The Last Emperor

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

1987 2h 43m EN

🙌

7.6

BANGER

★7.6TMDB · 2,002

DramaHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A dramatic history of Pu Yi, the last of the Emperors of China, from his lofty birth and brief reign in the Forbidden City, the object of worship by half a billion people; through his abdication, his decline and dissolute lifestyle; his exploitation by the invading Japanese, and finally to his obscure existence as just another peasant worker in the People's Republic.

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

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

John Lone
Pu Yi (Adult)
Joan Chen
Wan Jung
Peter O'Toole
Reginald Johnston (R.J.)
Ruocheng Ying
The Governor
Victor Wong
Chen Pao Shen
Dennis Dun
Big Li
Ryuichi Sakamoto
Amakasu
Maggie Han
Eastern Jewel

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Writers: Mark Peploe, Bernardo Bertolucci
Languages: English, Chichewa; Nyanja, Japanese, Mandarin
Countries: China, France, Italy, United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Clocks in at 163 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

39 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 4 languages: English, Chichewa; Nyanja, Japanese, Mandarin.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: China, France, Italy, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, shot by Vittorio Storaro. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ryuichi Sakamoto. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Gabriella Cristiani shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

John Lone and Joan Chen and Peter O'Toole carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Bernardo Bertolucci directs. Vittorio Storaro behind the camera. Ryuichi Sakamoto scores. Gabriella Cristiani cuts. A long sit — settle in. Profitable at the box office. Produced in China, France, Italy, United Kingdom. Dialogue in English, Chichewa; Nyanja, Japanese, Mandarin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Clocks in at 163 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
239 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 4 languages: English, Chichewa; Nyanja, Japanese, Mandarin.
4International production across 4 countries: China, France, Italy, United Kingdom.
5Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, shot by Vittorio Storaro. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Ryuichi Sakamoto. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Gabriella Cristiani shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8John Lone and Joan Chen and Peter O'Toole carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "1500 slaves. 353,260,000 royal subjects. Warlords. Concubines. And 2 wives. He was the loneliest boy in the world.".
10IMDB entry: tt0093389 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 34 themes, including "suicide", "experiment", "china", "isolation".

The technical file

Cinematography: Vittorio Storaro
Original score: Ryuichi Sakamoto
Editing: Gabriella Cristiani
Production design: Bruno Cesari
Costume design: James Acheson
Makeup / hair: Fabrizio Sforza
Sound: Bill Rowe
Runtime: 163 min · 2h 43m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $23,800,000
Box office: $44,000,000
Return: 185% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: The Last Emperor (1987)

Awards

European Film Academy Special Jury Award
National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
César Award for Best Foreign Film
Academy Award for Best Film Editing
Academy Award for Best Sound
David di Donatello for Best Film
Academy Award for Best Original Score
Academy Award for Best Cinematography
Academy Award for Best Production Design
Academy Award for Best Costume Design

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Bernardo Bertolucci

Stills · wallpapers

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-07-17
★ 8/10
This is a glorious film to watch on a big screen. It depicts the end of empire and the birth of new ones - and it does it in a spectacularly colourful and stylish fashion. The death of the Empress Dowager sees the toddler Pu Yi ascend the Dragon Throne of China, and live amidst concubines and eunuchs in the Forbidden City. He grows up believing his is a divine right to rule, and it is only upon the arrival of his tutor RJ (Peter O'Toole) and his procurement of spectacles that his eyes begin to be opened to the reality that his kingdom is entirely enclosed within a wall of golden yellow tiles. When this idyll is disrupted by warring events outside, the Emperor (now John Lone) sone finds himself a playboy, married to an opium addict (Joan Chen) and a useful puppet of the manipulative Japanese who have invaded much of his erstwhile realm. WWII arrives, power struggles ensue and the story of his eventual - and rather brutal - reintegration into the newly established Chinese communist society is depicted sensitively and without recourse to too much melodrama or sentiment. The score adds a wonderful richness to what is undoubtedly the star of this - the cinematography. Set inside the splendour of the actual Imperial Palace complex in Peking, we get a wonderful sense of the grandeur, isolation and luxury of life inside this sumptuously decorated collection of marble and brightly painted villas whilst outside, poverty and mysticism reigned more surely than did the occupant of the throne. The costume design is also remarkable - a perfect eye for the detail of the period from the start to the middle of the 20th Century. To be honest, the acting - aside from an engaging performance from the inquisitive and mischievous three year old (Richard Vuu) is all pretty routine. O'Toole features sparingly and doesn't quite fit the bill as the learned and worldly scholar. Lone and Chen are competent but they really only shine a light on the rather stilted dialogue. This isn't really a film about words - it's a film about visuals. It's about history, politics, corruption, betrayal - and even a little bit of love - all encased in a shell of creative elegance. It's wasted on the television - but is certainly one of the best examples of "epic" cinema yet made and Bertolucci has clearly invested a great deal of himself in this beautiful piece of drama. A must see, I'd say.

Production companies