The Last Emperor
THE
LAST EMPERORÂ (15)
D:
Bernardo Bertolucci
Columbia (Jeremy Thomas)
UK/Italy/China 🇬🇧🇮🇹🇨🇳 1987
160
mins
Biopic/Historical
W:
Mark Peploe & Bernado Bertolucci [based on the autobiography "From Emperor To Citizen" by Pu Yi]
DP:Â Vittorio Storaro
Ed:
Gabriella Cristiani
Mus:
Ryuichi Sakamoto, Cong Su & David Byrne
PD:Â Fernando Scarfiotti
Cos:Â James Acheson
John
Lone (Pu Yi), Joan Chen (Wanrong), Peter O'Toole (Reginald Johnston), Victor Wong (Chen Baochen)
Bernardo Bertolucci's picturesque biopic of Pu Yi, the last emperor
of a historical Chinese dynasty, is a visual treat, full of meticulous detail and beautiful photography, but at 160 minutes long, it weighs quite heavy.Â
Following the young emperor from his birth and brief reign in the
Forbidden City before his exile once China becomes a republic.Â
As a
child, he was the object of worship by half a billion people, followed by his abdication, exploitation by invading Japanese forces and closing with his obscure existence as a peasant gardener in
the People's Republic of China, now a communist regime.
Bertolucci's work is
historically accurate, but the dramatic pacing of the film often lags, not particularly helped by its non-linear narrative structure. Nevertheless, it was a critical darling, winning all 9 of the
Oscars for which it was nominated. There is a lot to marvel at here, from the gorgeous cinematography, the sumptuous costuming and the impressive fear of filming being allowed at such
historically important locations, I wasn't anywhere near
as impressed as the Academy was.
7/10
