The Last Emperor
1987
***
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Cast: John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O'Toole, Victor Wong, Dennis Dun, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Maggie Han, Ric Young, Vivian Wu, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Jade Go, Fumihiko Ikeda
Bernardo Bertolucci's epic biographical drama chronicles the life of Puyi, the last Emperor of China, from his childhood accession to the throne, through his imprisonment, to his eventual life as an ordinary citizen under Communist rule. The end result is a long, well-researched, and beautifully made but often heavy-going drama that feels compromised by being told in English. The film won nine Academy Awards, including best picture, best director, and best adapted screenplay, which is primarily based on Puyi's 1960 autobiography From Emperor to Citizen.
