Japan Synopsis
戦場のメリークリスマス
“Java, 1942— A clash of cultures, a test of the human spirit.”
Island of Java, 1942, during World War II. British Major Jack Celliers arrives at a Japanese prison camp, run by the strict Captain Yonoi. Colonel John Lawrence, who has a profound knowledge of Japanese culture, and Sergeant Hara, brutal and simpleton, will witness the struggle of wills between two men from very different backgrounds who are tragically destined to clash.
The 1982–1984 Japan Window
57 Japan films released in this three-year window, ranked here by audience rating. Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence sits at position #15.
#1Space Cobra
★ 8.3 · 1982
#2Super Dimension Fortress Macross
★ 8.1 · 1982
#3Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
★ 7.9 · 1984
#4The Transformers
★ 7.9 · 1984
#5Captain Tsubasa
★ 7.8 · 1983
#6Kinnikuman
★ 7.8 · 1983
#7Voltron: Defender of the Universe
★ 7.6 · 1984
#8Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space
★ 7.6 · 1982
Titles With Overlapping Themes
Films and series that share thematic tags with Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. Number on each card indicates how many keywords overlap.
Other Titles From Recorded Picture Company
The 1980s Japan Landscape
Catalog density by release year in the 1980s. Highlighted year (yellow) is when Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence premiered. 280 total titles in this decade from Japan.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #1,539 of 4,579 Japan films indexed here (66th percentile by TMDB audience score).
Rating is +0.4 points above the Japan average of 6.9/10.
Among Japan Drama productions specifically: #669 of 1,933 (top 35%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| All Production Countries | Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom |
| Original Language | Japanese |
| Spoken Languages | English, Japanese |
| Production Companies | Recorded Picture Company, National Film Trustee Company, Antares-Nova, Oshima Productions, Asahi Broadcasting Company |
| Runtime | 2h 4m |
| Release Date | May 28, 1983 |
| IMDb | tt0085933 |