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IMDbPro

The Last Emperor

  • 19871987
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 43m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
102K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,123
63
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
  • Biography
  • Drama
  • History
The story of the final Emperor of China.The story of the final Emperor of China.The story of the final Emperor of China.
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
102K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,123
63
  • Director
    • Bernardo Bertolucci
  • Writers
    • Enzo Ungari(initial screenplay collaboration)
    • Mark Peploe(screenplay)
    • Bernardo Bertolucci(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • John Lone
    • Joan Chen
    • Peter O'Toole
Top credits
  • 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
    • 195User reviews
    • 87Critic reviews
    • 76Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 9 Oscars
      • 60 wins & 22 nominations total

    Videos3

    The Last Emperor
    Trailer 0:55
    The Last Emperor
    The Last Emperor
    Trailer 1:04
    The Last Emperor
    The Cast of 'Tigertail' Name Their Favorite Films in Asian Cinema
    Clip 2:56
    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)as Pu Yi (Adult)
    Joan Chen
    Joan Chen
    • Wan Jungas Wan Jung
    Peter O'Toole
    Peter O'Toole
    • Reginald Johnston (R.J.)as Reginald Johnston (R.J.)
    Ruocheng Ying
    Ruocheng Ying
    • The Governoras The Governor
    • (as Ying Ruocheng)
    Victor Wong
    Victor Wong
    • Chen Pao Shenas Chen Pao Shen
    Dennis Dun
    Dennis Dun
    • Big Lias Big Li
    Ryuichi Sakamoto
    Ryuichi Sakamoto
    • Amakasuas Amakasu
    • (as Ryûichi Sakamoto)
    Maggie Han
    Maggie Han
    • Eastern Jewelas Eastern Jewel
    Ric Young
    Ric Young
    • Interrogatoras Interrogator
    Vivian Wu
    Vivian Wu
    • Wen Hsiuas Wen Hsiu
    • (as Wu Jun Mei)
    Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
    Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
    • Changas Chang
    • (as Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa)
    Jade Go
    • Ar Moas Ar Mo
    Fumihiko Ikeda
    • Yoshiokaas Yoshioka
    Richard Vuu
    Richard Vuu
    • Pu Yi (3 years)as Pu Yi (3 years)
    Tsou Tijger
    • Pu Yi (8 years)as Pu Yi (8 years)
    • (as Tijger Tsou)
    Tao Wu
    • Pu Yi (15 years)as Pu Yi (15 years)
    • (as Wu Tao)
    Guang Fan
    • Pu Chieh (Adult)as Pu Chieh (Adult)
    • (as Fan Guang)
    Henry Kyi
    • Pu Chieh (7 years)as Pu Chieh (7 years)
    • Director
      • Bernardo Bertolucci
    • Writers
      • Enzo Ungari(initial screenplay collaboration)
      • Mark Peploe(screenplay)
      • Bernardo Bertolucci(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In real life, when Puyi met Empress Cixi, he screamed in terror. He later described seeing an eerie yellow curtain with an ugly thin face behind it. She was displeased, and had one of her servants offer him candy. When he screamed even louder, she had him taken away. She died the next day.
    • 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 At the Movies: 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 reviews195

    Review
    Top review
    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.
    helpful•81
    14
    • tfrizzell
    • Sep 26, 2000

    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
      • United Kingdom
      • China
      • Italy
      • France
      • United States
    • 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
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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