“But the Emperor is on high, riding the dragon now”: Remembering The Last Emperor (1987) [Editorial]

Independently financed and directed by Bernardo Bertolucci in 1987, The Last Emperor holds the title of the first Western production shot on location in the Forbidden City in Beijing. Needless to say, it also won Academy Awards in 9(!) categories. Interestingly, this historical epic, in the making of which participated not only high-profile stars but also 19,000 extras, does not enjoy the popularity of other critically-praised juggernauts, such as Doctor Zhivago (1965), The Mission (1986), Empire of the Sun (1987). This is my brief, retrospective look at The Last Emperor.

Rarely do I stumble upon a motion picture which makes a lasting impression on me. I have been aware of The Last Emperor ever since teenage years. It was frequently mentioned on TV by various film critics, but (much to my disappointment) it was never aired. My only source of knowledge about this epic production was a small clipping in “The Chronicle of Film” book. The large poster of a young Puyi in the Forbidden City looked amazing, but still, I had no means to see the film.

During my college years, when I was shyly getting into Asian cinema, I finally obtained a copy of theatrical cut (160 min) and eagerly watched this award-winning masterpiece. Indeed, the best way to describe this film is to call it a masterpiece. My appreciation for the film extended even further after having recently watched the TV cut (218 min).

The film tells the story of Aisin-Gioro Puyi (based on his 1964 autobiography) who, as a 4-year-old child, is nominated by the dying Empress Dowager Cixi to become the heir of the imperial throne. However, political reforms in China already started taking place at the beginning of the 20th century. With the passage of time, we see Puyi growing up, holding the title of the Emperor, but not being able to execute power. He becomes the prisoner of his own little kingdom until the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, in which he sees a chance for himself to become a true leader…

The early 1980s were post-Mao times during which China tried to become more open to the world, not only in terms of foreign affairs but culturally as well. Allegedly, Bernardo Bertolucci approached the Chinese government with two ideas for potential movies, yet they decided to greenlit only one, The Last Emperor, and even allowed to use the Forbidden City as a shooting location. The director himself recalled that cooperation with government officials was extremely smooth and they provided only minor suggestions during the production. Considering the highly anti-Communist undertones noticeable in the film’s finale, it seems highly unlikely that the movie would have been made today without the censorship attempts from the side of the PRC officials.

The Last Emperor’s undeniable valors are outstanding visuals, production design, and cinematography. Watching the film feels like admiring a beautiful painting which presents otherworldly times which will never return. Evidently, the director made some simplifications in the script in order to enhance the aesthetic-level of the film (most certainly, Eastern Jewel was not into licking toenails), but these only add more style and charm to the story. Please bear in mind that it is not a Chinese production (not even a Hollywood one). The film is an interpretation of Chinese history and its people by an Italian director. As a result, its grandeur resembles that of Giacomo Puccini’s famous operas like Madama Butterfly or Tosca.

The only piece of harsh criticism directed at the film which I found is that concerning the spoken language. Evidently, the filmmakers decided to use English as the main language in order to appeal to a wider audience. This creative choice certainly paid off, but many viewers are convinced that the film would have been better if the characters spoke Mandarin. Personally, I do not mind the English voice track (actually, the lines are delivered much better than in the disappointing Mulan flick from 2020). In the short making of featurette available on YouTube, you can see that Bertolucci paid a lot of attention to record scenes properly, doing even as much as 7 takes. Poor actress playing the First High Consort flipped her “Impossible! The Emperor does not wear spectacles!” line once, but apart from this one mistake, she enunciated it perfectly. If the English audio track is something that puts you off, then you can always switch to a Mandarin dub (depending on a DVD/Blu-Ray release which you have).

The music score composed by Ryichi Sakamoto (who plays a small part in the film), David Byrne, and Cong Su is completely out of this world. It really transports you to China at the turn of the centuries when tradition was clashing with modernity. Interestingly, Sakamoto provided 9 music tracks, Byrne composed 5, whereas Su contributed only 1 (but he supervised the music on the set as well). What an unusual trio of collaborators it was: Sakamoto was at the beginning of his career as a composer, Byrne was mostly known due to Talking Heads, whereas Cong Su was an expert on traditional Chinese music. It makes me happy that this magnificent soundtrack gained recognition in 1987 and was awarded an Oscar. Click here to see a clip from the ceremony.

It is quite a shame that after the film’s release, John Lone’s recognition (the actor who played adult Emperor Puyi) did not expand. This amazing actor appeared in several recognisable movies, such as M. Butterfly (1993), The Shadow (1994), and Rush Hour 2 (2001), but he has not taken new acting opportunities since 2007. At least, the beautiful Joan Chen (who portrayed the Emperor’s wife) had a steady career in Hollywood as well as on Television.

One should not forget about the extraordinary supporting part of Peter O’Toole as Puyi’s British mentor, and the role of a prison warden played by Ying Ruocheng. Coincidentally, the Chinese actor happened to be the Vice-Minister of Culture at time of making the film, which makes the scene of him bullied and humiliated by the Red Guards all the more mind blowing.

All things considered, I notice that The Last Emperor is rediscovered today by a new generation of enthusiasts of Oriental culture. Some of my students mention this film more frequently in our frivolous talks about cinema. Thankfully, Bernardo Bertlucci’s lavish historical epic lives on 33 years after its release and still amazes with its poetic modus operandi. «Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us»