The Last Emperor (1987)
Country: IT/HK/GB
Technical: col/scope 160m
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Cast: John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O'Toole
Synopsis:
Emperor of China Puyi grows up inside the Forbidden City but is sent to a prison for re-education when the Communists take over.
Review:
A series of tableaux, not many of them particularly vivants, this itsy-bitsy job of biography jumps back and forth from the anchor of the prison, obviating much involvement in the characters or a coherent view of twentieth century Chinese history. Our hero's coming of age is a long forty-year process and his philosophical conclusions limit themselves to the observation, 'People don't change inside'. The film was for all that phenomenally successful internationally and extremely good-looking, producer Jeremy Thomas having secured a star director and cinematographer together with Beijing locations.
Country: IT/HK/GB
Technical: col/scope 160m
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Cast: John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O'Toole
Synopsis:
Emperor of China Puyi grows up inside the Forbidden City but is sent to a prison for re-education when the Communists take over.
Review:
A series of tableaux, not many of them particularly vivants, this itsy-bitsy job of biography jumps back and forth from the anchor of the prison, obviating much involvement in the characters or a coherent view of twentieth century Chinese history. Our hero's coming of age is a long forty-year process and his philosophical conclusions limit themselves to the observation, 'People don't change inside'. The film was for all that phenomenally successful internationally and extremely good-looking, producer Jeremy Thomas having secured a star director and cinematographer together with Beijing locations.
Country: IT/HK/GB
Technical: col/scope 160m
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Cast: John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O'Toole
Synopsis:
Emperor of China Puyi grows up inside the Forbidden City but is sent to a prison for re-education when the Communists take over.
Review:
A series of tableaux, not many of them particularly vivants, this itsy-bitsy job of biography jumps back and forth from the anchor of the prison, obviating much involvement in the characters or a coherent view of twentieth century Chinese history. Our hero's coming of age is a long forty-year process and his philosophical conclusions limit themselves to the observation, 'People don't change inside'. The film was for all that phenomenally successful internationally and extremely good-looking, producer Jeremy Thomas having secured a star director and cinematographer together with Beijing locations.