“Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” (戦場のメリークリスマス), 4K Restoration Japanese Re‑Release Movie Poster 2021, B1 Size (c.72.8 × 103 cm)

This is an original Japanese B1 poster printed in 2021 for the nationwide 4K restoration re‑release of Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (戦場のメリークリスマス), directed by Nagisa Ōshima and originally released in 1983. Produced by Oshima Productions and distributed by Shochiku, the film stars David Bowie, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Tom Conti and Takeshi Kitano in a haunting World War II drama set in a Japanese POW camp.

Film background

Adapted from Laurens van der Post’s novels The Seed and the Sower and The Night of the New Moon, the story explores the psychological conflict between British prisoners and their Japanese captors in 1942 Java. Lieutenant Colonel John Lawrence (Conti) serves as interpreter and cultural bridge, caught between the rigid, honour‑bound Captain Yonoi (Sakamoto) and the rebellious Major Jack Celliers (Bowie), whose presence destabilises the camp’s fragile order. Themes of loyalty, shame, desire and cultural misunderstanding run through the film, underscored by Sakamoto’s now‑iconic synth score. The 4K restoration brought Ōshima’s most commercially successful film back to cinemas with newly remastered visuals and sound.

Poster design

The 4K re‑release artwork is bold and contemporary. Against a vivid magenta background, two large photographic portraits dominate the upper half: on the left, Yonoi in full uniform and peaked cap, staring straight ahead with stern, unreadable expression; on the right, Celliers, blond hair and blue eyes strikingly rendered, looks slightly past the viewer. Across their chests runs a gleaming katana, its blade overgrown with lush hibiscus blossoms in shades of red and pink—at once beautiful and threatening, symbolising both tropical setting and violence. The English title “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” appears in elegant script behind them in muted gold, while the Japanese title 「戦場のメリークリスマス」 and “4K修復版” tag sit prominently at the bottom in white and red. Vertical copy to either side trumpets Ōshima’s “biggest hit” and the arrival of the long‑awaited 4K version, making this a striking modern companion to the original 1980s campaign.

This poster is in excellent condition (please refer to the imagery of the exact poster for sale).

It is only a few years old but already an instant collectible.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint. Certificate of Authenticity included.