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The Last Emperor

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The Last Emperor

PG-13

Released Nov 18, 1987

2h 42m

Biography

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

86%

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126 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

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.

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Critics Consensus

While Bernardo Bertolucci's decadent epic never quite identifies the dramatic pulse of its protagonist, stupendous visuals and John Lone's ability to make passivity riveting give The Last Emperor a rarified grandeur.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

Bertolucci makes pretty pictorial music, but two hours and forty-six minutes is a long time for a movie to dance. Maybe it wouldn't be if his sense of rhythm hadn't become erratic.

Sep 15, 2023

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Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

Yet there’s also a great sadness in the film, as it tracks Puyi, the emperor of the title (played by four actors at different ages), through a state of permanent lifelong imprisonment, from gilded cage to Red Army capture.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 17, 2023

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Peter Rainer

Los Angeles Herald Examiner

When this film really sings, it's as if Bertolucci had tapped the wellspring of cinema and, ecstatic, discovered the eroticism at its essence.

Aug 8, 2022

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James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

Moreso than most historical epics, we feel the real pull of history and the whiplash of violent social change, but most of all the steady march of life.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 3, 2024

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

This is no dull, dusty biopic that’s forced to solely fall back on its good looks.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 20, 2024

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Jeff Beck

The Blu Spot

There's a fascinating story to be told about Puyi and what he went through during this turbulent period of China's history, but in the end, even with all of its flourishes, The Last Emperor isn't quite able to get to the heart of it.

Rated: 3/5

Aug 19, 2024

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Sabrina

The directors version has more details to build up the deep emotion. Especially after the Emperor claimed the throne of Manchu Guo.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/21/23

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Nik F

Visually breathtaking film with amazing costume designs. It was very touching, particularly the way the story comes full circle in the end. What a tumultuous life! My only complaint is that it’s a very long film, and I have to admit it was a bit slow in the middle. But definitely worth watching.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/23/25

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Jacob B

Bertolucci’s masterpiece! If you can find the unedited directors cut available on the Criterion Channel, settle back and watch one of the last truly great epic’s ever made.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/04/25

Full Review

Jonathan K

It's wild that this is actually true, it's quite the epic. It's hard to sympathize with the main character, however, in the way they tell it, even though they supposedly cast him in a slightly more favorable light than history records. The score is an interesting choice too for the setting of the film, it's very synthy and odd/eerie. Ryuichi Sakamoto is amazing, I just think it's a weird fit for the era of the story. There is some interesting political commentary happening, and the fact that China permitted this to be filmed and told, tells you that they likely had some say in it. The communist party red guard at the end provided an interesting footnote to the contrast of ruling systems. Overall, it's a really good film, as evidenced by its Oscar's sweep that year. Yet with its poetic (and dated storytelling) style, it ends up feeling kind of slow and dragging toward the back third, rendering it a little bit of a chore to get through.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/01/24

Full Review

Craig B

Very slow, very boring, sorry critics, you got this one wrong.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

06/11/24

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Sem M

Absolutely loved it! One of my favourite movies, I strongly reccomend it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/14/24

Full Review

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Bernardo Bertolucci

Director

John Lone

Emperor (Henry) Pu Yi

Joan Chen

Empress (Elizabeth) Wan Jung

Peter O'Toole

Reginald Fleming 'R.J.' Johnston

Ying Ruocheng

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Synopsis

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.

Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Producer: Jeremy Thomas
Screenwriter: Mark Peploe, Bernardo Bertolucci, Henry Pu-yi
Distributor: Columbia Pictures, Artisan Entertainment
Production Co: Hemdale Studios, Recorded Picture Company (RPC)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Biography, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 18, 1987, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 15, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $43.0M
Runtime: 2h 42m
Sound Mix: Surround

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