Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence

Synopsis: In 1942 British soldier Jack Celliers comes to a Japanese prison camp. The camp is run by Yonoi, who has a firm belief in discipline, honor and glory. In his view, the allied prisoners are cowards when they chose to surrender instead of committing suicide. One of the prisoners, interpreter John Lawrence, tries to explain the Japanese way of thinking, but is considered a traitor.
Genre: Drama, War
Director(s): Nagisa Ôshima
Production: Image Entertainment
  Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 8 wins & 6 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.3
Rotten Tomatoes:
80%
R
Year:
1983
123 min
802 Views


- What does he want?

- I'll find out.

You don't have to take orders

from this man, you know.

Well, I'm the liaison officer.

So I'm liaising.

You're sure you know what

you're doing, old man?

Yes, and what ever this is,

it's important to him...

that I see it.

- I'll keep an eye on them sir.

- Very good.

MERRY CHRISTMAS:

MR. LAWRENCE

A disgracefuI incident has occurred.

I will deal with it myself.

If It's secret why show me?

I want you to witness it.

- Know what he did?

- This dutch soldier?

Not him he was in a cell for stealing bananas.

- The korean guard?

- Of course.

Kanemoto tell this british officer what you did.

Kanemoto come on!

Say it!

Say it! You, Kanemoto!

Why don't you?

Are you too ashamed?

You know now Lawrence?

Last night he stole into the

cell of that dutch boy.

Kanemoto show us how you used

this thing of yours.

Show us how you used it on this

white fellow's ass.

Just do it for us now!

Untie him.

Kanemoto! Do it! Hear me? Now!

Has your dainty thing become

too shrunken to be potent?

If you can bugger him again

you may comit Harakiri.

Have you gone mad?

You haven't seen a japanese

untiI you've seen Harakiri.

I don't want to watch it!

Do you want me to hate the japanese?

I'll do it!

Stop it! For God's sake,

stop it!

Lawrence, out of the way!

Haven't you shamed him enough?

Shame? He didn't even resist being raped!

Can you get up?

You're Dutch, aren't you?

De Jong, sir.Karel De Jong.

Now you'd better

sit down.

Now tell me

what happened.

In the begin in he camein to

dress this wound of mine.

For three days, every night.

He was, he was very kind.

But then last night, he suddenly...

Captain Yonoi! This is

Colonel Lawrence! Come quickly!

Kanemoto, I'll assist you.

Stop it!

Watch this!

Sergeant Hara...

Attention!

What's going on?

Sergeant Hara is going execute this man!

- This is not your concern.

- Then why bring me here?

- Who ordered this execution?

- This is not an execution.

Kanemoto is trying to comit

suicide for his crime.

And you ignore it?

Out of compassion.

His family is poor. If we deem

his death an accident...

they will get a pension.

What crime has he committed?

Let me report in private.

I've no time now. I'm due at a

military trial in Batavia.

Make your report later.

This way, sir.

- Captain Yonoi is here, sir.

- Let him in.

I'm Captain Yonoi.

I'm here for the trial.

We are very honoured to have

Captain Yonoi here today.

This is Colonel Fujimura,

President of the court.

- Pleased to serve with you.

- Good to have you here.

My name is Iwata.

The military situation here is very serious.

Your service is important.

Gentlemen, the defendant is

a very difficuIt man.

All rise to attention!

Before the court is the

case of Jack Celliers.

Your name is given

as Jack Celliers.

Is that correct?

- Why shouldn't it be?

- What do you mean by that?

Answer the question!

Is your name Jack Celliers?

I've answered that question

about a hundred times.

Read the charges.

The prisioner, Jack Celliers,

a Major in the British army...

parachuted with four men into...

the Banten Valley.

They waged guerilla warfare.

On october 16, they attacked a

japanese transport unit.

They took ammunition, killed

PFC Takeshi Tazaki, then...

they wounded Corp. Sawafuji

and four others.

His crime is covered by

martial law regulations.

We recommend a death penalty...

as prescribed in section 1

Accordingly, he should receive

the death penalty...

as prescribed in Section 1,

chapter 5 of the regulations.

How do you plead?

Not guilty. I'm not a criminal.

I am a soldier in His Majesty's army.

One month ago I came out of the

Djaja Sempoer mountains.

I surrendered to Colonel Utsumi

of the Imperial Japanese Army.

I was imprisioned at Sukabumi.

Then I was questioned

by Lieutenant Ito.

He asked me my name and

rankand I told him.

Then Lieutenant Ito asked me:

"Is that true?"

I replied:

"of course, it is. I'm with the British army."

Do you mean you would never

give a false name?

Let me ask you something.

Why would a man who's about to

die give a false name?

A japanese soldier it caught

would give a false name.

A Japanese soldier would never

submit to being caught.

But then, I'm not a japanese.

Why did you refuse to tell

about yourself?

You must tell us your pass history.

My past is my business.

What was the reason for

giving yourself up?

You've just read it,

haven't you?

Your men said they'd kill

the villagers.

- How many men did you have?

- None.

- Liar!

- I'm not a liar.

I had four men but they

were killed in action.

We know you led a group

of native soldiers.

We are bound to find them

sooner or later.

Why don't you confess your crime?

I've never led natives.

Look, why don't I have a defense counsel?

Exactly what kind of trial

are you giving me?

This whole thing's a bloody farce.

Erase all those remarks.

May I question him?

"To be or not to be.

"That is the question,

The prosecutor said that you

landed in Java by parachute.

Under whose orders?

Under the orders of the

Suprem e Commander of...

His Majesty's forces in India.

Were you not under the

commander of Java?

You know I came to Java in August.

You know the commander in

Java was captured in March.

- You know Captain...

- Captain Yonoi.

If this man fought in India

as a legitimate soldier.

Then we must treat him as

a prisioner of war.

- We have no proof.

- I believe this man.

What were you asked when captured?

Were you asked how to

intended to conduct a...

guerilla war with only five men?

Well, I suspect they thought we

were an advance party...

for a new campaign presumably

the invasion of Java!

They wanted to know dates and places.

What did you say?

I said I thought they were crackers.

What?

- I thought they were mad.

- And then?

Then they stopped feeding me,

and started beating me.

Can you prove that you were beaten?

Put on your shirt!

No more questions!

The court retires.

A delay this long usually means

a firing squad.

But nowadays new officers like

to try out their swords...

on white necks.

The verdict in your case

has been postponed.

We shall wait for further instructions.

Stand up.

Good day for it, sir.

Yes.

You have a family waiting for you,

Corporal?

Wife and two kids, sir.

One with, one without.

How's about yourself, sir?

- Tea?

- Yes, I'd like that.

The prisoner, sir!

Can you guess

what I'm thinking.

Yes, I think so. Can you?

He's rebellious to the end.

You have been found

guilty on all charges.

The sentence will be carried

out without delay.

Make him ready!

- I don't need any help.

- Let him alone!

I've practiced walking for years.

Firing position!

I don't need that.

The blind fold is for the firing squad!

So they don't look into

your eyes as you die.

Let him be.

Prepare to fire!

Firing positions!

Fire!

That's a good one!

Sergeant Hara...

Sergeant Hara...

Lawrence can't you let me sleep?

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Nagisa Ôshima

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 4 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/merry_christmas_mr._lawrence_13662>.

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