The Last Emperor (1987)

04/10/1987 (IT)•Drama, History•2h 43m

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1500 slaves. 353,260,000 royal subjects. Warlords. Concubines. And 2 wives. He was the loneliest boy in the world.

Overview

A dramatic history of Pu Yi, the last of the Emperors of China, from his lofty birth and brief reign in the Forbidden City, the object of worship by half a billion people; through his abdication, his decline and dissolute lifestyle; his exploitation by the invading Japanese, and finally to his obscure existence as just another peasant worker in the People's Republic.

Top Billed Cast

John Lone
Pu Yi (Adult)
Joan Chen
Wan Jung
Peter O'Toole
Reginald Johnston (R.J.)
Ruocheng Ying
The Governor
Victor Wong
Chen Pao Shen
Dennis Dun
Big Li
Ryuichi Sakamoto
Amakasu
Maggie Han
Eastern Jewel
Ric Young
Interrogator

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Reviews 1

A review by CinemaSerf

8.0

Written by CinemaSerf on Jul 17, 2023

This is a glorious film to watch on a big screen. It depicts the end of empire and the birth of new ones - and it does it in a spectacularly colourful and stylish fashion. The death of the Empress Dowager sees the toddler Pu Yi ascend the Dragon Throne of China, and live amidst concubines and eunuchs in the Forbidden City. He grows up believing his is a divine right to rule, and it is only upon the arrival of his tutor RJ (Peter O'Toole) and his procurement of spectacles that his eyes begin to be opened to the reality that his kingdom is entirely enclosed within a wall of golden yellow tiles. ...