The Last Emperor (1987) User Reviews (211)

A Unique Film

[loza-1 · 9/10 · 11 September 2005]

This is a unique film because it is a unique story. Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi (also known as Henry Pu Yi) was the last emperor of China, who spent most of his early life as a puppet of others. He was then re-educated into an ordinary citizen (He worked as a gardener) in the People's Republic of China. The exciting thing from our point of view is that Henry Pu Yi wrote an autobiography ("From Emperor to Citizen"), and it is largely on this book that the film is based.

The colourful pageantry in this film is superb - utterly unforgettable. Unfortunately the characterisation is not so well thought out. Only as the cheerful gardener does Pu Yi become anything approaching real - which may be the truth anyway. Otherwise the film becomes a series of historical events, which could well bamboozle anyone who does not know their history, since it is often not quite clear what is actually going on. Having said this, the tragedy of Pu Yi's life - and it was mostly tragedy - comes through well. As well as the end, that although stripped of title, riches, wife, etc, Pu Yi the gardener, the citizen of Red China, is now a free man, comes through well, too.

One can find faults with this film - or to be more exact, what one would think are faults - but to list these would prove nothing. This film treads new ground. It is difficult to make, with three actors playing the same person. You have to watch this film, because it will improve the way you view other people, and you will see the tragedy of monarchy: that the monarch himself becomes little more than a specimen in a zoo - rather like the cricket kept in the jar underneath the throne. It will also whet your appetite to read "From Emperor to Citizen" which contains much information that the film could not show.

A sweeping epic

[FilmOtaku · 8/10 · 12 April 2004]

Every time I mention to someone that I hadn't seen The Last Emperor, the first reaction is disbelief, and the second is `It is such a good movie'. And indeed it was. I'm not sure what the non-director's cut was, because the version I saw was the director's cut, but it was absolutely fantastic. Not once did I think that the nearly four hour run time was too long because the story was so compelling, the direction brilliant and the acting engaging. I find it hard to believe that it took me this long to see this film, and I also find it hard to believe it is not in the IMDB Top 250. Its Best Picture and Director honors were well-deserved, and the Oscar-winning score is amazing. I'll admit that I was left hanging a bit in regard to the Emperor's wife, but that is the only thing that I can remotely find slightly lacking in this film. An outstanding film, The Last Emperor is entertaining, informative and important.

--Shelly

Impressive

[rbverhoef · 9/10 · 26 December 2003]

'The Last Emperor' tells the story of Pu Yi, as an adult played by John Lone, the last emperor of China. He was three years old when he first sat down on the Dragon Throne. He didn't know anything. The movie tells his story from that moment in flashbacks. We also get to see Pu Yi when the Chinese Communists have the power and he is imprisoned. Because people have taken care of him the rest of his life, from three years old to the moments inside the prison, it still feels he knows nothing.

To tell you about the life of Pu Yi would be a mistake. You have to see this movie to learn more about it. The strange thing is that Pu Yi can not do and decide much for himself. He is a hero of a movie where he is controlled by rules and other people. That is one of the reasons not many real things happen. We see the emperor grow up, we see him take an empress and a concubine, and then he has to leave the Forbidden City because the enemy is at the gate.

The impressive thing here are the locations and the costumes. Everything looks fabulous and it is not a surprise to find out that the movie was shot on location. With all the extras in those beautiful costumes there are a lot of very impressive scenes. May be the movie is a bit too long for some, it didn't really bother me. Director Bernardo Bertolucci has made a terrific movie.

A Beautiful Epic

[Loving_Silence · 10/10 · 13 August 2010]

The Last Emperor is a truly larger than life film telling us about a life of a human, but not just any human, the Emperor himself. He's also not your normal emperor, he's the Last Emperor of China, his name is Pu Yi. He lives his life however he wants to and he sort has a larger than life persona. In just his late 20s, he stood at the throne ruling over one of the largest nations on Earth, with the most people on Earth. He controls and commands the lives of nearly Five-Hundred Million people. Throughout his abdication, his decline and dissolute lifestyle; his exploitation by the invading Japanese, and finally to his obscure existence as just another peasant worker in the People's Republic.

While the film isn't perfect, it is certainly beautiful and a visual treat for anyone. Bernardo Bertolucci's cinematic biography of Emperor Pu Yi is an emotional, beautiful and astonishing film... And it's a massive production which won 9 Oscars, It deserved every single one of them. The film will always be remembered for its size and its beauty. This Asian Masterpiece tells us a story of not only an Emperor, but of a country, which was and still is the largest nation in the world. The Last Emperor is certainly one the Largest, most beautiful films ever created in Cinema.

A Monumental Achievement. ~10/10~

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

[tfrizzell · 26 September 2000]

"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.

A great artistic achievement

[StanleyStrangelove · 10/10 · 16 April 2006]

Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Last Emperor" is a monumental, perfect film, and stands as one of the great artistic achievements in any artistic medium.

Told in a complicated flashback/ flash-forward style, it's the story of Pu Yi (born 1906) who was the last absolute monarch of China. During his lifetime he falls from the Lord of Ten Thousand Years, the emperor/God of billions of Chinese, to an anonymous peasant worker in communist China.

Pu Yi was the child emperor from 1908 until the Chinese revolution in 1911 when he had to abdicate. He was allowed to remain in the Forbidden City but was stripped of his power by the communists. He was expelled from the city in 1924 by a warlord. In 1932, Puyi was installed by the Japanese as the ruler of Manchukuo, a puppet state of Imperial Japan. At the end of World War II, Pu yi was captured by the Soviet Red Army and turned over to the Chinese communists. Considered a traitor, he spent ten years in a reeducation camp until he was declared reformed. He voiced his support for the Communists and worked at the Beijing Botanical Gardens.

This film vividly portrays the change from the imperial and religious traditions of ancient China to the godless totalitarianism of modern communist China, so the film is, on one level, the story of China's revolutionary transition from imperialism to communism.

Visually the film is stunning especially the scenes in the Forbidden City. It was the first film to receive permission to film in the Forbidden City.

The film can be enjoyed on the first viewing but really demands more than one viewing and some knowledge of history. In this respect it resembles Akira Kurasawa's masterpiece "The Seven Samurai.

The cast includes John Lone as emperor Pu Yi, Joan Chen, and Peter O'Toole.

The film won 9 Oscars including best director and best film. A must see on DVD widescreen or in the theater.

An epic movie about a pitiful man

[drorthopaedic · 7/10 · 24 December 2019]

Here we have an astonishing movie in all aspects : acting, directing, music, costumes... almost everything is wonderful, the main issue is that the viewer can not fully sympathize with Pu Yi (the last mperor). The film tries to represent him as a (reformer) who tries to change the old irrational traditions of the chinese Qing dynasty while there was nothing in his hands to change! that is a fact, when he was only at 6, China became a republic and the new regime dealt with his family as a foreign monarchy! so the only signs of his claimed reform was cutting his long hair braid or wearing glasses! of course we - the viewers- will feel sorry for the tragedy of his family and the long miserable journey from the luxurious palaces of the forbidden city where the eunuchs were swiping his crap to the detention camp where the communists taught him the values of the new era! but the truth is : Pu Yi was a spoiled man who knew nothing about the people he was trying to rule, a man who treated his servants with cruelty and arrogance and ended his reign betraying his homeland by selling himself to his country enemies for a meaningless title. John Lone did his best, Peter O'toole shines as always and Joan Chen played the broken wife perfectly, but again, this was a touching story of a man you can not be touched with! finally; the film score was great, I enjoyed hearing it repeatedly away from the film itself!

The Last Epic

[shardik · 10/10 · 28 May 2001]

The Last Emperor, like Once Upon a Time in America, is an epic saga that delves, among various aspects, into the realm of Time and the ensuing effects it has on a human being and his culture as it passes through his lifetime. The Last Emperor of the Qing dynasty, Pu-Yi, was coronated in 1909 at the age of three and due to his youth ended up being a puppet to his adminstration. Bertolucci successfully shows us a young man who while understandably spoilt by many luxuries of monarchy, is in actuality a tender hearted, independent thinker (not doer) who is passionate about his homeland (Manchuria) and has a ravenous desire for experiencing life in the outside world. His caged lifestyle in the Forbidden City (Beijing) is definitely a major contributor to this mindset. From his infancy the director takes us through a chain of historical events that ultimately lead to Pu-Yi being an ordinary man (we know this from the beginning, however flashbacks explain his situation at the start). However, it is not the desired lifestyle that he sought as an Emperor in his youth.

The Last Emperor is breathtaking in its cinematography and Bertolucci's direction is impeccable. A lot of criticism was directed at his film '1900' (1976) due to its sheer length. The Last Emperor clocks in at 215 minutes (director's cut) and barring 10 minutes of a marriage related scene, it never lets up. Bertolucci seamlessly interweaves the flashbacks with Pu-Yi's situation in post-WWII China by providing us with a real life tragedy that epitomizes human weaknesses, vices, love and loyalty. Here is a film that is a true story but goes beyond mere narration or simple depiction - it is a three and a half hour, non-stop attention grasping journey through the spectrum of humanity that defines our lifetime through the eyes of an unfortunate soul who was a victim of circumstances like many are. Any questions that the viewer will have concerning an event in the plot will be immediately answered through the rich tapestry that Bertolucci shows when depicting Pu-Yi's imperial life.

On a technical note, the acting in this film is brilliant. John Lone deserved atleast an Oscar nomination for best actor due to his seamless portrayal of Pu-Yi. He makes his portrayal of a 21 - 60 year old Pu-Yi seem like an effortless act. Through his performance the audience feels an even greater compassion for the last emperor as we come across a man who despite all the hardships he endured was very compassionate and soft centered. The sheer down to earth nature of his character as a 55-60 year old who walks with a tired smile, forever accompanied by his loving brother, is a testament to Lone's ability to portray any age and move the audience.

Once again, it takes a Hailey's comet like event for the Academy to nominate someone from the eastern world (or non-British, non-American when it comes to best actor). The rest of the cast is also brilliant barring Ryuichi Sakamoto (who portrays the one-armed Masahiko Amakasu) who, for the most part, presents us with a classic display of Japanese overacting. Although I wouldn't call it overacting in a Kurasawa-esque/Japanese film environment, it becomes quite hilarious in a production such as this.

This apart, the film is brilliant. It is the last great epic (yes, Gladiator is very good, but is far from an epic in my mind) and somehow I hope it is rediscovered and re-appreciated as it once was back in the late eighties.

While the Oscars have always contrived to ignore the true best picture for most of the last two decades, here is an example of a best picture winner which beat the competition by miles.

My brief review of the film

[sol- · 7/10 · 10 January 2005]

A well done and fascinating, but long and poorly explained biopic - compressing sixty years of history and politics into two and a half hours will be at least a bit overwhelming for a viewer who is not familiar with the topic to understand. However, in terms of art direction, costumes and acting the film is definitely fine. Lone is entirely convincing at the title person from young adulthood to old age, and O'Toole is good as his tutor. But the overarching problem with the film is that all this history is presented without much explanation… making the film a far from satisfying watch, even if one with many cinematic virtues.

I love this movie

[aschumacher · 10/10 · 22 May 2003]

I saw this movie at the cinema when I was 17 years old. I was completely overwhelmed by the movie (I already had a fascination for China) that I decided to visit china in 1992 just to see the forbidden palace (and the rest of China of course).

The music in the movie is brilliant, the cinematography outstanding, the story very moving (the end of the movie broke my heart).

Don´t expect an action-packed or high paced movie and be ready to sit through 3+ hours. If you´re all that, it might be worth a look for you as well:)

The Life Of China's Last Emperor

[sddavis63 · 6/10 · 28 August 2010]

This is somewhat long and generally lacking in excitement, but it's beautifully filmed and it serves as a fascinating look at the life of Pu Yi - the last Emperor of China, who came to the throne in 1908 when he was three years old, and finally died in 1967 as a gardener in Communist China, after serving 10 years in a PRC prison being ideologically "re- educated." Much of the story is told in flash-backs taken from his interrogation by Communist officials in the PRC prison. Much attention is paid to Reginald Johnston's book "Twilight in the Forbidden City." Johnston (played in the movie by Peter O'Toole) was Pu Yi's Scottish tutor.

John Lone's performance as Pu Yi was very good. Not surprising perhaps for someone who became an emperor at such a young age, Pu Yi is depicted as one who is used to comfort and used to having his way - a characteristic he seems to have retained for most of his life, although he doesn't really come across as bad or arrogant; just as someone who never learned how to care for himself or treat others as equals. I suppose it would be hard to expect a child who was treated almost like a god from the age of 3 to grow up psychologically well adjusted. He was actually overthrown not much more than a decade after coming to the throne but I appreciated learning that although he abdicated when the Nationalist revolution took place, he retained his title and it seems as though the Forbidden City remained his "Empire." He continued to rule this little enclave within Beijing, much as the Pope rules a little enclave within Rome. That was very interesting.

There was a lot of attention to Pu Yi's accession as "Emperor of Manchukuo" in 1934. He became a puppet of the Japanese, who placed him on the throne to give Manchukuo a semblance of credibility but no freedom, was captured by the Soviets at the end of the war, and finally handed over to PRC officials in 1950, his transfer to Chinese authority being where the movie begins.

Near the end of the movie there's a truly fascinating scene depicting a small portion of the work of Mao's "Red Guards" during the so-called Cultural Revolution that was quite sobering. I was disappointed, though, with the way this ended. It chose to conclude on a sort of fantasy scene, where Pu Yi returns to the Forbidden City. I suppose it was meant as a way of saying that at his death he returned home, but I found it a weak ending rather than a heartwarming one, perhaps because while his life was interesting, I can't say that I developed any warm feelings or sympathy for Pu Yi by watching this.

An Oriental paradise that is wonderfully mastered to the screen.

[emm · 8/10 · 21 March 1999]

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.

Pretty good

[smatysia · 7/10 · 2 December 2021]

A pretty good film, well worth watching. There is a lot that is superlative here, Peter O'Toole's acting, the magnificent cinematography, Bertolucci's direction, etc. But I didn't find it to be great. Perhaps that's just from my perspective as an Occidental. I haven't researched what other films were nominated for Best Picture that year, but I would likely have voted for a different one. The film exposes the cruelty of the Japanese of those times, but completely glosses over the cruelty of the Chinese Communist Party. I suppose that was necessary in order to film in China.

Just A Big Bore, Sad To Say

[ccthemovieman-1 · 5/10 · 16 July 2006]

Wow, nine Academy Awards is pretty impressive....at least until recent times when "political correctness" took over at the Oscars. This movie had nothing to do with anything PC, but it had lots in common with Academy Award winners in the last two decades - the public didn't like it. It was a bomb at the box office, and has been discontinued on DVD, as well, at last reports.

Anyway, I came into it with a feeling of optimism but wound up disappointed, too, with my look at in on VHS. However, I didn't give up, buying the DVD with an extra 54 minutes on it. I really, really wanted to like this film....but, once again, I found myself just plain bored with it all. That's the major fault with the film: it's doesn't grab you, get you involved in the story and the characters. After an hour and a half, it's "who cares?"

Too bad because the story is filmed in a fascinating place, China's "Forbidden City," and features a cast of thousands and some spectacular costuming. The Asian colors of orange, yellows, purples, reds, etc., makes it a color feast. The acting, led by John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O'Toole and others is fine, and the language is very tame. The problem is everything is too tame, and it shouldn't be with all it has going for it.

And the moral of the story is .......

[al_gd · 4 September 2002]

This to me was a very powerful movie, I loved the story, and the final outcome was how it should be. Somehow we believe that Kings, Queens, Emperors etc are entitled to their power, that somehow they deserve it. This is how this emperor saw himself, he believed he was better, and above the average person, his sense of entitlement and view of reality was so perverted, that he did everything possible to retain and regain his position in life. However from the day he entered the palace he was a pawn, powerless to act, yet he never sees this. Maybe we don't all understand his re-education, but this is what makes the ending so great. There is a fantastic moral to this story. A beautiful story, sad, moving, and somehow, strangely uplifting. Highly recommended. 9/10

Heaven's Mandate

[bkoganbing · 10/10 · 18 May 2008]

Back when I was a university student studying a course in the Far East we learned the term 'Heaven's Mandate'. It was said that when one dynasty overthrew another, the mandate from powers above to rule China had been lost and a new mandate was given to the winners. It was a self fulfilling idea because if the Mings went out and the Manchus went in it was because the Manchus now had the Mandate. The Last Emperor is the story of Young emperor Pu Yi who was the last Manchu Emperor, crowned at the age of 3 in 1908 and removed in 1911 during the revolution. Pu Yi spent half the rest of his life trying to gain that back and the other half trying to roll with the punches for making some very bad choices in trying for the former. By that time if you want to extend the idea, the mandate now fell to Mao Tse-tung and the Chinese Communists. Still very few people had as colorful, as tumultuous, and as epic a life as Pu Yi as portrayed by Chinese actor John Lone. Whatever else Pu Yi was, he was a survivor and maybe if he hasn't got Heaven's mandate any more, he's at least got a heavenly place. From 1911 until he was kicked out, the young Emperor was still permitted to run a kind of fairyland kingdom in the Forbidden City area of Peking which was the exclusive domain of the Chinese Emperors for centuries. During that time he had an English tutor in Peter O'Toole, the one major occidental player in The Last Emperor. The relationship here is similar to the one shown in Seven Years In Tibet between Brad Pitt as Heinrich Harrer and the young Dalai Lama. Here though the emphasis is on the pupil not the tutor. The Last Emperor is an epic international achievement, not possible during the years of Mao Tse-tung's rule. As a film it received great international respect winning nine Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director for Bernardo Bertolucci. That's quite a mandate in and of itself. Though the film is more than two and half hours long I guarantee your interest will not flag. And it really is worth it to see at the very end the elderly Emperor's meeting with the new Red Guards of Mao's Cultural Revolution and that bit of symbolism with the cricket. Absolutely priceless, just as the film is.

Excellent, if not emotionally confusing, film.

[Giant Squid · 9/10 · 28 February 2004]

I'd like to comment on the "The Last Emperor" from a somewhat oblique angle compared to the usual reviews a film gets.

For starters, it is my opinion that this was a really good film to watch. It also spurred me into researching a little more Chinese, as well as Japanese, history. I think I should note here, there are some great books to research on the life of Pu Yi. There is in fact a book; "Twilight In The Forbidden City" by Reginald F. Johnston as well as "From Emperor to Citizen" an autobiography by Pu Yi himself. I'll list some titles and where to find them at the end of my "comment".

This "oblique" angle that I'd like to take is on the emotional impact of the film.

While I found the film informative and well made, I also found it conveyed an emotional emptiness, and maybe even sadness. I was distraught at the end of the film. In short: It made me feel that here is a man who was somebody, and at the end of his life he has nothing. He lost everything he ever had, and died alone.

While everyone may get something different from the film, they undoubtedly will find similarities with other viewers as well. I almost wish some creative license were taken to end the film on a happier note.

Although, I found it sad, solemn, and many times it made me feel just empty like I wasn't sure what to feel but I wanted anything to fill the emptiness, I also found it compelling. Not many other films have so made me want to learn more about the history, and people in a film.

That's my review. And as a final note: while my review may have had a somewhat down tone to it and may have even left some people feeling like the review is a bit empty or unfinished, I also hope it compelled people to think a little differently about "The Last Emperor" and maybe even spur some of you to do a little of your own research on the people and places in the film.

Books:

Twilight In The Forbidden City by Reginald F. Johnston ISBN: 0848813901

From Emperor To Citizen by Pu Yi ISBN: 7119007726

The Last Emperor by Arnold C. Brackman ISBN: 0881847003

The Last Emperor by Edward Behr ISBN: 0553344749

The Puppet Emperor: The Life of Pu Yi, Last Emperor of China by Brian Power ISBN: 0876634587

Great art, great vision, but not great film entertainment.

[Pedro_H · 6/10 · 22 September 2004]

The life and times of Pu Yi, the boy Emperor of China whose life-of-destiny was overtaken over by the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

This is one of the most difficult movies I have ever had to review because, while I cannot ignore the majestic flow and vision of the film and the man mountain of film awards, I also cannot also ignore my own heart and aching bottom. While I can quote clichés about the "meaning of film" all day long, I believe that all movies (whatever the aims and nature) should be enjoyable while watching them and you shouldn't be glad when the final credits roll - indeed you should be sad!

Bernardo Bertolucci believes that cinema is mostly vision and atmosphere - and believe me he is master of his limited focus - but there is also a need for a story. Something that passes him by. If we are lucky a story that changes pace, informs, excites and thrills.

This film has moments that will stay in the memory forever and when I first saw them as TV clips I thought "this is going to be something else - an epic." However they are simply impressive props and backdrops for a story that would be better told as a documentary.

The film opens up on the story of a little boy born with a destiny. Not many people are born with a destiny outside of royalty and they should be treat with sympathy because, while they may seem fated, they also live in a gilded cage. Even if history had not taken over events Pi would have lived a life of quiet impotence - despite the title he would have had no powers and would have had no influence on his countries' affairs. A living and breathing statue. The revolution probably did him the best favour that he ever had.

I always think that a life spent on holiday is most intelligent person's version of hell. A life spent on holiday while trapped inside a prison camp must be the worst. Filming took place in the real Forbidden City, but I am not that impressed by it. It could have been built in a studio and we would not have known. Vast amounts of money have been spent and it is all up there on the screen, but that, by itself, doesn't really impress me.

I won't go through the changes in the Emperor's life on a stage-by-stage basis (as so many have done) because that would take away some of few things that will carry you through the (very long) movie.

It is a comment on the nature of this film that people are quite happy to explain it scene-by-scene as if this doesn't take away anything from it. It does and frankly does a disservice to the film or maybe this is one of these "great art pieces" in which such spoiler rules don't apply.

Bernardo Bertolucci is pretty overrated as a director and as a story teller he couldn't work on TV. He is a bit of a fossil in that he takes hours to say what could be said in five minutes. The acting is steady, and in Peter O'Toole we have excellence, but I couldn't get inside anybody - they either had a brown nosing or duty-to-do role and no-one is really allowed to be themselves. The acting is - in the main - cold and seems swamped by the oriental mysticism that the director wants us to bath in.

This is an important film and well worth seeing, but I wasn't entertained and after the opening - which looks at a unique childhood - I became bored and restless. Usually childhood is most boring part of any biography and the story usually picks up when they take up the sword of whatever made them famous. Here we have boy/man on the road to nowhere or nothing. A sad tale of a boy/man who seemed to have everything but in fact had nothing.

Sorry, I was left with a numb brain and a numb bottom - and I didn't even see the "long" version! To borrow a very famous review line "there is so much to admire here that I only wish I could have liked it more..."

Long and well worth every moment

[brower8 · 8/10 · 12 May 2003]

The last Emperor of China, Pu Yi, we now understand, was never anything more than a puppet. He wielded absolute power within his real realm -- a gilded cage of a palace -- but could never shape events except for tragedy to himself or to others.

We see his life as one unlikely person, the one person that one would have most expect to have been insulated, in a gigantic tragedy -- that of China between the chaotic beginning of what might have been a long reign and the destructive Cultural Revolution of Mao, with coups, warlord rule, World War II, and the Marxist Revolution culminating in the rise of Mao. One recognizes that the pathologies of imperial China never truly died, but merely took new forms in the cult of the Leader. That the scenery is beautiful and hedonism among elites is rife hardly conceals the fact that China was a political Hell.

Pu Yi, once the Emperor of the great (but decrepit) Chinese Empire, becomes Emperor of the Forbidden Palace in 1912 before he is expelled in one of many violent revolutions (this one in 1925) in China. We see him doing a few things right, like reforming the Palace bureaucracy from a den of thieves into something honorable. He gets a superb adviser in Reginald Johnston, who gave him the confidence to be a political figure -- even a good one -- in the happiest time of his life. Johnston leaves as Pu Yi is expelled from the Palace, and eventually falls under the spell of the Japanese, who rip Manchuria from China and find someone willing to rule it in an enlightened manner -- himself. The Prime Minister of his choosing is killed, and Pu Yi becomes a puppet ruler of a contemptible entity. It's just like the old days, only the intriguers are worse -- far worse. The decrepitude of the system sets in at the first moment. As Emperor he can only accede to what his Japanese overlords demand.

At the end of the war he is arrested by the Soviets because he dallies too long on unfinished business -- and after the 1949 Revolution he is sent back to China as a war criminal and traitor. Rather than being executed (as one might expect) he is sent to prison as a convict.

As a prisoner he is incarcerated with some of his former underlings -- war criminals of the Manchukuo puppet state -- who have learned to ape the ideology of their captors, and he runs afoul of those 'fellow' inmates. Ex-fascists make the most fervent communists. All in all, he simplifies and becomes a very ordinary man in a society that punished anyone who challenged anything that the regime didn't want people to challenge.

Pure puppet? Not quite. A dupe who never left when the going was good -- if the going was ever good -- and that is exactly what the Imperial role made him. In childhood the ruler of the greatest empire (in population size, that is) on Earth -- in a premature old age, a cipher. Then again, what else did most Chinese ever become in China during the first two thirds of the 20th century become -- ciphers, old before their time, wrecks of no fault of their own, just to survive.

An ornamental theory to tell the story of an ambitious emperor who did not deserve it.

[SAMTHEBESTEST · 7/10 · 20 May 2020]

The Last Emperor (1987) : Brief Review -

An ornamental theory to tell the story of an ambitious emperor who did not deserve it. The Last Emperor suggests very much by its title that it is a story of the Last Emperor of the Forbidden City, China who was nothing but an ambitious child who cultivated his own empire, reformed it and destroyed it too. The inception of an idea that he's an Emperor and he can do anything he wishes was done when he was just 3 years old but by the time he grows he finds himself trapped in World War and Republication of China and Japan. The story doesn't really offer anything extraordinary in terms of writing skills but it had to be honest to the available data even if it doesn't fit really in any cinematic or dramatic proportions. And anyways it doesn't really connect to the audience who doesn't know or care much about China and Japan's history. Well, i am one of them. Besides, i had to like to it as a Cinematic achievement, that's a fact. Director Bernardo Bertolucci delivers a very much watchable and interesting film using all the cinematic properties like locations, screenplay, production design, cinematography and gripping storytelling in systematic manners. The performances looked convincing and so does the characters, doesn't matter of they don't stay in memory by the time film ends. It's about spending those 160 minutes without feeling lazy and The Last Emperor succeeds in keeping the laziness away. Overall, it's a very good biopic and even a Fantastic must watch but only if you care so much about China or Puyi's history. Biographies are meant to rule Oscars and this just got lucky otherwise who cares about this film as we do for other memorable Classics.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest

Film-making at Its Best; Great Historical Recreation

[Hitchcoc · 10/10 · 12 November 2009]

I found I could not take my eyes off this film for many reasons. The first is a view of a culture we in the West don't understands. Tradition is at the center of everything and the Emperor is in the middle of it all. Now add the circumstances of the reign. First of all, the great and powerful Emperor can't leave the forbidden city. He is pursued by people willing to die for him, though many are crooks and people of questionable character. You then add the maturity level of the boy given this title Obviously, he has no tools to do what he is supposed to do. His divine right makes it a zoo in the palace. He is attracted to Western culture and want so badly to be a celebrity playing outside the walls of his imposed exile. He gets in bed with the Japanese because it gives him an opportunity to regain power but pretty much brings his undoing. I can't begin to explain all the elements in this film that are so impressive. Others can do that so much better. The incredible time shifts from his incarceration and "confession" to a time in China when so much "strange" stuff was going on is portrayed so well. There aren't many three hour plus movies I will watch a second time, but this is one of them. The performances by all are so striking. Peter O'Toole is outstanding, as are all the incarnations of the Emperor. This really deserved its Oscar.

Lush and opulent but disappointing epic spectacle

[roghache · 6/10 · 23 April 2006]

This is a legendary grand cinematic epic, this time focused on the People's Republic of China, the nation's history portrayed through the changing fortunes of its tragic final emperor, a puppet occupying a position only of ceremonial significance. It has wonderful authentic costumes and thousands of extras, permission being granted for its filming within the Forbidden City itself, a huge imperial complex of 250 acres. However, it's a film that disappointed me personally. I found it both confusing at the time and forgettable long term.

The film relates China's history through the prism of its last emperor, Pu Yi...his birth, brief childhood reign after being crowned emperor at age three, captivity in his own palace, taking of both a wife and a concubine, abdication and decline into a dissolute lifestyle, exploitation by the Japanese as emperor of Manchuguo, re education by the Communists, life as a regular peasant in the People's Republic and death as a humble gardener in Peking's Botanical Gardens.

My main complaint, lacking much personal knowledge of the history, is confusion as to the story, especially given the story telling method of both flash back and flash forward. It was all very artistic as opposed to informative, and presumed a considerable background knowledge of Chinese history on the part of the viewer. Although the film painted a vivid and compelling portrait of this tragic historical figure for me at the time, the images left me soon after I departed the theatre so something must have been lacking.

Visually opulent and arresting

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 23 February 2011]

I can say very little about The Last Emperor that hasn't been said already, though it is for me my favourite Bertolucci film along with Last Tango in Paris.

The Last Emperor is a visually opulent film. The cinematography is stunning, as are the scenery, editing, costumes and sets. In fact, it is one of the most visually beautiful films I've seen, and I've seen a lot. Not only that, it wonderfully juxtaposes the pre and pro-revolutionary Chinese worlds.

The music is beautiful and adds to the charm of the film as well as having an authentic flavour. Bertolucci's direction is superb, the story is engrossing and I rarely found it dull over the (almost) 3 hour duration and the dialogue is thought-provoking.

The acting is most excellent. John Lone is truly remarkable in the lead, it is a very difficult and multifaceted role and he copes brilliantly with it. Also remarkable, perhaps even more so, is the great Peter O'Toole, whose is very charming, graceful and eloquent.

Overall, a beautiful and arresting film, one I found myself admiring rather than adoring first time, but now it is becoming a favourite. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Good

[signlady · 6/10 · 12 April 2022]

In my opinion this movie is good, but not great. I saw it years ago - but forgot I'd seen it. Now, on DVD re watching it - I decided to review it.

I think it's a good movie. It is a beautiful movie. But it simply is not great now. Regarding the time it was made ('86-'87) it was probably great. I read several glowing reviews - but all the 5 to 7 star reviews mostly say the same thing I found issue with - the way the movie goes back and forth between the times of Puyi's life. And also how the film is shown seems to infer that I know some of this history.

So, I momentarily stopped watching at about 20 minutes in. I researched Puyi and his history, which is also somewhat confusing - he is both a good & bad guy, a victim of circumstances but by necessity a manipulator - all at the same time - basically trying to stay alive. It certainly is very interesting to try to imagine & understand that he saw & lived this unique childhood & history in his short life.

Unfortunately, my major problem with this movie was my DVD - no captions. And a lot of the dialogue was either mumbled or in Manchu or something. I don't know why the film makers didn't at least caption those words!

I also think this movie could've benefited vastly by having narration. Someone explaining the story so when the decades change back & forth the story teller/narrator explains some background of what's going on.

I wish they would remaster it with a really great narrator.

Vastly Overrated!!!

[jjwred7 · 5/10 · 18 February 2013]

I have to say I was severely disappointed in watching "The Last Emperor" last night. Having never seen it before, but always being aware that it was a well-reviewed and critically acclaimed film led me to believe like most films that fit into his category, it too would be enjoyable even though it took me years to get around to viewing it.

All I can say it that I really do NOT understand the High rating or how this film won 9 Academy Awards!! Whilst I can see that the subject matter was quite interesting and had Great potential to be a very very interesting film and highly entertaining, I found it to be slow paced,lacking in detail of the many occurrences/conflict points in the film, and general overall lack of making you care about the characters in the film.

I can see that the film should have been great, and certainly had the potential to be great based on an extremely interesting subject matter, but I just felt like the lack of true emotional connection to the characters or their situations (due to poor explanation on the film's part in my opinion) make it impossible to enjoy this film the way I should have or would have liked to.

I can see on paper that the sheer scope of this film warrants some attention and praise, but I thought the execution in practice was very very poor and the film uninteresting.

I really do not understand the high praise this film receives (other than it being the "epic" type of film Hollywood like to praise from time to time), as I thought it was poorly acted (other than the younger children), poorly conceived, and lacked any real emotion from what should have been a powerful powerful film.

Just my take on what I was hoping would be the epic film I had heard so much about.