Rating: 
Summary: WAAAAAY TOO LONG
Review: I watched the original version of this film and I can't really figure out why they would want to add another long dull hour to it. I didn't enjoy this movie much, mainly because I didn't feel any sympathy at all for the character. Maybe it's me, but when I can't relate on any kind of level to the people I'm watching on the screen, I don't have a very good time. The fact that it was an agonizing three hours long didn't help. I can see why this film won so many awards, though. It was very well done technically. The cinematography, sound, screenplay, etc., were all of high order, and the movie overall seemed to be well made. I just wish the people in it hadn't been so distant.
Rating: 
Summary: Ho hum
Review: One of the nicest things about home video, particularly DVD, is that it enables us to see full-length versions of films that studios didn't trust us to enjoy in theaters. The practice of mutilating longer films, particularly non-American ones, is one of the most insulting habits Hollywood has developed, and that says a lot. (It also is one of the most hypocritical. For inevitably the reason given for shortening the films is that "audiences won't be able to sit through something that long," when in fact they're truncated so that theaters can have more show times and thus sell more tickets.)If you've only seen the shortened version of THE LAST EMPEROR (the one that won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1987), then you should definitely check out this disc. On the other hand, the full length version of THE LAST EMPEROR has been available to laserdisc player owners for several years through a grey-market Japanese import. If you've seen that disc, this DVD will come less as a revelation than as a disappointment. It's not that it doesn't improve on the Japanese disc (which had a fairly murky transfer). It just doesn't take full advantage of DVD's superior color fidelity, resolution and contrast. Nor is the transfer 16:9 enhanced, an odd omission for a film so thoroughly dependent on widescreen composition. The audio is a definite improvement over the Japanese disc, but why wasn't more attention paid to color and texture in the imagery? This was the last film Bertolucci made with both cinematographer Vittorio Storaro and designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti. It would be nice to see the final collaboration of the team who created THE CONFORMIST, one of the most visually significant films in the history of cinema, given the due it deserves. It's not that the disc is bad; it just doesn't *sing* the way it ought. Then again, neither does the movie. THE LAST EMPEROR is handsome, stately, a trifle dull and more than a little safe. It compares favorably with other big budget spectaculars like DOCTOR ZHIVAGO or GONE WITH THE WIND or SPARTACUS, but it falls short of Bertolucci's best work or great History Films like ANDREI RUBLEV or THE RED AND THE WHITE or THE LEOPARD. It is certainly pleasant, occasionally interesting, and beautifully manicured. What it isn't is the extraordinary celebration of life and film that Bertolucci at his best provides. No wonder it won so many awards; it's as homogenized and prettified (though not quite as aimless) as the Oscar® ceremony itself.
Rating: 
Summary: Great movie, inexcusable video transfer!
Review: Since I saw Bernardo Bertolucci's epic, The Last Emperor in the theater when it was released, I have been a fan of this wonderful movie. I was thrilled when it was released on DVD and rushed to get my hands on a copy. I had never seen the director's cut which comes in at a whopping 3 hours and 38 minutes. Don't worry, the film is extremely long, but holds your interest captive the whole time. To my horror, the video transfer on this DVD was one of the worst I had ever seen! I'm sure the VHS version is far superior to this transfer. Why would anyone cram such a long film with beautiful Oscar winning cinemetography onto one side of a single layered disc? The digital artifacts and shimmering are so bad that it's nearly impossible to enjoy the film. I have yet to see the director's cut of this movie because I had to stop watching. This is the only DVD I have ever returned due to poor quality. I still eagerly await a DVD transfer of this great movie that does it the justice it deserves. Sadly, I heartily do NOT recommend this DVD due to dismal video quality although this is one of my favorite films.
Rating: 
Summary: Exoticism not a substitute for style
Review: Bernardo Bertolucci (another 7-syllable name like Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini, Vittorio de Sica - only this time without the magic) is all into the trappings of people's lives, so he was perfect for this subject. Alas, he can't begin to illuminate what's beaneath the trappings. He added almost an hour to this "director's cut," and the extra footage doesn't add a tincture of information about poor Pu Yi, China's Last Emperor (always excepting 'Chairman' Mao), that might have made this tedious film worth enduring. And the politics of this movie, set in the midst of some of the most politically charged moments of the last century, are particularly ridiculous. This is Vittorio Storaro's film, really, who gives us an insider's tour of the magnificent Forbidden City - a marvel of Chinese culture which casts a gigantic shadow across the whole Communist era.
Rating: 
Summary: an extraordinary epic
Review: This is a saga of vast proportions. It spans decades and tells the incredible tale of Pu Yi, the last Emperor of China, who's life took many strange turns.The handsome John Lone plays him as an adult with magestic grace and Joan Chen is beautiful as his sad and tragic wife. Peter O'Toole, wonderful as always, is his tutor. As Pu Yi suffers many trials, his humanity grows. This is an inspiring story as well as one of historical significance, and is so immense that it should be seen more than once if not several times. Vittorio Storaro's cinematography is glorious, with breathtaking panoramas. This film is a masterpiece !
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful epic, that doesn't have a boring moment in 3 hours
Review: I am OK with this film's length and overblown production, because that is how an epic is supposed be (otherwise, it is not "epic" anymore!). It is not a sort of film that you can watch when you have nothing else to do. NO. You have to prepare yourself, sort of ritualistically... In this film, for the first time ever, viewers see and learn about life inside the Great Chinese Wall. It is a dazzling and strange experience. Cinematography is excellent and the whole thing works perfectly together. I especially enjoyed the switch between the past and the present (so-called flashbacks) in the narration. I also loved John Lone. He only played ~~one/third of the part as an adult Pu Yi, but he is such an amazing actor! I wish there were more actors like John Lone on the horizon!
Rating:
Summary: A great film, a bad DVD
Review: Eraser is a movie, The Sixth Sense is a movie, THe Last Emporer is a Film. Alough this DVD has bad quality, you can still get the full impact of the film. This is a facinating film about the life of Pu Yi, the Last Emporer of China. He was taken away from his home, and crowned empror at the age of three. This film contains some unforgetable cinnematography, and a remarkable score. Maybe you shouldn't buy it, but just rent it.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating story, but overblow production!
Review: This film is too aware of the epic proportions of its story. This is a shame because the story is a fascinating one. It tells of Pu Y, who became China's last emperor during the early part of the 20th century. He lived in the Forbidden City, unknowlegable of the world and even the country around him. As a very young child and through his teens he had everything done for him, but then is pitched away when the country becomes involved in war. Not aware of life it becomes an uphill task to accustom himself. The story is incredible and actually excellent material for a mini-series. And, unlike a lot of mini-series would not be boring or stretched beyond interest. There is a lot of material here. But rather than rely on that material, director Bernardo Bertolucci elects to ignore the foundation and depend instead on never letting the audience forget the size of the tale. We are as an audience, therefore, put off everytime the story moves to a new plateau. We are forced to ask questions that are not answered because he attempts to cram too much spectacle into a three-hour movie.Technically, the film is superior. Its costumes, art direction and editing are incomparable. The music score co-written by David Byrne (formerly of the rock band, Talking Heads) is also superb. But it's the cinematography that is really the thing here. If it wasn't for that, the few bare threads of the original story that do come through would have been non-existant, leaving the film as shallow as they come.But the characters are the thing here and they become mere backdrops for Bertolucci's overblown self-awareness. It's not that Pu Y comes across cold and distant as some critics have remarked. And it's certainly not John Lone's very brave performance of said character that creates problems. It is simply the overall flatness of the characters. They have no dimension. Whether its the otherwise excellent editing or the director-penned screenplay (more likely) the film is, for this critic, GREATLY lacking in depth.There is a "director's cut" available on DVD. But the hopes for improvements have been greatly diminished by the opinion of some of the reviews that have been written.So, in short, if you want to see how cinematography and other technical qualities can save a movie, see this film. If you are looking for character development and interaction, forget it!
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie, See The Directors Cut Edition!
Review: The only way to see 'The Last Emperor' is through the new 'Directors Cut' edition, the way it was meant to be seen, Bertolucci's original vision. While the movie is 3 and a half hours long it is never boring and always fascinating. Absolutely masterful cinematography and a beautiful score keep you hooked. Lush production and great direction by Bernardo Bertolucci make this movie a beautiful epic and one of the greates films of the 80's. As with all period epics this one has great costumes and art direction. The DVD is not all that bad, and if you like Bertolucci I recommend 'The Conformist' or 'Last Tango In Paris'. Highly recommended, see this movie. From a scale of 1-10 I give it a 9!
Rating:
Summary: The Puppet Emperor
Review: This is the best long duration movie I've ever seen. I have to agree with the poor DVD quality but for me its still acceptable. Still highly recomended. I give it 5 star for great cinematography.
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