The movie 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence', remastered version special screening

Director Nagisa Oshima's film 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence' (1983) will be specially screened in a remastered version to commemorate the release of 'Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus'.

'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence' is a work that has not yet been officially released in Korea. It is an unusual war film that depicts the horrors of war, although it does not contain any battle scenes and is set in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp on Java Island, which was occupied by the Japanese military during World War II.

It is the representative work of director Nagisa Oshima, the leader of Japan's 'Shochiku Nouvelle Vague', and attracted attention for its casting of unique artists such as David Bowie, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Beat Takeshi. It was submitted to the 36th Cannes Film Festival, and was ranked third in the 1983 Cahiers du Cinema's Film of the Year.

David Bowie, who plays Major Jack Selius, who was taken prisoner, portrays a dangerous free spirit, and Captain Yonoi, played by Ryuichi Sakamoto, is a Japanese military captain who values bushido and honor, and portrays a complex inner self that is attracted to the eccentric Selius. Beat Takeshi's acting, who completed the last famous scene, is worthy of being called his first movie debut.

'Merry Christmas, Mr.' was not easy from the planning stage. Lawrence' became a hot topic on radio and TV in the 1980s when the popularity of David Bowie, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Beat Takeshi was at its peak, and was a huge hit with distribution income of 1 billion yen when it was released in Japan. Ryuichi Sakamoto's first step into film music was 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence' is a classic song that is still loved by many.

The movie 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence' will be specially screened in a digitally remastered version at Art Nine from December 23rd to 25th. The official release is scheduled to take place in the first half of next year.

Reporter Ha-neul Lee, Ten Asia greenworld@tenasia.co.kr