

* [[Shout Out to Shakespeare]]: Yonoi at the trial opens with "To be or not to be", presumably in an effort to make himself look cultured, as it has very little bearing on what he says next.

* [[Shout-Out/To Shakespeare]]: Yonoi at the trial opens with "To be or not to be", presumably in an effort to make himself look cultured, as it has very little bearing on what he says next.

* [[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.}}

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* [[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.

* [[Title Drop]]: By {{spoiler|Hara}} at {{spoiler|the end of the film.}}

* [[What Could Have Been]]: How did [[~~New Wave (Music)|~~New Wave]] legends [[David Bowie]] and [[Yellow Magic Orchestra|Ryuichi Sakamoto]] work on the same film yet never work on music together?

* [[What Could Have Been]]: How did [[New Wave]] legends [[David Bowie]] and [[Yellow Magic Orchestra|Ryuichi Sakamoto]] work on the same film yet never work on music together?

* [[World War Two]]

* [[Worthy Opponent]]: Yonoi initially takes an interest in Celliers because he is impressed by his bravery in the face of death. [[Shirtless Scene|That, and he stripped half naked in the courtroom]].