Rating: 
Summary: An Unforgetable Film
Review: In 1908, at the age of two, Pu Yi ascended to China's Imperial Throne succeeding Empress Dowager Tzu Hsi. He died an ordinary citizen of The People's Republic of China in 1967. From Emperor to war criminal to gardener, the saga of Pu Yi's life is brilliantly portrayed in this 9 Academy Award winning epic, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. "The Last Emperor" is spectacular, erotic and deeply moving and is one of the greatest films ever made.
Rating:
Summary: Iron Bars Do Not A Prison Make...
Review: ...So to speak. I just watched The Last Emperor a few nights ago in preparation for this review, and I was struck again by its powerful depiction of Pu Yi as a prisoner of his own life -- as well as how Bertolucci chose to show Pu Yi as a prisoner. Scenes of Pu Yi in high places (atop a wall, on a roof, standing on the raised mound of earth where he assumes the emperorship of Manchuria), presumably places of power, change in the light of the circumstances in each scene (discovering he is emperor of China in name only, screaming "I want to go OUT!", selectively blind to the fact that Manchuria is nothing more than a puppet state run by the Japanese). Bertolucci's shots from behind railings (suggesting prison bars) and over walls (suggesting much the same) reinforce this notion. Imprisonment is indeed what it is, whether one is talking about the gilded cage of the Forbidden City, the invisible bars of Pu Yi's Japanese warders, or the Communist "re-education center" where the former Lord of 10, 000 Years spends what is perhaps the most formative decade of his life. Pu Yi is, speaking in historical terms, a fascinating and tragic figure. Crowned at the age of three, kept isolated in the Forbidden City throughout his childhood and early adulthood, robbed and manipulated by enemies pretending friendship, then held captive by the Communists after the Cultural Revolution, Pu Yi was rarely, if ever, in charge of his own destiny. In fact, the few times he ever tried to take control of his life, he was savagely beaten down. Take for example the scene where he tries to speak to his "aides" (read: Japanese plants) about Manchurian independence from Nippon. One by one the advisors and ministers rise and walk out on him, and what begins as Pu Yi taking charge becomes Pu Yi back in his invisible prison once more. It's a heartwrenching moment, and John Lone captures exactly what Pu Yi must have felt. In fact, Lone's performance is one of the best things in this film. He is one of those rare actors who can play melodrama without resorting to melodramatics; he acts with his eyes, and the slight alterings of expression which speak volumes on a large screen (a gentle smile, the lifting of eyebrows, a slight downturn of the mouth, etc.). Lone was born to play this role, and I consider it to be his finest performance (and I must pause here to mention the younger actors who play Pu Yi as a child, preadolescent, and teenager; they too have a tremendous onscreen presence). I also very much enjoyed Peter O'Toole as Johnston, the English teacher hired to train Pu Yi in the ways of a modern world which the he might never experience firsthand. O'Toole's quiet, understated acting supports the main story beautifully, especially as we come to see Johnston as the only man who understands, and sympathizes with, Pu Yi's predicament. (His battle to get the Emperor glasses -- i.e., to keep him from being completely blind to what is going on -- is a key moment in the film.) Joan Chen is also brilliant as Pu Yi's doomed, opium-addicted wife -- the unsettling scene where she begins eating flowers at a state reception has always stayed with me, and still raises gooseflesh on my arms. As to Bertolucci...well, I'll admit here that I have not always been a fan of his work. I think his films are interesting, if not always to my liking; I will also say that, in my opinion, The Last Emperor is his best work. It is filled with sumptuous images, colors and textures, from the vibrant hues of the Forbidden City (and oh, what wonderful use Bertolucci makes of that strange, magical place!), to the rich red of Joan Chen's lipstick (and the whimsical imprints they leave ALL OVER a young Pu Yi's face and shaven head). The flutterings of silk, the crimson blossom of blood in a water-filled sink where Pu Yi cuts his wrists, the glimmers of light off the black pearl placed in the deceased Empress Dowager's mouth -- all of this is superb, all of it dazzles or attracts...or, sometimes, horrifies. The moment when young Pu Yi hurls his pet mouse at the doors which keep him imprisoned is a perfect example of that; the darker magenta of the mouse's blood against the bright red paint is beautiful symbolism, and you cannot help but marvel even as you cringe at Pu Yi's (admittedly somewhat justified) cruel tantrum. In the end, this movie is about how even a life sentence in one's own skin can be commuted -- the final scenes, where Pu Yi revisits the Forbidden City, are as full of magic and wonder as the best cinematic moments should be. The film achieves closure through the use of the cricket jar -- the freeing of the cricket, and the sudden disappearance of Pu Yi, are one and the same.... Freedom comes to Pu Yi when he realizes that, in a way, the entire world is a prison (a realization which comes in the shocking scene where he discovers his own warden is now a state criminal and must die); it is what one does within those walls which can lead to freedom, or further imprisonment. The Last Emperor is a remarkable treatise on this idea; Bertolucci, and his massive, impressive cast make the most of it. This is a highly effective, affecting movie. Just writing about it has filled me with the urge to watch it again, and possibly again after that. It is a long movie, but you don't notice the hours go by while you're watching it...and a higher compliment to The Last Emperor cannot be paid. For the time you spend under its influence, you are its prisoner...and happy to be so.
Rating: 
Summary: The Last Emperor DVD- Don't buy it
Review: While the movie itself is great, the DVD transfer is the worst I have ever seen. It is full of shimmering and artifacts. Do not waste your money. Presumably, the VHS tape is acceptable.
Rating:
Summary: Bertolucci's Last Epic!
Review: By that I mean with great respect! Bernardo Bertolucci is known for such cinematic extravaganzas as 1973's LAST TANGO IN PARIS and 1977's 1900; and to add to his credits, 1987's Best Picture winner THE LAST EMPEROR! A film of major diversity. An Italian director (Bertolucci), a predominately Chinese cast including frequent costars John Lone and Joan Chen, British actor and seven-time Oscar nominee Peter O'Toole, an American producer named Jeremy Thomas, and distributed by an American studio, Columbia Pictures! John Lone is the title character, Chinese emperor "Henry" Pu-Yi, who became the last Emperor of China at the age of 3, and would be the "Lord of Ten Thousand Years!" Nothing would prepare him for the change that would eventually occur when he is forced into abdication, forced into retaking his kingdom, and forcing him to attempt suicide after his arrest and capture by Chinese and Russian communist troops after World War II. Eventually, after serving his time for conspiracy, he released from prison and lives out the rest of his life in 1967 -- as a simple gardner. Imagine. From Emperor to gardner, totally heartbreaking! Heartbreaking is the fact that it cost him EVERYTHING! His wife "Elizabeth" Wan Jung, played with grace by the gorgeous Joan Chen; his kingdom and his freedom. But, you can't simply hate the guy! He is, of course, a man who was spoiled by his servants and soldiers as a child. The film has both an epic scope and an excellently-written character story. (Though most historians believed that the film embellished on certain facts, like Pu-Yi's homosexuality.) It is played competently by an Asian cast and a wonderfully witty Peter O'Toole, who should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor that year, as the Emperor's patient tutor Reginald "R.J." Johnston. Needless to say, I cried at the very end of this film! I LOVED that scene between the elder Pu-Yi and a little boy who appears to be just like the Emperor as a child. And the symbolic message this film taught with the cricket in the jar, as the little boy opens the jar to reveal the insect (by then, Pu-Yi has magically disappeared). An epic film with a heart (like my PRISONER OF WAR)! Winner of all 9 of its nominations including: Best Picture - Jeremy Thomas, producer; Best Director - Bernardo Bertolucci; Best Adapted Screenplay - Bertolucci and Mark Peploe; Best Cinematography; Best Art Direction/Set Decoration; Best Costume Design; Best Score; Best Sound; and Best Film Editing. THIS FILM IS APPROXIMATELY: 2 HOURS AND 40 MINUTES. But well worth it!
Rating:
Summary: Great movie; horrible DVD
Review: This is a great movie. However, the video (and audio) transfer to DVD is bad and I do not understand why such a film does not get a better treatment: This is a classical. I am waiting for an improved version of the DVD and I will buy it, even if I do not get my money back for the previous version.
Rating: 
Summary: Breathtaking movie that deserves better treatment on DVD
Review: I'll make this review short and sweet. First off, the movie itself is derserving of all its Oscar wins. The acting is superb, the cinematography is breathtaking, and the story is significant if not moving. If you are a movie lover you will certainly appreciate the beauty and power of this film. So why only 3 stars? I simply can't give the DVD more than 3 stars, becuase quite frankly, this movie deserves a better film transfer and better audio on DVD. The picture is sub-par when you compare it to almost all the new DVD releases today, and the sound is a little better, but not by much. Perhaps the studio should revisit this title and clean it up with a loaded new special edition release with a squeaky clean anamorphic picture transfer with DD 5.1 and DTS sound to boast. This DVD's director's cut is also much longer than the original, which in my opinion, doesn't hurt the film at all, but it doesn't improve the film drastically either. So base your buying decision on the following fact: this is a masterpiece movie on a sub-par DVD transfer. To me, the movie was a must have DVD, which was worth the purchase price alone. Afterall, it is still better than VHS.
Rating:
Summary: Number one
Review: the life of the last emperor was a touching inspiration. the ending was a nice touchto this movie. No wonder this film garnered many awards.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Interesting
Review: This is the story of a man who is not the least bit interesting. The emperor is living better than a god in his palace city while the Chinese people are living worse than his mouse. Trust me the emperor's dog, if he had one, was probably living better than the Chinese people. The only thing I saw this man really "doing" during the entire film was play tennis. Other than that, he just sits or stands there expressionless letting events happen around him. No doubt, the filmmaking is impressive, but a movie cannot rely solely on that. Also, the movie portrays the Empress Dowager as some kind of enigmatic god-like creature. In reality, the Empress was an extremely cruel woman who does not deserve to be protrayed the way she was. There is an old Japanese proverb that says, "If you believe everything your read, best not read". Here are my words of wisdom to aspiring and great filmmakers: "If your gonna make a movie about an uninteresting man, best not make a movie."
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie That Brought Me Lots Of Feelings!
Review: "The Last Emperor" is a great film. Somehow I think that this film can be used as a material for the study of Literature. As the movie moves foward, we can see the different themes of deception, friendship, freedom, fate and growing up. After watching the film, I think Pu Yi is the most tragic figure in the show. He was seperated from his mother at the age of 3 and was locked up in the Forbidden City for most of his childhood and teenage days. As the Emperor of China, he lived his days in comfort. However, beneath the world of comfort and enjoyment, he had actually been hidden from the truth that the Qing Government had already been overthrown in 1911. He didn't knew anything as the imperial servents had always assure him that he is "The son of heaven" and will rule China for "10-000 years". He only discovered the truth when his brother brought him to peep at the president of the republic. Next came an English tutor who taught him in this teenage years. I viewed their relationship as a friend-friend relationship rather than a tutor-student relationship. The tutor symbolises change for Pu Yi. With him, we see the westernisation of Pu Yi. I am terribly moved when the two of the them had to be seperated later in the story as the tutor had to return to Britain. Before his departure, Pu Yi had an Chinese ensemble playing for him and this shows the depth of their friendship. When Pu Yi married a 17 year old princess, his life changed. This princess somehow pushed him further towards westernisation. The marriage (like many other old tradition marriages)was arranged. On their wedding night, they were strangers and were not willing to made love. The Empress suggested that they will be a "modern couple" and will only make love when they had knew each other well enough. After years of imprisonment in the Forbidden City, Pu Yi and his family was finally forced to leave the palace. After they left, Pu Yi and his 2 wives began to lead a life of western luxury. They danced at dance parties, ate western food, listened to radios and do whatever the westerners do. Later, his 2nd wife had a divorce with him because she did not want to be Pu Yi's mistress. The story swept quickly from the divorce of the 2nd wife to the part where he was invited by the Japanese to their newly captured Manchuria. Manchuria was renamed to Manchukuo, and Pu Yi (who was ex-emperor of the Qing Dynasty [already overthrown] which was ruled by the Manchu people)was crowned the Emperor of Manchuria. In fact Pu Yi became the puppet-emperor of Manchuria where the Japanese used him to conceal their war-crimes. Pu Yi wanted to be an Emperor once again... So much that he did not even believe in his wife who told that he had been used by the Japs. When his wife gave birth to a child, the child was reported dead. I personally believe that the child was killed by by the Japanese. His wife was later sent away and I think this was the aim the Japanese wanted to accomplish by killing the baby. When the war ended, his wife came back. She became insane and was in a devastating state. However, during the war days, Pu Yi never had a chance to escape the clutches of the Japanese. This was his second prison after the Forbidden City. After the war, Pu Yi was obviously captured. He became a war criminal and spent 10 years in the reform centre. This was his 3rd prison. He was released in 1959 when he was 53. During these days, he learned many things. Most of all, he learned to be independent. In his younger days, he lived a life of an Emperor (Emperor of the Qing Dynasty and Emperor under the Japanese rule of Manchuria)where everything was taken care of by his servents. Now, he knew how to do everything himself. Before the show ended, the movie showed Pu Yi returning to Forbidden City as a visitor. Nobody knew who he was and what he is in the past. It greatly sadden me. Can you imagaine a person who was once an Emperor, feared and respected by thousand of people had now become a nobody with no status. However, it was not his fault. He became the Emperor at 3 and knew nothing about the evils of the world... Sigh! "The Last Emperor" is indeed a great movie which brought a lot of mixed feelings to me :-)!
Rating:
Summary: Dazzling
Review: I'm Chinese and this is one of the most accurate and wonderful depiction of the Chinese life I have ever seen from a foreign director. His superior understanding of the culture and customs of Chinese civilians are unbelievable. This is the story of the last supreme ruler of China, Yu Pi. He is confined within the walls of the Forbidden City of Peking for most of his childhood. Then he is overthrown by the armies of Chang kai sek and is forced to seek refuge in Japanese control. His attempt to reclaim power is in vain. He was considered a war criminal and forced to serve 10 years in prison with his brother. Amazing in detail and broad in scope, this film well-earned its 9 Academy Awards. This unforgettable film never fails to deliever a blow to the hearts of the viewers. Buy the final director's cut, it's longer and well worth it...
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