The movie Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (starring David Bowie) was filmed in New Zealand and the Cook Islands in 1982.
The Cook Islands has long
been a favoured place to make movies because of things like accommodation,
location, the New Zealand dollar and the availability of cheap casting
for extras.
Left: Te Manga, Rarotonga's highest peak. Right: Location of the Cook Islands.
'The Seed and The Sower'
The film was based on an acclaimed book - The Seed and The Sower (1963) - by Laurens van der Post, a South African who had experience as a prisoner of war in World War II.
The book itself is something of a masterpiece and it may even reveal a bit more of the story.
Above: Different editions of the book. The larger pics are from the 1983 Penguin release printed in Australia with David Bowie as 'Jack Celliers' on the cover. Bottom right is a 2004 edition.
Genesis of the Film
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence was directed by Nagisa Oshima - one of Japan's best known and accomplished directors. Oshima also wrote the initial script.
David
Bowie's involvement began as early as 1980 when he was approached by Oshima with a view to star in his next movie - a proposition that held immediate attraction for Bowie.
After Oshima saw Bowie perform The Elephant Man on Broadway, the two sealed the deal to work together.
"I knew immediately that he was Celliers. He has an inner spirit that is indestructible, and that is what Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence is all about. The inner human spirit that war cannot touch".
~ Nagisa Oshima
Bowie and director Nagisha Oshima. Left image from the Serious Moonlight tour book - you can read a bit more about Oshima's t-shirt on Ramona Leigh's page.
Revision
Although Bowie was to focus only on his acting, he did make an initial suggestion that the script needed revision.
This led to the involvement of co-writer Paul Mayersberg - the same man who tailored the screenplay for The Man Who Fell To Earth.
Controversy
Unfortunately, the project took some time to get off the ground.
Oshima's award winning Ai No Corrida (In The Realm of The Senses) had already sparked a famous Japanese obscenity trial in 1976.
Just as that film
had been rejected by Japanese backers and eventually produced with French money, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence with it's homosexual subtext and unflattering portrayal of Japanese wartime atrocities, was forced into postponement while Oshima found finance in England and New Zealand.
Commencing The Film
Finally in 1982 after Oshima won a court case over In The Realm of The Senses, he was ready to begin filming in Rarotonga (Cook Islands) and so he contacted Bowie with only 3 weeks notice.
"I'd just finished The Hunger and the last thing I wanted to do was make a movie" recalled Bowie.
"I just wanted to have a holiday. So I took advantage and took my holiday in the South Pacific. I got to know the islands pretty well before Oshima got there with the crew, so by the time everyone arrived I felt pretty much as if I'd been on the island for some time, which, in fact, I was supposed to have been in my role."
~ David Bowie
Shooting of the film occurred over seven weeks - five in the Cook Islands and later, a further two weeks New Zealand. Most of the European
casting was done in New Zealand
Image sent in by Selwyn from Auckland
Jack Celliers
Bowie described his character, Jack Celliers, as "an English educated New Zealand major - one of the sub heroes of the plot".
The point of Jack's nationality has confused viewers because of the variations of accents heard in the film but also because of Bowie's slouch hat which is often mistaken as an Australian hat.
In fact, the hat is the type worn by units of the British Army in India. This also apparently confused the Japanese
in Burma and led to reports that they were fighting Australians there!
Images sent in by Selwyn from Auckland
Regarding the character, Bowie felt that a substantial skeleton was already hatched together in The Elephant Man, however, there was still a good amount of freedom which was a strong point of the director Oshima.
Prior to Bowie, the role of Celliers had allegedly been turned down by Robert Redford. Bowie then came to Oshima's attention following his appearance in a Japanese saki commercial (the project that prompted the song Crystal Japan).
Images sent in by Selwyn from Auckland
Wanganui
Filming on the New Zealand mainland took place at Waganui Collegiate - an independent, coeducational, day and boarding secondary school near the south end of NZ's North Island.
At the college, a notable element is the 'big building' which was architecturally perfect in depicting Cellier's 1920s-era education.
Left: Location of Wanganui, the city. Right: Historic image of Wanganui Collegiate - depicted in 1912.
The specific scenes were 'flash backs' to Cellier's childhood in which a 35 year old Bowie portrayed a 17 year old school boy!
Interview
Whilst Bowie was in New Zealand, the following
interview was screened on national TV. This apparently took place at Auckland Railway Station and was divided fairly equally between movie and music work:
Videos contributed by TJN World Enterprises.
Ribald Revue
At the end of shooting, Bowie staged what was described as a "deliberately rude but hilarious musical" for the cast and crue. Everyone parted friends.
Cannes Film Festival
Located in the south of France, Cannes is home to the world's oldest, most influential and prestigious film festival.
Cannes: In addition to being a showcase for upcoming films, the non-public festival is typically attended by movie stars. Above are David Bowie, Nagasi Oshima, Ryuichi Sakamoto and possibly Paul Mayersberg (?) at Cannes. Images from Teenage Widlife.
