In this captivating, skewed World War II drama, David Bowie regally embodies Celliers, a British officer interned by the Japanese as a POW. In his feature film acting debut, composer Ryuichi Sakamoto plays the camp commander, obsessed with the mysterious blond major, while Tom Conti is the British lieutenant colonel Lawrence, who tries to bridge the emotional and language divides between captor and prisoner. Also featuring actor-director Takeshi Kitano in his first dramatic role, MERRY CHRISTMAS MR. LAWRENCE is a multilayered, brutal, at times erotic tale of culture clash, and one of Ôshima’s greatest successes, set to Sakamoto’s hypnotic score. (Janus Films)