The story of the final Emperor of China.The story of the final Emperor of China.The story of the final Emperor of China.
- Director
- Writers
- Enzo Ungari(initial screenplay collaboration)
- Mark Peploe(screenplay)
- Bernardo Bertolucci(screenplay)
- Stars
- Director
- Writers
- Enzo Ungari(initial screenplay collaboration)
- Mark Peploe(screenplay)
- Bernardo Bertolucci(screenplay)
- Stars
- Won 9 Oscars
- 60 wins & 22 nominations total
Ruocheng Ying
- The Governor
- (as Ying Ruocheng)
Ryuichi Sakamoto
- Amakasu
- (as Ryûichi Sakamoto)
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
- Chang
- (as Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa)
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)
- Director
- Writers
- Enzo Ungari(initial screenplay collaboration)
- Mark Peploe(screenplay)
- Bernardo Bertolucci(screenplay)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis was the first Western film made in and about the country to be produced with full Chinese government cooperation since 1949.
- GoofsWhen 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 versionsThe 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.
- SoundtracksKaiser 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
Review
Featured review
An Oriental paradise that is wonderfully mastered to the screen.
I guess I'm the only one who watched this from a worn out-of-print VHS copy. No matter what the quality, THE LAST EMPEROR is arguably among the best of the foreign pictures. The sights and sounds of The Forbidden City are sharp and beautifully screened right on with the provocative events that unfold the coming-of-age life of Pu Yi. It has plentiful moments including his romantic affairs with concubines and how he learns the way of the world as a child. His chronicle of a young emperor boy paints a colorful picture for the first half, only leading to more conflicting matters later, which is the most exciting part. Don't expect to see heads getting chopped off, like I thought would happen (unless you have the longer DVD version), but the intensity of the talk surrounding it sounds horrifying and true. Nevertheless, the dialogue is clearly mystical. Every minute is a feel-good breeze through crafty cinematic art, but it ends too fast, and the narration from Pu Yi in his prison term could use a lot more detailing. Maybe I'll stick around longer and wait to see the Director's Cut which has more. Definitely a winning treat not to be missed for foreign movie lovers and collectors of premium filmfare.
helpful•348
- emm
- Mar 21, 1999
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- The Last Emperor
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- 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
- Runtime2 hours 43 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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