Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence DVD

Japanese auteur Nagisa Oshima's (In the Realm of the Senses) BAFTA winning English language debut, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence unites two classic cult figures-rock legend David Bowie (in one of his finest roles) and the inimitable actor-director Takeshi 'Beat' Kitano (Zatoichi).

Adapted by Paul Meyersberg (The Man who Fell to Earth) from the novel by Laurens Van der Post, the film is a riveting exploration of racism, brutality and the sparks that fly when cultures collide, concentrating on a war of wills between enigmatic and rebellious POW Jack Celliers (Bowie) and camp commandant Capt Yonoi (Ryuichi Sakamoto, who also contributes the film's bewitching score).

Intelligently exploring the psychology of its characters, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence also hints at a sexual attraction between Celliers and Yonoi, and as such is an audacious and original addition to the POW genre.

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