The Last Emperor

Bernardo Bertolucci, USA, 1987, 160 minutes

Covering a period of more than fifty years, Bertolucci's epic follows the rise and fall of the Chinese emperor Pu Yi (John Lone). From his crowning at the age of three until practically his fall, Pu Yi was treated as a mere puppet manipulated by the Western nations and Japan. But when China became a republic, Pu Yi found himself a prisoner in his own palace (the Forbidden City with its 9,999 rooms!). His Scottish tutor (Peter O'Toole) tries tirelessly to open Pu Yi's eyes and to offer constructive advice. He also provides a kind of friendship which the emperor has never experienced before.

Having swept the Oscar Awards, The Last Emperor could have been made in America for the simple reason that it displays all the characteristics of magisterial cinema. The use of English language though seems to be detrimental to the faithful depiction of the cultural climate in China, although the excellent performances throughout the film, especially from John Lone, function well in turning away the viewer from that fact. The glorious photography displays impressively the imperial rites in the palace, as well as the atmospheric interior scenes of personal confrontations. It's interesting also to observe that the latent lesbianism in previous Bertolucci films, such as The Conformist, manifests itself in the scene involving the empress (Joan Chen) herself.

An interesting film, especially in historical terms, The Last Emperor ultimately places too much importance upon the visual element, which might indeed be essential but it works at the expense of the psychological element in Pu Yi's relationship with his surroundings. And although inferior to similar films such as Kurosawa's Ran, it still remains quintessential magisterial cinema.

Review by Spiros Gangas
Taken from EUFS Programme 1992-93