Movies Like Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983)

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is a 1983 drama, history, war film from Nagisa Ōshima with a MovieMagicScore of 7.3/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Great Raid and Men Behind the Sun.

Drama History War

The Great Raid

2005

As World War II rages, the elite Sixth Ranger Battalion is given a mission of heroic proportions: push 30 miles behind enemy lines and liberate over 500 American prisoners of war.

6.5

MagicScore

Men Behind the Sun

1988

The film is a graphic depiction of the war atrocities committed by the Japanese at Unit 731, the secret biological weapons experimentation unit of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. The film details the various cruel medical experiments Unit 731 inflicted upon the Chinese and Soviet prisoners at the tail-end of the war.

6.2

MagicScore

Paradise Road

1997

A group of English, American, Dutch and Australian women creates a vocal orchestra while being imprisoned in a Japanese POW camp on Sumatra during World War II.

6.4

MagicScore

The Bridge on the River Kwai

1957

The classic story of English POWs in Burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their Japanese captors. British and American intelligence officers conspire to blow up the structure, but Col. Nicholson, the commander who supervised the bridge's construction, has acquired a sense of pride in his creation and tries to foil their plans.

7.8

MagicScore

Empire of the Sun

1987

Jamie Graham, a privileged English boy, is living in Shanghai when the Japanese invade and force all foreigners into prison camps. Jamie is captured with an American sailor, who looks out for him while they are in the camp together. Even though he is separated from his parents and in a hostile environment, Jamie maintains his dignity and youthful spirit, providing a beacon of hope for the others held captive with him.

7.5

MagicScore

Unbroken

2014

A chronicle of the life of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who was taken prisoner by Japanese forces during World War II.

7.4

MagicScore

Slaughterhouse-Five

1972

Billy Pilgrim, a veteran of the Second World War, finds himself mysteriously detached from time, so that he is able to travel, without being able to help it, from the days of his childhood to those of his peculiar life on a distant planet called Tralfamadore, passing through his bitter experience as a prisoner of war in the German city of Dresden, over which looms the inevitable shadow of an unspeakable tragedy.

6.5

MagicScore

The Thin Red Line

1998

The story of a group of men, an Army Rifle company called C-for-Charlie, who change, suffer, and ultimately make essential discoveries about themselves during the fierce World War II battle of Guadalcanal. It follows their journey, from the surprise of an unopposed landing, through the bloody and exhausting battles that follow, to the ultimate departure of those who survived.

7.4

MagicScore

The Butcher of Prague

2011

Czechoslovakia, 1941. As the war continues, Reich Protector Reinhard Heydrich arrives in Nazi-occupied Prague and establishes a regime of terror that will force freedom fighters to act. But the price to pay will be too high.

6.6

MagicScore

#10

They Were Expendable

1945

After a demonstration of new PT boats, navy brass are still unconvinced of their viability in combat, leaving Lt. "Rusty" Ryan frustrated. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, however, Ryan and his buddy Lt. Brickley are told they can finally take their squadron into battle. The PT boats quickly prove their worth, successfully shooting down Japanese planes, relaying messages between islands, and picking off a multitude of enemy ships.

6.5

MagicScore

#11

The Painted Bird

2019

After losing his parents, a young Jewish boy wanders Eastern Europe, seeking refuge during World War II.

7.1

MagicScore

#12

The Great Escape

1963

The Nazis, exasperated at the number of escapes from their prison camps by a relatively small number of Allied prisoners, relocate them to a high-security 'escape-proof' camp to sit out the remainder of the war. Undaunted, the prisoners plan one of the most ambitious escape attempts of World War II. Based on a true story.

7.9

MagicScore

#13

Suite Française

2015

France, 1940. In the first days of occupation, beautiful Lucile Angellier is trapped in a stifled existence with her controlling mother-in-law as they both await news of her husband: a prisoner of war. Parisian refugees start to pour into their small town, soon followed by a regiment of German soldiers who take up residence in the villagers' own homes. Lucile initially tries to ignore Bruno von Falk, the handsome and refined German officer staying with them. But soon, a powerful love draws them together and leads them into the tragedy of war.

7.2

MagicScore

#14

A Town Like Alice

1956

In 1941 Malaysia, the advancing Japanese army captures a lot of British territory very quickly. The men are sent off to labor camps, but they have no plan on what to do with the women and children of the British.

6.3

MagicScore

#15

The Caine Mutiny

1954

When a US Naval captain shows signs of mental instability that jeopardize his ship, the first officer relieves him of command and faces court martial for mutiny.

7.2

MagicScore

#16

Tora! Tora! Tora!

1970

In the summer of 1941, the United States and Japan seem on the brink of war after constant embargos and failed diplomacy come to no end. "Tora! Tora! Tora!", named after the code words used by the lead Japanese pilot to indicate they had surprised the Americans, covers the days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, which plunged America into the Second World War.

7.1

MagicScore

#17

Flags of Our Fathers

2006

There were five Marines and one Navy Corpsman photographed raising the U.S. flag on Mt. Suribachi by Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945. This is the story of three of the six surviving servicemen - John 'Doc' Bradley, Pvt. Rene Gagnon and Pvt. Ira Hayes - who fought in the battle to take Iwo Jima from the Japanese.

6.9

MagicScore

#18

Midway

1976

This war drama depicts the U.S. and Japanese forces in the naval Battle of Midway, which became a turning point for Americans during World War II.

6.6

MagicScore

#19

Fires on the Plain

1959

In the closing days of WWII, a Japanese soldier afflicted with tuberculosis is abandoned by his company and left to wander the Philippine island of Leyte.

7.6

MagicScore

#20

Letters from Iwo Jima

2006

The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.

7.5

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence?

The top films similar to Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence by MovieMagicScore are The Great Raid (6.5), Men Behind the Sun (6.2), Paradise Road (6.4). Each shares drama/history/war themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence worth watching?

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.3/10 from 497 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence?

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) is a drama, history, war film directed by Nagisa Ōshima, starring David Bowie, Tom Conti, Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Where can I find more recommendations like Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more drama recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like The Great Raid Movies like Men Behind the Sun Movies like Paradise Road Movies like The Bridge on the River Kwai Movies like Empire of the Sun Movies like Unbroken

About movies like Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

This ranked list pairs Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), a drama and history and war film from Nagisa Ōshima, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of David Bowie take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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