Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence

[jedimistress]

I love this film so much, but I still don't entirely understand it.

Is the man gay and in love with David Bowie? Does he just respect him? What is the psychology behind it all?

[hopalong]

Try this

http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0085933/

[foxy.fagin]

There is a strong homosexual undercurrent but the main theme, I believe, is both an admiration and a respect for a person and a culture that is beyond the characters grasp. It should have worked both ways (i.e.Sakamoto / Bowie; Bowie / Sakamoto) but as the director, Nagisa Oshima said at the time Western culture was still a mystery to him despite his experience!

[foxy.fagin]

hopalong's link doesn't work so try this one instead http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0085933/

[hopalong]

you will have to remove the </p> at the end of the link

[foxy.fagin]

jedimistress, I'm intrigued - why do you like this film so much if you don't (entirely) understand it? What attracts you to it?

[foxy.fagin]

How many times have you seen the film? At the cinema, on TV? On video casette, on DVD? In English? In European?

I'm not criticising, I'd just like to know...

[foxy.fagin]

Silly soft sud that I am! In European? What was I thinking of? I meant in the original version with subtitles? Sorry about that slip, jedimistress!

[jedimistress]

I love the ambience, the music, the characters, the psychologies. I enjoy the way I learn something new each time I watch it. It's a relaxing film to watch if that makes sense. The beautiful far awayness of it all. So far away and such a different world, yet a real world, not a sci-fi one.

Characters are real, no hollywood fakes. And these things realy happened, so it is shocking in parts. I do not quite understand the relationship and that is perhaps another reason, as it is so intriguing.

I have seen it about 6 times and in English. I think I recorded it once on video, but now I haven't got a player. I love certain scenes, in particular the drunken "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence" one and the scene where Bowie kisses Sakamoto.

Every time I watch it I wonder if it will end differently this time.....What do you think of the film???