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CONTENTS
Welcome to Take Four, 4-Tel's mini-
magazine devoted to films. On the
following pages you can find:
- MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR LAWRENCE Bill
Skirrow reviews Nagisa Oshima's
powerful film starring David Bowie
and Tom Conti, which receives its
TV premiere on Wednesday at 10.00pm.
- ANDROID Sophie Walpole takes a look
at tomorrow's oddball science-fiction
thriller. Set in the year 2036 it
stars Klaus Kinski as a mad scientist
working in outer space...
Edited by Michael Polling
More...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon17 Feb C4 9701:11
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A REVIEW OF
MERRY
CHRISTMAS
MR LAWRENCE
FOLLOWS
YOU ARE READING TAKE FOUR ON 4-TEL
P445ORACLE 445 Mon17 Feb C4 1714:22
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REVIEW
MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR LAWRENCE
The final frame of this film is a
portrait of a smiling Japanese face,
the face of a soldier who is about to
be executed by the victorious Allies.
He has learnt to speak a few words of
English and, recalling an incident in
the past, his last wgrds to British
officer Tom Conti are, "Merry Christmas
Mr Lawrence".
The soldier has ruthlessly executed
many prisoners-of-war himself. But we
know that his execution is nothing more
than an act of blind retribution.
More
P445ORACLE 445 Mon17 Feb C4 1712:12
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REVIEW
MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR LAWRENCE
Nagisa Oshima's film concerns the
unquestioning adherence to codes of
behaviour and morality, and the
refusal to understand and accommodate
other cultures and philosophies.
Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence is set in
a Japanese POW camp in Java in 1942.
The Japanese despise the British for
allowing themselves to be dishonouqed
by capture and are further provoked by
the prisoners' thinly concealed
contempt for their values and customs.
More
P445ORACLE 445 Mon17 Feb C4 1712:41
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REVIEW
MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR LAWRENCE
Oshima draws much of the impact of his
film from the way in which he contrasts
and compares the fouq main character1.
Tom Conti plays a British officer who
strives to come to terms with the
Japanese.
His intellectual approach towards
reconciling the cultures of East and
West is overshadowed by David Bowie's
more direct action.
Bowie plays an Australian major, who is
saved from execution by the Japanese
commander.
More
P445ORACLE 445 Mon17 Feb C4 1711:54
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REVIEW
MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR LAWRENCE
Though Bowie refuses to cooperate with
the Japanese, it is he who finally
exposes and breaks down the deeply
rooted prejudices and taboos that
divide the two sides.
And, in doing so, he brings about his
own destruction.
Oshima's use of homosexuality as a
theme is never prurient.
Homosexual love is unacceptable within
the Japanese code of honour, making it
the ideal tool with which to examine
and question that code.
More
P445ORACLE 445 Mon17 Feb C4 1717:31
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REVIEW
MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR LAWRENCE
Ryuichi Sakamoto is excellent as the
young Japanese captain who is torn
between his samurai roots and his love
for David Bowie.
There is an equally powerful
performance from Takeshi as the guard
sergeant who, with Conti's aid, goes
some way towards bridging the gap
between the two cultures.
David Bowie is no actor but his
undeniable charisma means that he can
just about carry off a part that
is more a type than an individual and
let the admirable Conti get on with
the real acting. More
P445ORACLE 445 Mon17 Feb C4 1712:40
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REVIEW
MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR LAWRENCE
There are some unforgettable moments
in Oshima's direction, notably when
Celliers kisses Yonoi.
Ryuichi Sakamoto's music provides a
powerful complement to the images.
There are also aspects of Oshima's film
that simply don't work, such as the
crass symbolism in two flashbacks and
the over-schematic depiction of the
main characters.
The weaknesses are intellectual and
emotional - the strength of this flawed
masterpiece lies in the way it will
move you. By Bill Skirrow
P445ORACLE 445 Mon17 Feb C4 1701:40
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REVEEW
ANDROID
After seeing Blade Runner I decided
that, unlike the hero, I could never
fall for an android.
Well, I've changed my mind, and have
fallen for one who not only likes old
James Stewart movies, trilby hats and
James Brown classics, but he's also
pretty puny.
He's called Max and he's the undouated
star of the film Android, which will
be receiving its television premiere
tomorrow at 9.00pm on Channel 4.
More...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon17 Feb C4 1717:22
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REVIEW
ANDROID
Android is a traditional sci-fi tale,
set on a remote space station where a
dotty scientist (Klaus Kinski, of
course) carries out his experiments
aided only by the android, Max.
While the scientist potters around in
his lab, Max maintains the station,
listening to music and dreaming of what
life must be like on Earth.
When the scientist is warned that his
work is outlawed, all seems lost, until
three convicts invade the station...
Could they possibly help Max find a way
to earth? More >
P445ORACLE 445 Mon17 Feb C4 1712:23
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REVIEW
ANDROID
Klaus Kinski's is the only recognisable
name on the tiny cast list, and he
doesn't really have much to do other
than creep about looking like an inter-
galactic Dr Frankenstein.
Which he does with consummate ease.
The key performance is, however, that
of the android Max, who turns out to be
more human than the humans - a violent
bunch at the best of times.
The credits would have you believe Max
IS an android, but we know otherwise...
and if you want to know who he is, then
press reveal Co-writer Don Opper! More>
P445ORACLE 445 Mon17 Feb C4 1724:42
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REVIEW
ANDROID
Sci-fi film buffs will have great fun
spotting the references - oblique and
direct - to other genre movies, from
which Android draws its inspiration.
Fritz Lang's Metropolis is acknowledged
within the film, for example, and the
idea of rebellious androids, at the
core of Blade Runner, is resurrected.
The low-budget Android lacks the
dazzling visual impact of these films,
but makes up for it in the slow build-
up of violence, and the atmosphere of
suppressed sexuality and violence.
More...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon17 Feb C4 1726:12
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REVIEW
ANDROID
Aaron Lipstadt made an impressive
directorial debut with Android. Many
critics alluded to the similarities in
style to that of Roger Corman, for whom
he had worked as a personal assistant.
But, for me at least, this is a film
much more reminiscent of Dark Star,
not only in its obviously low-budget
sets, but also in itu quirky sense of
humour.
Ultimately this lacks the simple charm
and originality of Dark Star - despite
the engaging Max. But I still find
myself hoping he reaches earth...
Sophie Walpole