Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983)

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Yonoi

Photos 

Quotes 

• Yonoi : To be or not to be, that is the question, Major Celliers.

• Yonoi : Why do you not fight me? If you defeat me, you will be free!

• Col. John Lawrence : Captain Yonoi, please try to understand. Group Captain Hicksley is an honorable man.

  Yonoi : They are all, all honorable men. As commanding officer, I prefer another honorable man.

• Yonoi : What did you say?

  Maj. Jack Celliers : I said I thought they were crackers.

  Yonoi : What?

  Maj. Jack Celliers : I said I thought they were mad!

• Yonoi : What kind of a man is he? Is he a close friend of yours?

  Col. John Lawrence : No. He's not a close friend, no.

  Yonoi : What kind of a soldier is he?

  Col. John Lawrence : Oh, he's a fine soldier. We had a nickname for him in the 8th Army. We called him straffer Jack. Straffer is a kind of, um, it's very difficult to translate. Straffer is, um, it is astonishingly difficult sometimes. Um, in any case, he was a soldier's soldier.

• Group Capt. Hicksley : I am not required under International Law to furnish the enemy with any information.

  Yonoi : This is not North Africa. We are not Germans! There is no Geneva Convention here.

• Yonoi : Who do you think you are? Are you an evil spirit?

  Maj. Jack Celliers : Yes, and one of yours I hope.

• Yonoi : If you didn't do it, who did? We must punish someone!

  Col. John Lawrence : But why? Would you rather punish the wrong man, than see the crime itself go unsolved? And unpunished!

  Yonoi : Yes.

  Col. John Lawrence : You mean I'm to die because you think if there's a crime then it must be punished? And it doesn't matter who is punished?

  Yonoi : Yes.

• Col. John Lawrence : So I'm to die to preserve your sense of order.

  Yonoi : Yes. You understand, Lawrence. You must die for me.

  Col. John Lawrence : I understand. But, I won't die for you!

• Yonoi : As punishment for today, you're confined to quarters until your departure.

  Sgt. Gengo Hara : Yes.

  Yonoi : Without sake.

• Yonoi : Do you think you can get away with such as obvious lie?

  Group Capt. Hicksley : I'm told it is the Japanese way to lie, sir.

• Col. John Lawrence : Would you rather punish the wrong man, than see the crime go unsolved and unpunished?

  Yonoi : Yes.

  Col. John Lawrence : You mean *I'm* to die, because you think if there's a crime, then it must be punished... and it doesn't matter *who* is punished?

  Yonoi : Yes!

  Col. John Lawrence : [a bit incredulous, starts to laugh]  You're not by any chance a Gilbert & Sullivan fan, are you?