The Last Emperor (1987)

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers:

Mark Peploe (writer) and
Bernardo Bertolucci (writer)

Release Date:

18 December 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

He was the Lord of Ten Thousand Years, the absolute monarch of China. He was born to rule a world of ancient tradition. Nothing prepared him for our world of change.

Plot:

The story of the final Emperor of China.

Plot Keywords:

Abdication | Foot Sex | Title In Title | Tour | Wet Nurse

Awards:

Won 9 Oscars. Another 39 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

John Lone	...	Emperor Pu Yi / Henry
Joan Chen	...	Empress Wan Jung / Elizabeth
Peter O'Toole	...	Reginald F. 'R. J.' Johnston
Ruocheng Ying	...	Governor of Detention Center (as Ying Ruocheng)
Victor Wong	...	Chen Pao Shen
Dennis Dun	...	Big Li
Ryuichi Sakamoto	...	Amakasu
Maggie Han	...	Eastern Jewel
Ric Young	...	Interrogator
Vivian Wu	...	Wen Hsiu (as Wu Jun Mei)
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa	...	Chang (as Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa)
Jade Go	...	Ar Mo
Fumihiko Ikeda	...	Yoshioka
Richard Vuu	...	Pu Yi - Age 3
Tsou Tijger	...	Pu Yi - Age 8 (as Tijger Tsou)

Also Known As:

Dernier empereur, Le (France)
Modai huangi (China: Cantonese title)
Ultimo imperatore, L' (Italy)

Runtime:

160 min | 219 min (director's cut)

Country:

China | UK | France | Italy

Language:

English | Mandarin | Japanese

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

UK:15 (director's cut) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Brazil:14 | Iceland:12 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (1999) | Germany:12 (director's cut) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Germany:12 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-11 (re-rating) | Finland:K-14 (original rating) | France:U | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:12 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Netherlands:12 (director's cut)

Filming Locations:

Beijing Studios, Beijing, China

Company:

Yanco Films Limited

Trivia:

The China Film Co-Production Corporation provided their studios and unlimited extras in exchange for domestic distribution rights.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the scene where Johnston and Pu Yi say "farewell" to each other and as the musicians appear and follow Johnston, reflections are visible in such a way that indicate that the scene was actually shot through the glass of a pre-existing structure. The reflections are not consistent with anything else in the shot.

Quotes:

The Governor: All your life you thought you were better than everyone else. Now you think you're the worst of all!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Saving Face (2004)

Soundtrack:

KAISER WALZER

Excellent, if not emotionally confusing, film.

I'd like to comment on the "The Last Emperor" from a somewhat oblique angle compared to the usual reviews a film gets.

For starters, it is my opinion that this was a really good film to watch. It also spurred me into researching a little more Chinese, as well as Japanese, history. I think I should note here, there are some great books to research on the life of Pu Yi. There is in fact a book; "Twilight In The Forbidden City" by Reginald F. Johnston as well as "From Emperor to Citizen" an autobiography by Pu Yi himself. I'll list some titles and where to find them at the end of my "comment".

This "oblique" angle that I'd like to take is on the emotional impact of the film.

While I found the film informative and well made, I also found it conveyed an emotional emptiness, and maybe even sadness. I was distraught at the end of the film. In short: It made me feel that here is a man who was somebody, and at the end of his life he has nothing. He lost everything he ever had, and died alone.

While everyone may get something different from the film, they undoubtedly will find similarities with other viewers as well. I almost wish some creative license were taken to end the film on a happier note.

Although, I found it sad, solemn, and many times it made me feel just empty like I wasn't sure what to feel but I wanted anything to fill the emptiness, I also found it compelling. Not many other films have so made me want to learn more about the history, and people in a film.

That's my review. And as a final note: while my review may have had a somewhat down tone to it and may have even left some people feeling like the review is a bit empty or unfinished, I also hope it compelled people to think a little differently about "The Last Emperor" and maybe even spur some of you to do a little of your own research on the people and places in the film.

Books:

Twilight In The Forbidden City by Reginald F. Johnston ISBN: 0848813901

From Emperor To Citizen by Pu Yi ISBN: 7119007726

The Last Emperor by Arnold C. Brackman ISBN: 0881847003

The Last Emperor by Edward Behr ISBN: 0553344749

The Puppet Emperor: The Life of Pu Yi, Last Emperor of China by Brian Power ISBN: 0876634587