The Last Emperor (1987)

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers:

Mark Peploe (screenplay) and
Bernardo Bertolucci (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 December 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

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:

Emperor | China | Forbidden City | Abdication | Japanese

Awards:

Won 9 Oscars. Another 43 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

John Lone	...	Pu Yi - Adult
Joan Chen	...	Wan Jung
Peter O'Toole	...	Reginald 'R. J.' Johnston
Ruocheng Ying	...	The Governor (as Ying Ruocheng)
Victor Wong	...	Chen Pao Shen
Dennis Dun	...	Big Li
Ryûichi 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 - 3 Years
Tsou Tijger	...	Pu Yi - 8 Years (as Tijger Tsou)
Tao Wu	...	Pu Yi - 15 Years (as Wu Tao)
Guang Fan	...	Pu Chieh - Adult (as Fan Guang)
Henry Kyi	...	Pu Chieh - 7 Years
Alvin Riley III	...	Pu Chieh - 14 Years
Lisa Lu	...	Tzu Hsui
Hideo Takamatsu	...	General Ishikari
Hajime Tachibana	...	Japanese Translator
Basil Pao	...	Prince Chun
Henry O	...	Lord Chamberlain (as Jiang Xi Ren)
Kaige Chen	...	Captain of Imperial Guard (as Chen Kai Ge)
Liangbin Zhang	...	Big Foot (as Zhang Liangbin)
Wenjie Huang	...	Hunchback (as Huang Wenjie)
Dong Liang	...	Lady Aisin-Gioro (as Liang Dong)
Zhendong Dong	...	Old Doctor (as Dong Zhendong)
Jiechen Dong	...	Doctor (as Dong Jiechen)
Constantine Gregory	...	Oculist
Huaikuei Soong	...	Lung Yu (as Soong Huaikuei)
Ruzhen Shao	...	First High Consort (as Shao Ruzhen)
Li Yu	...	Second High Consort
Guangli Li	...	Third High Consort (as Li Guangli)
Chunqing Xu	...	Grey Eyes
Tianmin Zhang	...	Old Tutor (as Zhang Tianmin)
Hongnian Luo	...	Sleeping Old Tutor (as Luo Hongnian)
Shihong Yu	...	Hsiao Hsiu (as Yu Shihong)
Jun Wu	...	Wen Hsiu - 12 Years (as Wu Jun)
Lucia Hwong	...	Lady of the Book
Jingping Cui	...	Lady of the Pen (as Cui Jingping)
Shi Liang	...	Republican Officer (as Wu Hai)
Junguo Gu	...	Tang (as Gu Junguo)
Xu Tongrui	...	Captain of Feng's Army
Fusheng Li	...	Minister of Trade (as Li Fusheng)
Shu Chen	...	Chang Chinghui (as Chen Shu)
Shuyan Cheng	...	Lady Hiro Saga (as Cheng Shuyan)
Daxing Zhang	...	Tough Warder (as Zhang Daxing)
Ruigang Zu	...	Second Warder (as Zu Ruigang)
Yuan Jin	...	Party Boss (as Jin Yuan)
Akira Ikuta	...	Japanese Doctor
Michael Vermaaten	...	American
Matthew Spender	...	Englishman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hongxiang Cai	...	Scarface (uncredited)
Xinmin Cui	...	Japanese Bodyguard (uncredited)
Zhenduo Li	...	Dignitary (uncredited)
Shigang Luo	...	Chang Chinghui's Secretary (uncredited)
Guang Ma	...	Japanese Bodyguard (uncredited)
Biao Wang	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Baozong Yang	...	General Yuan Shikai (uncredited)
Hongchang Yang	...	Scribe (uncredited)
Lingmu Zhang	...	Emperor Hirohito (uncredited)

Directed by
Bernardo Bertolucci

Writing credits
Mark Peploe		(screenplay) and
Bernardo Bertolucci		(screenplay)
Enzo Ungari		(initial screenplay collaboration)
Henry Pu-yi		(autobiography "From Emperor to Citizen, The Autobiography of Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi") uncredited

Produced by
John Daly	....	executive producer
Franco Giovale	....	associate producer
Joyce Herlihy	....	associate producer: UK
Jeremy Thomas	....	producer

Original Music by
David Byrne
Ryûichi Sakamoto
Cong Su

Cinematography by
Vittorio Storaro		(photography)

Film Editing by
Gabriella Cristiani

Casting by
Joanna Merlin

Production Design by
Ferdinando Scarfiotti

Art Direction by
Maria-Teresa Barbasso		(as Maria Teresa Barbasso)
Gianni Giovagnoni
Gianni Silvestri

Set Decoration by
Chunpu Wang		(as Wang Chunpu)

Costume Design by
James Acheson

Makeup Department
Ennio Cascioli	....	assistant hair stylist
Iole Cecchini	....	hair designer
Elisabetta De Leonardis	....	assistant hair stylist
Giancarlo De Leonardis	....	hair designer
Franco Giannini	....	makeup assistant
Feng Guixiang	....	makeup artist
Antonio Maltempo	....	makeup assistant
Fabrizio Sforza	....	makeup artist
Gino Zamprioli	....	makeup assistant
Wanxiang Zhang	....	makeup artist
Giancarlo De Leonardis	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Stefano Bolzoni	....	production manager
Mario Cotone	....	production supervisor
Richard Lloyd	....	post-production supervisor (tv version)
Lamberto Palmieri	....	production manager
Alberto Passone	....	production manager
Pietro Sassaroli	....	production manager
Michael Saxton	....	post-production supervisor
Attilio Viti	....	production manager
Liansheng Wang	....	associate production manager (as Wang Liansheng)
Kebing Yang	....	associate production manager (as Yang Kebing)
Yumin Zhang	....	associate production manager (as Zhang Yuming)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Franco Angeli	....	third assistant director
Serena Canevari	....	second assistant director
Fabien Gerard	....	third assistant director (as Fabian Gerard)
Lou Hangmin	....	assistant director
Li Hongsheng	....	assistant director
Giulio Levi	....	third assistant director
Ying Ning	....	third assistant director (as Ning Ying)
Basil Pao	....	third assistant director
Nicoletta Peyran	....	third assistant director
Gabriele Polverosi	....	first assistant director
Biao Wang	....	assistant director (as Wang Biao)

Art Department
Sante Barelli	....	special set paintings
Bruno Cesari	....	set dresser
Osvaldo Desideri	....	set dresser
Galliano Donati	....	sculptor
Roberto Magagnini	....	props
Carlo Maggi	....	head plasterer
Dario Micheli	....	set dresser
Zhu Jin Ming	....	property (as Zhu Ming)
Barnaba Pagliarini	....	drapery
Cynthia Sleiter	....	draughtswoman
Boriana Soong	....	art department assistant
Fernando Valento	....	construction manager
Jixian Wang	....	art designer (as Wang Jixian)
Zhang Xianchun	....	property
Xu Xianqing	....	property
Andy Friend	....	illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Don Banks	....	boom operator
Alan Bell	....	dialogue editor
Geoff R. Brown	....	dialogue assistant (as Geoff Brown)
Terry Busby	....	sound editor: footsteps
Mike Hopkins	....	dialogue editor
David Motta	....	sound engineer
William Parnell	....	sound assistant (as Bill Parnell)
Bill Rowe	....	sound mixer
Ivan Sharrock	....	sound mixer
Les Wiggins	....	sound editor
Colin Wood	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Gino De Rossi	....	special effects
Fabrizio Martinelli	....	special effects
Jinguo Yang	....	special effects (as Yang Jingguo)
Mario Cassar	....	special effects technician (uncredited)
Claudio Quaglietti	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Shulamit Levin	....	digital restoration (2007 restored version)
Craig Chandler	....	optical effects (uncredited)
Alan Church	....	optical effects (uncredited)
Tony Willis	....	effects cameraman (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Giuseppe Alberti	....	focus puller
Luigi Bernardini	....	focus puller
Filippo Cafolla	....	head gaffer
Sean Herlihy	....	camera assistant
Alfredo Marchetti	....	head grip (as Alredo Marchetti)
Mauro Marchetti	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Angelo Novi	....	still photographer
Nicola Pecorini	....	steadicam operator
Enrico Umetelli	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Riccardo Umetelli	....	loader
Zhenhua Wang	....	lighting (as Wang Zhenghua)
Fabio Zamarion	....	loader
Ni Zhongze	....	lighting
Keith Hamshere	....	special photographer (uncredited)
Stefano Marino	....	electrician (uncredited)
Rob McEwan	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Mauro Pezzotti	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Brendan Donnison	....	adr casting (as Brendon Donnison)
Alice Jankowiak	....	casting assistant
Ulrike Koch	....	casting: China
Patricia Pao	....	casting: Hong Kong
Nina Axelrod	....	casting assistant (uncredited)
Daxing Zhang	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Martin Adams	....	costume prop maker
Franco Antonelli	....	wardrobe coordinator
Vincenzo Cancellara	....	wardrobe assistant
Thomas Casterline	....	assistant costume designer
Damiana Celletti	....	wardrobe assistant
Silvana Cocuccione	....	wardrobe assistant (as Silvana Cocuccioni)
Shirley Cooper	....	costume prop maker
Millina Deodato	....	assistant military costume designer
Anna Foresi	....	wardrobe assistant
Magot Forster	....	costume applique work
Frank Gardiner	....	assistant costume designer
Annie Hadley	....	cutter
Gilly Hebden	....	assistant costume designer
Michael Jones	....	milliner
Colette Koo	....	assistant costume designer (as Collette Koo)
Teresa Micocci	....	cutter
Day Murch	....	costume applique work
Paola Pedricca	....	wardrobe assistant (as Paola Petricca)
Ugo Pericoli	....	military costumer
Gregorio Simili	....	dyer
Huanxiang Sun	....	costumer (as Sun Huanxiang)
David Whiteing	....	wardrobe assistant
Gong Zhangjing	....	costumer
Giancarlo Colis	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Martin Crane	....	first assistant editor
Fiorella Giovanelli	....	second assistant editor
Mike Griffiths	....	telecine colorist (television version)
Catherine Hodgson	....	second assistant editor
Carlo La Bella	....	color supervisor
Aldo Manni	....	negative cutter
Nadia Mazzoni	....	second assistant editor
Elvio Sordoni	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Haydn Bendall	....	music engineer: London (as Hayden Bendall)
Aki Ikuta	....	music producer: London
Aki Ikuta	....	musical associate: Tokyo
Michael Jarratt	....	music engineer: London (as Mike Jarratt)
Clive Martin	....	music engineer: David Byrne's sessions
Michio Nakagoshi	....	music engineer: Tokyo
Yuji Nomi	....	additional music arranger: Tokyo
Masatsugu Shinozaki	....	musician
Ian Silvester	....	music engineer: Audio FX, London
Shigeru Takise	....	music engineer: Tokyo
Koji Ueno	....	additional music arranger: Tokyo
Ray Williams	....	music supervisor
Gavin Wright	....	conductor: London
Hans Zimmer	....	music producer: London (as Hans F. Zimmer)
Hans Zimmer	....	musical associate: London (as Hans F. Zimmer)
Gemma Dempsey	....	assistant music supervisor (uncredited)
Greg Fulginiti	....	music engineer (uncredited)
Paul Kegg	....	musician: cello (uncredited)

Other crew
Verena Baldeo	....	production assistant
Cicely Berry	....	dialogue coach
Maurice Binder	....	title designer: main title
Lizzie Bryant	....	secretary to producer
Rubin Cai	....	organizer: Beijing Film Studio (as Cai Rubin)
Andrew Calvert	....	computer operator
Riccardo Caneva	....	accountant
Concetta Caporale	....	production secretary
Anita Capozzi	....	interpreter
Fausto Capozzi	....	accountant
Marco Carosi	....	video
Hazel Crombie	....	production accountant
Sheala Daniell	....	assistant production accountant
Michael Day	....	interpreter
Sevilla Delofski	....	assistant to producer
Gianna Di Michele	....	accountant (as Gianna De Micheli)
Suzanne Durrenberger	....	continuity
Susanna Ferrari	....	interpreter
Sergio Forcina	....	armourer
Giovanna Fulvi	....	interpreter
Juliet Garland	....	computer operator
Vanessa Goddard	....	publicity coordinator
Marina Grappelli	....	accountant
Maurizio Graziosi	....	accountant
Constantine Gregory	....	dialogue coach
Massimo Iacobis	....	production assistant (as Massimo Jacobis)
Aisin Gioro Pu Jie	....	advisor
Sara Keene	....	director of publicity
Mary Lance	....	documentary film researcher
Memo Mancino	....	armourer
Carlo Pasini	....	production secretary
Cloe Peploe	....	historical research
Manuela Pineskj	....	production coordinator (as Manuela Pineskj Berger)
Guoburou Run Qi	....	advisor
Ann Roddy	....	interpreter
Daniel Shallon	....	assistant continuity
Shirley Sun	....	production consultant
Betty Swinburne	....	accounts secretary
Ron Swinburne	....	financial controller
Cinzia Taffani	....	production secretary
Luciano Tartaglia	....	accountant
Ann Tasker	....	unit publicist
Riccardo Umetelli	....	screenings operator
Li Wenda	....	advisor
Aisin Gioro Wen Xin	....	advisor
Chunqing Xu	....	representative: China Film Co-Production Corporation (as Xu Chunquing)
Federica Zappalà	....	accountant (as Federica Zappala)
Aisin Gioro Yu Zhan	....	advisor
Liangbin Zhang	....	representative: China Film Co-Production Corporation (as Zhang Lianbin)
Monica Zucchetti	....	interpreter
Pauline Hume	....	graphic artist: titles (uncredited)
Lee Katz	....	production consultant (uncredited)

Thanks
Gemma Dempsey	....	many thanks
Brian Gülland	....	many thanks
Jean Pasqualini	....	special thanks: author of 'Prisoner of Mao'
Keiko Shinozaki	....	many thanks
Hiroaki Sugawara	....	many thanks

Production Companies

• Recorded Picture Company (RPC)
• Hemdale Film
• Yanco Films Limited
• TAO Film
• Screenframe (in association with)
• AAA Soprofilms (in association with)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia-Cannon-Warner (1987) (UK) (theatrical)
• Acteurs Auteurs Associés (AAA) (1987) (France) (theatrical)
• Jugendfilm-Verleih (1987) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (1987) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Shochiku Company (1988) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Shochiku Home Video (1989) (Japan) (VHS)
• Artisan Entertainment (1998) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Artisan Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Second Sight Films (1999) (UK) (DVD)
• EuroVideo (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• DNC Home Entertainment (2003) (Italy) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Optimum Releasing (2004) (UK) (all media) (director's cut)
• Shochiku Home Video (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
• Impuls Home Entertainment (2006) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (all media)
• Columbia Pictures of Canada (1987) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Nea Kinisi (1987) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Emerald (2010) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (198?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Leader Music (2012) (Argentina) (DVD) (as Leader Vision)
• Nea Kinisi Video (1989) (Greece) (VHS)
• Nelson Entertainment
• Opening Distribution (France)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (video) (VOD)

Special Effects

• Prime Focus World (3D conversion)

Other Companies

• Abbey Road Studios  music recorded and mixed at: London
• Auto D'Epoca M.G.M.  vintage cars
• Beijing Film Studio  interpreters assisted by
• C.T.S. Studios  music recorded and mixed at: London
• Cartier  many thanks
• China Film Co-Production Corporation  interpreters assisted by
• Completion Bond Company  completion guarantee
• Creditanstalt - Bankverein  financed by
• David Jamison Prints Ltd.  fabric printing (as David Jameson & Partners)
• Di Maurizio Maggio  vintage cars
• Ditta De Cecco, La  many thanks
• Ditta Lavazza, La  many thanks
• EMI Records  acknowledgement: David Byrne appears courtesy of
• Eastman  color
• Entertainment Completions Inc.  post-production guarantee
• Fairlight Music Computers  digital recording equipment (as Fairlight)
• Fratelli Cartocci S.r.l.  generator (as Fratelli Cartocci)
• General Screen Enterprises  titles opticals (as G.S.E. London)
• Gota  financed by
• Hill Samuel & Co. Limited  financed by
• Imperial Museum, Beijing  many thanks
• Jo Dalby  civilian costumes
• Kato Studio  music recorded at: Tokyo
• L.C.P.  shoes (as LCP)
• Last Picture Frock  civilian costumes
• Lillie Yard Studios  music recorded and mixed at: London (as Lillie Yard Studio)
• Lloyd Triestino  maritime transport
• Morris Angel  civilian costumes
• Obbi Stock Snc Di Prato  many thanks
• Odyssey Studios  music recorded at: David Byrne's sessions, London
• Onkio Haus  music recorded at: Tokyo
• Palace of Congress, Salsomaggiore  many thanks
• Perruzzi  military costumes
• Pierson, Heldring & Pierson N.V.  financed by
• Props Galore  civilian costumes
• Roger Cherrill  post-production (as Roger Cherrills, London)
• Romana Trasporti Cinematografici S.r.l.  transportation (as Romana Transporti Cinematografi)
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services (uncredited)
• Snake Ranch Studios  many thanks
• Sony  digital recording equipment
• Sony  many thanks
• Standard Chartered Bank  financed by
• Thorn EMI Elstree Studios  sound re-recorded at (as Elstree Studios, London)
• Twentieth Century Costumes  European costumes
• Virgin Records  original soundtrack available on (as Virgin Records, Tapes and C.D.'s)
• Warner Brothers Records  acknowledgement: David Byrne appears courtesy of
• Yamaha R & D  many thanks
• Yamaha  digital recording equipment

Also Known As:

Runtime:

163 min | 219 min (television version)

Country:

China | Italy | UK | France

Language:

English | Mandarin | Japanese | Russian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

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) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (1999) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Germany:12 | Germany:12 (director's cut) | UK:15 (director's cut) | Iceland:12 | Brazil:Livre | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) | Italy:T | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Beijing Studios, Beijing, China

Company:

Recorded Picture Company (RPC)

Trivia:

Because no private automobiles were permitted, even Peter O'Toole was limited to the use of a bicycle for personal transportation.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the Director's Cut of the film there is a scene, just before the Emperor Henry Pu-yi cuts his hair, in which the consorts are dancing to a song being played on a violin. While this scene takes place some time before 1924, the song is "Ol' Man River" from the musical "Showboat", first performed in 1927.

Quotes:

Pu Yi, at 15:Is it true, Mr. Johnston, that many people out there have had their heads cut off?
Reginald Fleming 'R.J.' Johnston:It is true, your majesty. Many heads have been chopped off. It does stop them thinking.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Personal History of British Cinema by Stephen Frears (1997) (TV)

Soundtrack:

China Boy

An Example of Quantity and Quality Combining to Make an Unforgettable Film

"The Last Emperor" is a near perfect film. It was nominated for nine Oscars in 1987 and it won nine (including the Best Picture Oscar). The movie is about the life of Pu Yi (John Lone), China's last emperor. In spite of becoming emperor at the age of three, Yi's reign was more of a burden than anything else. Yi would ultimately end up living an unsavory life of imprisonment which is heartrending to the viewer. "The Last Emperor" is visually stunning. The minute details are amazing. However, the story stands up high as well. Historically accurate for the most part, "The Last Emperor" is easily one of the top 10 films of the 1980s and overall an exceptional achievement in every cinematic department known to man. 5 stars out of 5.