Movie

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

“Java, 1942 — A clash of cultures, a test of the human spirit.”

★ 7.3(529)19832h 4m

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is available to rent or buy on blue TV, Apple TV Store and UPC TV in Switzerland. It isn't on a subscription streaming service there yet. Availability checked 22 July 2026.

Where to watch Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

🇨🇭 Switzerland

Good to know

Director: Nagisa Ōshima
Release date: 1983-05-28
Runtime: 2h 4m
Language: English
Box office: $2,306,560
Status: Released
Country: Japan
Studio: Recorded Picture Company

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence — trailer

About Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is a 1983 movie in the Drama, History and War genres, directed by Nagisa Ōshima, starring David Bowie, Tom Conti and Ryuichi Sakamoto. It has a runtime of 2 hours 4 minutes. It holds an average rating of 7.3/10 from 529 viewers. Below you can see where to watch Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence in Switzerland — across streaming, rental and purchase options — along with the full cast, trailer and viewer reviews.

Synopsis

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.

Cast

David Bowie

Celliers

Tom Conti

Lawrence

Ryuichi Sakamoto

Yonoi

Takeshi Kitano

Hara

Jack Thompson

Hicksley

Johnny Ohkura

Kanemoto

Alistair Browning

De Jong

James Malcolm

Celliers' Brother

Chris Broun

Celliers (12 Years)

Yuya Uchida

Commandant of Military Prison

Ryūnosuke Kaneda

President of the Court

Takashi Naito

Lieutenant Iwata

Themes & keywords

based on novel or bookwar crimesworld war iiprisoner of warpacific warcourt martialprison campmeditative1940sjava, indonesiadepressingcomplicateddistressingfrustrated

Frequently asked questions

Where can I watch Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence in Switzerland?+

In Switzerland, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is available to rent or buy on blue TV, Apple TV Store and UPC TV. It isn't on a subscription streaming service there right now.

Is Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence on Netflix?+

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is not on Netflix in Switzerland right now.

How long is Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence?+

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence has a runtime of 2 hours 4 minutes (124 minutes).

Who stars in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence?+

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence stars David Bowie, Tom Conti, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Takeshi Kitano and Jack Thompson.

When did Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence come out?+

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is a 1983 movie directed by Nagisa Ōshima.

What genre is Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence?+

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is Drama, History and War film.

Who directed Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence?+

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence was directed by Nagisa Ōshima.