DVD/BLU-RAY GIVEAWAY 3 Japanese Film Favourites

Courtesy of Studiocanal, one very lucky reader will win their new Double Play (featuring both a DVD and Blu-ray) versions of Japanese film classics Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, Empire Of Passion and In The Realm Of The Senses, which are all set for release on 17^th October 2011. All three feature a host of exciting special features.

Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence

In 1942, British soldier Jack Celliers (David Bowie) comes to a Japanese prison camp. The camp is run by Yonoi (Ryûichi Sakamoto), who has a firm belief in discipline, honour and glory. In Yonoi’s view, the allied prisoners are all cowards after choosing to surrender in the war instead of committing suicide. When one of the prisoners, interpreter John Lawrence (Tom Conti), tries to explain the Japanese way of thinking, he is considered a traitor. Also starring Takeshi Kitano.

Empire Of Passion

Directed by Nagisa Ôshima. A young man has an affair with an older woman. He is jealous of her husband and together they decide that they should kill him. One night, after the husband drinks plenty of sake and gets into bed, they strangle him and dump his body down a well. To avert any suspicions, the woman pretends that her husband has gone to Tokyo for work. For three years the wife and her lover secretly see each other until finally, suspicions become very strong and people begin to gossip. To make matters worse, her husband’s ghost begins to haunt her and the law arrives to investigate her husband’s disappearance.

In The Realm Of The Senses

Written and directed by Nagisa Ôshima. Based on a true story set in pre-war Japan, a man and one of his servants begin a torrid affair. Their desire becomes a sexual obsession so strong that to intensify their ardour, they forsake all, even life itself. In The Realm of the Senses has been passed uncut by the BBFC for the first time.

For your chance to win, you need to post a brief comment on our facebook page here (under the preview titled ‘THE BEST OF JAPAN’) telling us what your favourite Japanese film is and why. We will select the winner at random on 28^th October 2011. In addition, the first 3 people who can get 10 new people to like our facebook page and click like on their comment will also win a surprise DVD.