Academy Award-winning composer Sakamoto both starred in and scored the 1983 film
In 1983, David Bowie and Ryuichi Sakamoto (celebrated composer and Yellow Magic Orchestra member) starred in the film Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. Directed by Nagisa Ôshima, the film follows a British soldier (played by Bowie) in a Japanese prison camp during World War II. Sakamoto played a young soldier at the camp who develops an intimate relationship with Bowie’s character. Sakamoto also composed the film’s score, which won the 1983 BAFTA Award for Best Film Music.
Milan Records will reissue Sakamoto’s score on October 21. It is the latest release in Milan’s Nicolas Winding Refn Presents series. Previous releases in the series includes Disasterpeace’s It Follows OST and Brad Fiedel’s The Terminator OST. Below you can find the score’s tracklist, as well as the reissue’s artwork, designed by Laurent Durieux.
Milan will also release Sakamoto’s recent score for Yoji Yamada’s film Nagasaki: Memories of My Son on September 23. Go hereto listen to one of the score’s tracks, “Ghost.”
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence:
01 Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence
02 Batavia
03 Germination
04 A Hearty Breakfast
05 Before The War
06 The Seed and The Sower
07 A Brief Encounter
08 Ride, Ride, Ride (Cellier’s Brother’s Song)
09 The Fight
10 Father Christmas
11 Dismissed
12 Assembly
13 Beyond Reason
14 Sowing The Seed
15 23rd Psalm
16 Last Regrets
17 Ride, Ride, Ride
18 The Seed
19 Forbidden Colors (vocals by David Sylvian)
Watch Ryuichi Sakamoto perform “Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence” below:
Ryuichi Sakamoto- ‘Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence’
4.5