Last Emperor, The

Last Emperor, The

1987

This sweeping account of the life of Pu Yi (John Lone), the last emperor of China, follows the leader's tumultuous reign. After being captured by the Red Army as a war criminal in 1950, Pu Yi recalls his childhood from prison. He remembers his lavish youth in the Forbidden City, where he was afforded every luxury but unfortunately sheltered from the outside world and complex political situation surrounding him. As revolution sweeps through China, the world Pu Yi knew is dramatically upended.

1500 slaves. 353,260,000 royal subjects. Warlords. Concubines. And 2 wives. He was the loneliest boy in the world.

Winner of 9 Academy Awards

JBscale
83
Excellent

Film Detail

Genre
Drama - History
Length
2 hrs. 44 mins.
US Theatrical Release
April 15, 1988
US Box Office
$43,984,230 (#2119 of 7538)
Global Office
No Data Available
Rating
PG-13
Parents Strongly Cautioned

Collection Detail

Edition
Single Disc Criterion Collection #422 & Digital
Resolution | Digital Platform
Aspect Ratio
WS 2.39:1
Audio
English: DTS-HD Master 2.0
Studio
Criterion
Released
January 6, 2009
Acquired Date
December 29, 2015
Times Seen
1 Time
Last Watched

Actors

John Lone
John Lone
Joan Chen
Joan Chen
Peter O'Toole
Peter O'Toole
Ruocheng Ying
Ruocheng Ying
Victor Wong
Victor Wong
Dennis Dun
Dennis Dun
Ryuichi Sakamoto
Ryuichi Sakamoto
Maggie Han
Maggie Han
Ric Young
Ric Young
Vivian Wu
Vivian Wu
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Jade Go
Jade Go
Fumihiko Ikeda
Fumihiko Ikeda
Richard Vuu
Richard Vuu
Tsou Tijger
Tsou Tijger
Tao Wu
Tao Wu
Lisa Lu
Lisa Lu
Kaige Chen
Kaige Chen
Henry O
Henry O

Directors

Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci

Producers

Jeremy Thomas
Jeremy Thomas

Writers

Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci
Mark Peploe
Mark Peploe

Awards & Accolades

  • 1987 Oscar : Art Direction
  • 1987 Oscar : Best Director - Bernardo Bertolucci
  • 1987 Oscar : Best Picture
  • 1987 Oscar : Cinematography
  • 1987 Oscar : Costume Design
  • 1987 Oscar : Film Editing
  • 1987 Oscar : Music (Original Score)
  • 1987 Oscar : Sound
  • 1987 Oscar : Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Special Features

Commentaries
  • writer/director Bernardo Bertolucci, producer Jeremy Thomas, screen-writer Mark Peploe, and composer-actor Ryuichi Sakamato
Documentaries
  • The Chinese Adventure of Bernardo Bertolucci
Other
  • The Italian Traveler: Bernardo Bertolucci

Other Recommendations

User Reviews

Ratings

JB Users
--
 
RT Fresh Certified
86%
Tomatometer
126 votes
RT Fresh Certified
88%
Popcornmeter
1,368 votes
METASCORE
76
15 votes
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
114,404 votes