The Last Emperor is an historical epic about the very last emperor of China, Pu Yi. It tells a sad tale of boy, crowned king at the tender age of three, who is forced to live a lonely existence inside the Forbidden City. He has no friends, and only a Scottish tutor (Peter O’Toole) to keep him company.
The film progresses through young Pu Yi’s life; from age three until seven, when he is forced to abdicate his throne and becomes a figurehead, the years he spends in jail, interrogated about past events in his life, and finally, his life as an old man when his only happiness is gardening.
The film is long; its running time is set at three hours, but the film is set on a grand scale. With the permission of the Chinese government, filmmakers were allowed to film inside the Forbidden City, something which had never been allowed.
The City acts as it’s own character the grandeur and splendor of the city dazzles us as well as intrigues us. How many emperors had walked those very grounds. The city isn’t some recreation; it’s the real deal. To tell the truth, the interiors are fake; but inter-cut with the real city you cannot tell the difference.
It is no wonder that this film won all nine Academy Awards it was nominated for because director Bernardo Bertolucci spared no expense in creating this epic masterpiece.
Costumes are made from the best Chinese silks; buildings are accurate for time.
The only fault of the film is that is does move slowly, and drags from here to there. It gets boring at these points, but not for very long.
The Last Emperor is a deserved winner of the Best Picture Oscar. It is a wonderful biopic, a piece of history we must never forget.
Movies it was nominated with for Best Picture:Broadcast News; Fatal Attraction; Hope and Glory; Moonstruck
Is the movie worth your time to watch?
9/10 25-08-08
