Review of Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) by Ella R — 04 Dec 2008
This movie as I saw it was a deeply flawed and messy movie all because of bravely misguided wackiness. Not that wacky is all that bad. It helps make tough themes easier to swallow. Surreal moments like those work in films like Spielberg's Empire of the Sun and can give others like it a special light. In a movie like this it drowns out deep philosophical themes and translates them into moments of complete annoyance.
When there are great moments in this movie they really are something, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. All of the performances were great including David Bowie and especially Beat Takeshi-- and the bits of style that rocked I'll bet have influenced filmmakers from Stanley Kubrick, in making Full Metal Jacket, to the twisted psychological melodrama of Chan Wook Park.
After the movie I overheard a couple students talking about it in the courtyard. They said the surrealistic flourishes, which I found silly, helped them understand and appreciate the film better than if they'd seen it without them. I can settle with saying they were admirable and unique. That's enough for me to recommend a film to anyone.
This review of Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) was written by Ella R on 04 Dec 2008.
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence has generally received positive reviews.
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