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The Last Emperor [1987]
![The Last Emperor [1987]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41X8QS250SL._SL160_.jpg)
RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £5.15 (subject to change)
Powerful Movie Depicting the end of a dynasty
Review date: 2007-12-14 Rating: 10 out of 10
This to me was a very powerful movie, I loved the story, and the final outcome was how it should be. Somehow we believe that Kings, Queens, Emperors etc are entitled to their power, that somehow they deserve it. This is how this emperor saw himself, he believed he was better, and above the average person, his sense of entitlement and view of reality was so perverted, that he did everything possible to retain and regain his position in life. However from the day he entered the palace he was a pawn, powerless to act, yet he never sees this. Maybe we don't all understand his re-education, but this is what makes the ending so great. There is a fantastic moral to this story. A beautiful story, sad, moving, and somehow, strangely uplifting. Highly recommended
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Reviews
A marvellous story
Review date: 2007-08-14 Rating: 10 out of 10
This multi-award winning film detailing the life of Pu Yi, the last emperor to rule China. The film takes the viewer through the life of the last emperor, from his investiture and his early years living in the Forbidden Palace, his actions during the Second World War and his time in a Communist prison after the war.
This is a marvellously made film, well acted, entertainingly written and brilliantly directed. I cannot comment on the on the historical accuracy of this film, as I don't know enough about the period in question, but the film does tell a rather sympathetic story about a naive man in situations he cannot control. This special edition adds nearly an hour of extra footage to the theatrical release, as well as some good special features.
Director's cut is even better.
Review date: 2006-11-19 Rating: 8 out of 10
I won't go into details of how wonderful I consider this film to be. Suffice to say that the director's cut adds almost an extra hour to the two-and-a-half hour original. It fills in much of the background historical material and shores up the action on screen, especially with regard to Pu Yi's servant in the prison, the arrival of Johnstone (O'Toole's character), and life in general in the Forbidden City.
A marvellous visual feast.
Early 20th century China history in a nutshell
Review date: 2004-06-24 Rating: 10 out of 10
The movie is basically a straight-forward biopic of the last emperor of China as the name implies. What sets this Oscar winning film apart is the adept direction by Bernardo Bertolucci and his equally talented crew (especially the DP Vittorio Stararo). The colours that fill the screen is amazing. This movie has to been seen in the 70mm format in an IMAX auditorium.
Production values aside, the only flaw in this film, is the deadpan performance of John Lone. He still represents the Western archetype of Asians in the Charlie Chan and Fu Manchu style of bad acting with equally bad accented English. The movie could have been better if it had been using the authentic Mandarin language (Pu Tong Hua).
Overall, this edition is a marked improvement from its Region 1 cousin, being the presence of an audio commentary and a documentary. The Region 1 DVD that I owned was a general disappointment.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Joan Chen
Peter O'Toole
John Lone
Ruocheng Ying
Victor Wong
Creators:
John Lone (Primary Contributor)
Joan Chen (Primary Contributor)
Bernardo Bertolucci (Writer)
Franco Giovale (Producer)
Jeremy Thomas (Producer)
John Daly (Producer)
Joyce Herlihy (Producer)
Henry Pu-yi (Writer)
Mark Peploe (Writer)
Director(s):
Recording label: Optimum Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Optimum Home Entertainment
EAN: 5060034570967
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: Box set, Director's Cut, PAL,
Release date: 2004-05-24
Number of discs: 2
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 450 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1987-12-18
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: Japanese (Original Language)