The Last Emperor

1987

Action / Biography / Drama / History

75
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 86% · 125 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 88% · 25K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.7/10 10 120780 120.8K

based on a true story suicide experiment china isolation buddhism

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Plot summary

A dramatic history of Pu Yi, the last of the Emperors of China, from his lofty birth and brief reign in the Forbidden City, the object of worship by half a billion people; through 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.

Director

Bernardo Bertolucci Photo
Bernardo Bertolucci

Top cast

Joan Chen Photo
Joan Chen as Wan Jung
Peter O'Toole Photo
Peter O'Toole as Reginald 'R. J.' Johnston
Lisa Lu Photo
Lisa Lu as Tzu Hsui
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Photo
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Chang
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU 2160p.BLU.x265
1.84 GB
1280*544
English 2.0
TV-14
Subtitles
23.976 fps
2 hr 43 min
Seeds 12
3.52 GB
1920*816
English 2.0
TV-14
Subtitles
23.976 fps
2 hr 43 min
Seeds 79
7.4 GB
3840*1632
English 5.1
TV-14
Subtitles
23.976 fps
2 hr 42 min
Seeds 23

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by CinemaSerf 8 / 10

This is a glorious film to watch on

This is a glorious film to watch on a big screen. It depicts the end of empire and the birth of new ones - and it does it in a spectacularly colourful and stylish fashion. The death of the Empress Dowager sees the toddler Pu Yi ascend the Dragon Throne of China, and live amidst concubines and eunuchs in the Forbidden City. He grows up believing his is a divine right to rule, and it is only upon the arrival of his tutor RJ (Peter O'Toole) and his procurement of spectacles that his eyes begin to be opened to the reality that his kingdom is entirely enclosed within a wall of golden yellow tiles. When this idyll is disrupted by warring events outside, the Emperor (now John Lone) sone finds himself a playboy, married to an opium addict (Joan Chen) and a useful puppet of the manipulative Japanese who have invaded much of his erstwhile realm. WWII arrives, power struggles ensue and the story of his eventual - and rather brutal - reintegration into the newly established Chinese communist society is depicted sensitively and without recourse to too much melodrama or sentiment. The score adds a wonderful richness to what is undoubtedly the star of this - the cinematography. Set inside the splendour of the actual Imperial Palace complex in Peking, we get a wonderful sense of the grandeur, isolation and luxury of life inside this sumptuously decorated collection of marble and brightly painted villas whilst outside, poverty and mysticism reigned more surely than did the occupant of the throne. The costume design is also remarkable - a perfect eye for the detail of the period from the start to the middle of the 20th Century. To be honest, the acting - aside from an engaging performance from the inquisitive and mischievous three year old (Richard Vuu) is all pretty routine. O'Toole features sparingly and doesn't quite fit the bill as the learned and worldly scholar. Lone and Chen are competent but they really only shine a light on the rather stilted dialogue. This isn't really a film about words - it's a film about visuals. It's about history, politics, corruption, betrayal - and even a little bit of love - all encased in a shell of creative elegance. It's wasted on the television - but is certainly one of the best examples of "epic" cinema yet made and Bertolucci has clearly invested a great deal of himself in this beautiful piece of drama. A must see, I'd say.
Reviewed by emm 8 / 10

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.
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