Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersIndependent Spirit AwardsWomen's History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Last Emperor

  • 19871987
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 43m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
106K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,026
1,036
Richard Vuu in The Last Emperor (1987)
China's final Emperor is chronicled in this Oscar winning film
Play trailer0:55
3 Videos
97 Photos
BiographyDramaHistory
Dramatization of China's last emperor, Puyi.Dramatization of China's last emperor, Puyi.Dramatization of China's last emperor, Puyi.
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
106K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,026
1,036
  • Director
    • Bernardo Bertolucci
  • Writers
    • Enzo Ungari(initial screenplay collaboration)
    • Mark Peploe(screenplay)
    • Bernardo Bertolucci(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • John Lone
    • Joan Chen
    • Peter O'Toole
  • Director
    • Bernardo Bertolucci
  • Writers
    • Enzo Ungari(initial screenplay collaboration)
    • Mark Peploe(screenplay)
    • Bernardo Bertolucci(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • John Lone
    • Joan Chen
    • Peter O'Toole
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 202User reviews
    • 87Critic reviews
    • 76Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 9 Oscars
      • 60 wins & 22 nominations total

    Videos3

    The Last Emperor
    Trailer 0:55
    Watch The Last Emperor
    The Last Emperor
    Trailer 1:04
    Watch The Last Emperor
    The Cast of 'Tigertail' Name Their Favorite Films in Asian Cinema
    Clip 2:56
    Watch The Cast of 'Tigertail' Name Their Favorite Films in Asian Cinema

    Photos97

    Bernardo Bertolucci, Vittorio Storaro, James Acheson, David Byrne, Gabriella Cristiani, Mark Peploe, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Cong Su, and Jeremy Thomas in The Last Emperor (1987)
    Bernardo Bertolucci in The Last Emperor (1987)
    Bernardo Bertolucci and Jeremy Thomas in The Last Emperor (1987)
    Richard Vuu in The Last Emperor (1987)
    Joan Chen and Tao Wu in The Last Emperor (1987)
    The Last Emperor (1987)
    Peter O'Toole in The Last Emperor (1987)
    Joan Chen and Tao Wu in The Last Emperor (1987)
    Peter O'Toole in The Last Emperor (1987)
    The Last Emperor (1987)
    Bernardo Bertolucci in The Last Emperor (1987)
    The Last Emperor (1987)

    Top cast

    Edit
    John Lone
    John Lone
    • Pu Yi (Adult)
    Joan Chen
    Joan Chen
    • Wan Jung
    Peter O'Toole
    Peter O'Toole
    • Reginald Johnston (R.J.)
    Ruocheng Ying
    Ruocheng Ying
    • The Governor
    • (as Ying Ruocheng)
    Victor Wong
    Victor Wong
    • Chen Pao Shen
    Dennis Dun
    Dennis Dun
    • Big Li
    Ryuichi Sakamoto
    Ryuichi Sakamoto
    • Amakasu
    • (as Ryûichi Sakamoto)
    Maggie Han
    Maggie Han
    • Eastern Jewel
    Ric Young
    Ric Young
    • Interrogator
    Vivian Wu
    Vivian Wu
    • Wen Hsiu
    • (as Wu Jun Mei)
    Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
    Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
    • Chang
    • (as Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa)
    Jade Go
    • Ar Mo
    Fumihiko Ikeda
    • Yoshioka
    Richard Vuu
    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)
    • Director
      • Bernardo Bertolucci
    • Writers
      • Enzo Ungari(initial screenplay collaboration)
      • Mark Peploe(screenplay)
      • Bernardo Bertolucci(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Driving Miss Daisy
    7.3
    Driving Miss Daisy
    Out of Africa
    7.1
    Out of Africa
    The English Patient
    7.4
    The English Patient
    Kramer vs. Kramer
    7.8
    Kramer vs. Kramer
    Shakespeare in Love
    7.1
    Shakespeare in Love
    Terms of Endearment
    7.4
    Terms of Endearment
    Ordinary People
    7.7
    Ordinary People
    Farewell My Concubine
    8.1
    Farewell My Concubine
    Chariots of Fire
    7.1
    Chariots of Fire
    Gandhi
    8.0
    Gandhi
    Patton
    7.9
    Patton
    Rain Man
    8.0
    Rain Man

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This was the first Western film made in and about the country to be produced with full Chinese government cooperation since 1949.
    • Goofs
      When Johnston is about to board a ship to England in 1931, a ticket office window is seen in the background with opening and closing times given in simplified Chinese characters. China only switched to simplified characters after the Communists came to power in 1949, with a drive to improve literacy. At the time this scene takes place, traditional full-form characters would have been used.
    • Quotes

      Reginald Fleming 'R.J.' Johnston: Words are important.

      Pu Yi, at 15: Why are words important?

      Reginald Fleming 'R.J.' Johnston: If you cannot say what you mean, Your Majesty, you will never mean what you say and a gentleman should always mean what he says.

    • Alternate versions
      The theatrical version runs 163 minutes. A 218 minute version was released in the US in 1998 under the mistaken title of the "Director's Cut". It was known by this erroneous title until the 2008 Criterion DVD and Blu-ray Disc came out. Bertolucci and DP Vittorio Storaro made it clear while working on the DVD and BD that the shorter theatrical version is without doubt the director's cut. The 218 minute version was an early cut meant only to be aired as a four-part television mini-series by the Italian television network that funded the film.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Last Emperor/Cross My Heart/The Running Man/Sign o' the Times/Steel Dawn (1987)
    • Soundtracks
      Kaiser Walzer (Emperor Waltz) op. 437
      (1889)
      Written by Johann Strauss (as Johann Strauss)
      Performed by Berliner Philharmoniker (as The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra)
      Conducted by Herbert von Karajan
      with kind permission of Polydor International GmbH

    User reviews202

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    A film like this comes along in 10,000 years
    Bernardo Bertolucci left a remarkable impression on the Academy with The Last Emperor, taking away nine oscars including one for best film and best director. This film will leave a lasting impression on those who view it as well. Last Emperor provides a strong message through its main character Pu-Yi. Although the film bases its story on the true life accounts of the last emperor of China, Last Emperor shows that life can deal one undesirable circumstances and the way one reacts and handles these circumstances determine one's place in history. Bertolucci's powerful method of storytelling also further enhances the greatness of Last Emperor. The motif of pursuing a forbidden love that remains out of reach presents a tearful message. Who cannot get misty eyed seeing an eight year old Pu-Yi chasing after his beloved nanny or an almost exact similar scene when a much older Pu-Yi chases his insane first wife? Last Emperor will move even the most adamant viewer. "To his majesty, the emperor... Ten thousand years!"
    helpful•17
    5
    • s0250143
    • Nov 24, 1999

    FAQ2

    • After China became a republic, why was the empire able to go on even though they could not rule over China anymore?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 15, 1988 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • China
      • Italy
      • United Kingdom
      • France
    • Languages
      • English
      • Mandarin
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • Der letzte Kaiser
    • Filming locations
      • Forbidden City, Dongcheng District, Beijing, China
    • Production companies
      • Yanco Films Limited
      • TAO Film
      • Recorded Picture Company (RPC)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • £23,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $43,984,230
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $149,460
      • Nov 22, 1987
    • Gross worldwide
      • $43,993,869
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 43 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Richard Vuu in The Last Emperor (1987)
    Top Gap
    What is the streaming release date of The Last Emperor (1987) in Canada?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.