Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
Japanese theatrical release poster
Directed by	Nagisa Ōshima
Screenplay by	Nagisa Ōshima Paul Mayersberg
Based on	The Seed and the Sower 1963 novel by Sir Laurens van der Post
Produced by	Jeremy Thomas
Starring	David Bowie Tom Conti Ryuichi Sakamoto Takeshi Kitano Jack Thompson
Cinematography	Toichiro Narushima
Edited by	Tomoyo Ōshima
Music by	Ryuichi Sakamoto
Production companies	National Film Trustee Company Antares-Nova N.V. Recorded Picture Company Oshima Productions Asahi National Broadcasting Broadbank Investments
Distributed by	Shochiku Fuji Nippon Herald Films (Japan) Palace Pictures (United Kingdom) Everand Films (New Zealand)
Release dates	10 May 1983 (1983-05-10) (Cannes) 28 May 1983 (1983-05-28) (Japan) 25 August 1983 (1983-08-25) (United Kingdom)
Running time	123 minutes
Countries	Japan[1] United Kingdom New Zealand[2]
Languages	English Japanese
Box office	¥990 million (Japan rentals) $2.3 million (USA) 2.8 million tickets (overseas)

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (Japanese: 戦場のメリークリスマス, Hepburn: Senjō no Merī Kurisumasu, lit. 'Battlefield's Merry Christmas'), also known as Furyo (Japanese for "prisoner of war"),^[3] is a 1983 war film co-written and directed by Nagisa Ōshima, co-written by Paul Mayersberg, and produced by Jeremy Thomas. The film is based on the experiences of Sir Laurens van der Post (portrayed by Tom Conti as Lt. Col. John Lawrence) as a prisoner of war in Java (Japanese-occupied Dutch East Indies) during World War II, as depicted in his books The Seed and the Sower (1963) and The Night of the New Moon (1970). It stars David Bowie, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Takeshi Kitano and Jack Thompson; Sakamoto also composed and played the musical score including the vocal version of the main theme "Forbidden Colours", with lyrics written and sung by David Sylvian.^[4]

The film was entered into the 1983 Cannes Film Festival in competition for the Palme d'Or.^[5] Sakamoto's score won the film a BAFTA Award for Best Film Music.