The Last Emperor (1987)

The story of the final Emperor of China.

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers:

Mark Peploe (screenplay), Bernardo Bertolucci (screenplay)

Stars:

John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O'Toole

Won 9 Oscars. Another 51 wins & 22 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Lone	...	Pu Yi (Adult)
Joan Chen	...	Wan Jung
Peter O'Toole	...	Reginald Johnston (R.J.)
Ruocheng Ying	...	The Governor (as Ying Ruocheng)
Victor Wong	...	Chen Pao Shen
Dennis Dun	...	Big Li
Ryuichi Sakamoto	...	Amakasu (as Ryûichi Sakamoto)
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)

Storyline

This sweeping account of the life of Pu-Yi, the last emperor of China, follows the leader's tumultuous reign. After being captured by the Red Army as a war criminal in 1950, Pu-Yi recalls his childhood from prison. He remembers his lavish youth in the Forbidden City, where he was afforded every luxury but unfortunately sheltered from the outside world and complex political situation surrounding him. As revolution sweeps through China, the world Pu-Yi knew is dramatically upended.

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Plot Keywords:

china | chinese history | based on true story | cricket the insect | forbidden city | 

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Taglines:

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.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

PG-13

Did You Know?

Trivia

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

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Goofs

In numerous scenes taking place before the establishment of the People's Republic of China writings in simplified Chinese characters can be seen. However, these were only introduced in 1949. During the Qing dynasty much more elaborate traditional characters would have been in use.

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Quotes

The Governor: [bidding farewell to Pu Yi as he is released from reform camp] You see, I will end up living in prison longer than you!

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Alternate Versions

When first released on VHS in the US, the 218 minute cut was mistakenly used (on 2 VHS tapes). It was immediately pulled and original copies of this are extremely rare and highly collectible. It was replaced by the 163 minute theatrical cut on a single VHS tape. It wasn't until 1998 that the 218 minute cut was finally released on VHS (as a 2-tape set).

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Connections

Referenced in Too Much TV: Episode #1.18 (2016)

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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 Reviews

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.

Details

Country:

UK China Italy France

Language:

English Mandarin Japanese

Release Date:

15 April 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Last Emperor

Filming Locations:

China

Box Office

Budget:

GBP23,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$149,460, 22 November 1987

Gross USA:

$43,984,230

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$43,993,869

Company Credits

Production Co:

Recorded Picture Company (RPC), Hemdale, Yanco Films Limited

Technical Specs

Runtime:

163 min 219 min (television) 209 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

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

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1