THE LAST EMPEROR. Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci; written by Clark Peploe and Bernurdo Bertolucci; produced by Jeremy Thomas for Columbia. Rated PG-13 (a little female nudity, a few sexual references, some graphic violence).
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You don't see movies like this too often any more. More emphasis on history than plot, on spectacle than personality. Even so, The Last Emperor is better than most of those old-fashioned movie epics. It's worth seeing, certainly, for its production design alone. And its perspective on history is fascinating.
The title character is Pu Yi, who became emperor of China, in word only, in 1908 at the age of three.
Four different actors play Pu Yi at different ages, but the major one is John Lone, who is exceptionally good. In fact, it's his performance that gives the movie what little personal interest it has. Pu Yi always looks and acts like an emperor, raised from childhood to expect his every wish will be anticipated. But somehow he's sympathetic, too, at some times, although just pathetic at others.
The Last Emperor flashes back from his experiences in a communist prison to other important events in his life. This structure emphasizes the luxurious, but also alien, lifestyle of Pu Yi's early days. And it also improves the movie's pace, which otherwise might bog down too much.
As it is, The Last Emperor doesn't really feel as long as its 2 1/2 hour running time. The spectacle keeps us watching in the early going; and Lone takes over after Pu Yi grows up and leaves the Forbidden City, when the showy cinematography slacks off somewhat.
The sad progression of most of Pu Yi's life insures that The Last Emperor is not a fun movie. He is used, first by one group and then another. His physical needs are certainly amply satisified, but at the expense of his emotional well-being. So in spite of the contentment he finds in his later years, the story of his life is overall quite depressing.
But it's fascinating as well. The historical facts are interesting enough in themselves, and The Last Emperor gives them a unique perspective.
March 2, 1988