 |
| STAR RATINGS EXPLAINED |
| Unmissable |
|
| Excellent |
|
| Good |
|
| Poor |
|
| Tragic |
|
|
| FILM DETAILS | | Certificate 15 | | Cast
David Bowie
Tom Conti | | Directors
Nagisa Oshima | | | Screenwriters | | Running Time
124 minutes |
|
|
|
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
There's a reason this didn't appear in the top 10 Christmas feelgood movies…
Plot
In a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp in Java in 1942, an English captive strikes up a strange relationship with the commandant.
Verdict
David Bowie, once again displaying acting skills which remind us what a great singer he is, plays enigmatic POW Major Celliers who forges a strange, destructive relationship with a Japanese prison camp commander (Ryuichi Sakamoto). As an exploration of cultural discord, Nagisa Oshima's film is pretty thin stuff, despite its reputation. Bowie is a potent irritant, but Tom Conti is solid in support and Sakamoto's mesmerising score sparkles anew.
Reviewed by Adam SmithRead The Full Empire Review »
Click for the full Empire review and post your own review and rating.
|
|
|
|
