Review of Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) by Alan P — 28 Nov 2010

There's not really much of a plot to this WWII POW-themed prison movie, but that doesn't stop it from being wholly boring. From the start, the film features a fair amount of interesting (and memorable) scenes, a cast of fairly interesting characters, and a fair amount of rough brutality. For the latter, it can be frustratingly difficult understanding why certain characters are so mean-spirited. But it's even more frustratingly difficult accepting any character as purely good or purely evil; they're all evenly developed with depth and humanity that expresses both the harsh malice of war and the camaraderie of peace. This can make the movie rather convoluted and off-putting, but it is fitting in its own right; the film doesn't favor one culture over another, even though the two conflict constantly (and ultimately, the differences between honorable Japanese etiquette and honorable English manners stand out as a prominent theme throughout this film).

The film is well-filmed with plenty of interesting photography, unique settings and locations, interesting color and lighting schemes, and a quality realistic-looking production value. Performances (including the talents of Tom Conti, David Bowie, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Takeshi Kitano) are strong. Ruichi Sakamoto also performs the music score, which is quite interesting.

If you enjoyed "Bridge on the River Kwai," or "The Great Escape," and don't mind seeing a similar movie with no big action scenes, this movie may satisfy you.