- Awards And Honors:
- BAFTA (1989)
- Golden Globe Award (1988)
- Academy Award (1988)
The Last Emperor
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What is The Last Emperor?
The Last Emperor, a historical epic film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, tells the story of Puyi, the last emperor of China's Qing dynasty.
The film begins in 1950, depicting Puyi's arrival at a Chinese prison where he attempts suicide. The story unfolds through flashbacks, showcasing his life from his coronation at age three to his experiences through revolution, Japanese occupation, and eventual imprisonment. Released in 1987, The Last Emperor was the first feature film permitted to be filmed inside the Forbidden City. The film garnered critical acclaim, receiving nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
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Who directed The Last Emperor film?
Bernardo Bertolucci directed the historical epic film The Last Emperor, released in 1987. The film tells the story of Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing dynasty in China, and garnered nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The Last Emperor was based on Puyi’s autobiography, From Emperor to Citizen, and was the first feature film permitted to be filmed inside the Forbidden City.
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Who is the main character in The Last Emperor?
The main character in the film The Last Emperor is Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing dynasty. The movie begins in 1950 with Puyi's arrival at a prison in China and unfolds as a series of flashbacks. Richard Vuu, Tsou Tijger, Tao Wu, and John Lone play Puyi at different stages of his life.
The Last Emperor, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It was also the first feature film permitted to be filmed inside the Forbidden City.
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What time period and place does the film cover?
The Last Emperor, a 1987 film, begins in 1908, when Puyi ascends to the throne at age three, and concludes in 1967 during China's Cultural Revolution. The historical drama unfolds primarily in China, starting in the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Qing dynasty's imperial palace.
Later, the film moves to Tianjin, where Puyi and his wives live in the Japanese-occupied area, and then to Manchukuo in Manchuria, a Japanese puppet state. The film portrays Puyi's life from his childhood to his time as a prisoner and, ultimately, as a citizen in Beijing.
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Why is The Last Emperor important in film history?
The Last Emperor, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, holds significance in film history for several reasons:
- Historical Epic: It tells the story of Puyi, the last emperor of China's Qing dynasty.
- Academy Award Recognition: The film garnered nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, solidifying its place in cinematic history.
- Filming Location: The Last Emperor was the first feature film authorized to be filmed inside China's Forbidden City, adding authenticity and visual grandeur to the production.
- Cultural Impact: The film provides a glimpse into Chinese history and culture, portraying the life of Puyi from his childhood to his time as a prisoner and, ultimately, an ordinary citizen.
- Directorial Achievement: Bertolucci's direction, known for its fluid, saturated images, made a significant mark on cinema.
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What awards did The Last Emperor win and why was it praised?
The Last Emperor, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, is a historical epic that chronicles the life of Puyi, the last emperor of China's Qing dynasty.
The film garnered critical acclaim and was honored with nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The Last Emperor was lauded for its grand scale, historical accuracy, and being the first Western feature film permitted to film inside the Forbidden City.
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The Last Emperor, historical epic film, released in 1987, that was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and told the story of Puyi (Pu Yi in the film), the last emperor of the Qing (Manchu) dynasty in China. The movie garnered nine Academy Awards, including that for best picture.
(Read Martin Scorsese’s Britannica essay on film preservation.)
The movie begins in 1950 with the arrival of Pu Yi (played by John Lone) at a prison in China, where he attempts suicide but is revived by the prison governor (Ruocheng Ying). The story then unfolds as a series of flashbacks intercut with scenes of Pu Yi’s reeducation. In 1908, at the age of three, Pu Yi (Richard Vuu) is summoned to the Forbidden City by the Empress Dowager (Lisa Lu), who declares him emperor. The confused child undergoes a coronation ceremony and is introduced to the hundreds of palace eunuchs and maids who are to wait upon him. The only familiar figure is his nurse, Ar Mo (Jade Go). By the time Pu Yi is eight years old (now played by Tsou Tijger), he has gotten used to court life. His family arrives, and, though he no longer remembers them, his seven-year-old brother, Pu Chieh (Henry Kyi), remains in the Forbidden City to be a playmate and companion to the emperor. After a revolution overthrows the Qing dynasty, Pu Yi learns that he is the emperor only of the Forbidden City; outside of those walls, China is now a republic. In 1919 the Scotsman Reginald F. Johnston (Peter O’Toole) becomes the tutor of Pu Yi (Tao Wu), and he provides Pu Yi with information about the world outside the Forbidden City. He gives his charge a bicycle, on which Pu Yi attempts to escape the grounds. In 1922 a wife, Wan Jung (Joan Chen), is chosen for Pu Yi (now played by Lone), and he also takes a secondary wife, Wen Hsiu (Jun Wu).
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In 1924 Pu Yi and all the other occupants are ordered to leave the Forbidden City. He and his wives take up residence in the Japanese-occupied area within Tianjin, where they enjoy a relaxed and cosmopolitan lifestyle. Pu Yi becomes known as Henry and Wan Jung as Elizabeth. Sometime after Johnston returns to the West, Pu Yi travels to the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo in Manchuria, and in 1934 he is installed as emperor of that state, though he is just a pawn of Japan. After a trip to Tokyo, Pu Yi is required to sign an edict appointing a new prime minister, and Wan Jung is sent away. In 1945, after the fall of Japan in World War II, Pu Yi is captured by Russian troops. Intercut with the flashbacks, the prisoner Pu Yi learns for the first time in his life to take care of his own personal needs, and he renounces his cooperation with the Japanese. He is released in 1959 and becomes a gardener. Later, in 1967 during the Cultural Revolution, he sees a parade in which the former prison governor who helped him with his rehabilitation is being humiliated as an enemy of the revolution. In the final scenes, Pu Yi visits the Forbidden City as a tourist, and 20 years later a tour guide leads American tourists into the palace’s throne room.
The Last Emperor was based on Puyi’s autobiography, From Emperor to Citizen (published in English in 1964–65). It was the first feature film permitted to be filmed inside the Forbidden City. The movie was well received by critics in spite of its having extremely limited distribution in the United States prior to winning the Academy Awards.
Production notes and credits
- Studios: Recorded Picture Company, Hemdale, Yanco Films Limited, TAO Film, Screenframe, and AAA Soprofilms
- Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
- Writers: Mark Peploe and Bernardo Bertolucci (screenplay)
- Music: David Byrne, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Cong Su
- Cinematography: Vittorio Storaro
Cast
- John Lone (Pu Yi as an adult)
- Joan Chen (Wan Jung)
- Peter O’Toole (Reginald Johnston)
- Ruocheng Ying (prison governor)
- Ryuichi Sakamoto (Amakasu)
- Maggie Han (Eastern Jewel)
- Vivian Wu (Wen Hsiu)
Academy Award nominations (* denotes win)
- Picture*
- Art direction*
- Cinematography*
- Costume design*
- Direction*
- Editing*
- Music*
- Sound*
- Writing*