Ryuichi Sakamoto, one of Japan’s most influential and beloved composers, has passed away at 71 from cancer. The news broke on Twitter via the composer’s recording company:
— commmons (@commmons) April 2, 2023
Sakamoto had a long, legendary career as a composer, famously winning an Oscar for his score to Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor. Sakamoto, who was a major celebrity in Japan, also co-starred in the film, as well as another movie he composed a famous soundtrack for, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, which starred David Bowie. In that one, Sakamoto gave a well-received performance as a Japanese POW camp commander during WW2 who develops an unrequited romantic obsession with Bowie’s heroic POW.
Additionally, Sakamoto also composed music for Martin Scorsese’s Silence, The Revenant, Snake Eyes, Femme Fatale, and even the recent Netflix thriller Beckett. Recently, he also wrote the theme for A24’s After Yang, which starred Colin Farrell.
While Sakamoto is a household name in Japan, his effect on the soundtrack community was worldwide, with him pioneering the use of synthesizers in film music. While Vangelis and Tangerine Dream are often considered the pioneers of that genre, Sakamoto shouldn’t be overlooked. His score for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence is an all-timer. Given that it’s a period film, you wouldn’t expect it to have such a synth-driven score, but it gives the movie a unique, avant-garde vibe. It’s arguably David Bowie’s best work as an actor on-screen (with him playing a rare heroic character – typically, he played villains), and Sakamoto, in addition to his score, delivered an excellent performance opposite him as well. Sakamoto also had a major pop hit with the song “Forbidden Colors”, which is actually the unforgettable, haunting theme for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, with a pop vocal by David Sylvian. If you want to check out Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence or The Last Emperor, both are currently streaming on the Criterion Channel.