The Last Emperor

The Last Emperor (releaased October 23,1987)

Director: Bernardo Bertolucci

Starring: John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O'Toole, Ruocheng Ying, Victor Wong

Produced by:Jeremy Thomas

Written by: Mark Pelpoe, Bernardo Bertolucci

Music by: Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Byrne, Cong Su

Cinematography by: Vittorio Storaro

Distributed by: Columbia Pictures

Made in China

A huge film lost in the aftermath of economic turmoil.

The bio-pic, The Last Emperor was an award-winner I’d never seen up to this point in my life. Indeed, I’d heard so little about it in the ensuing twenty-four years since its inception that it arrived on my TV monitor the other night as something of a shock to me. As I sat through the 219 minutes of the life of Emperor Puyi I had to ask myself, how in the world could a motion picture this big slip under my radar? I vaguely recall reports at the time of a Western movie given first-time access to be filmed in Beijing’s Forbidden City, but that was about all that got through. I remember I was living in northern California at the time and worked at a mutual funds company. This in itself is innocuous enough but to realize that the picture was released on October 23, 1987, and the horrific stock market crash known as “Black Monday” occurred four days previous on the nineteenth probably had a little to do with the fact that as the economic world crashed to its knees, those of us laboring within the industry were running around like headless poultry trying to make sense out of it in the weeks after the disaster. Little thought would have been given to the quaint divertissement of watching movies. But I surely digress…

"Alizarin crimson for those happy little banners!"

I’m guessing Italian director, Bernardo Bertolucci can really tolerate the color red. He must have because that color is so prominently displayed splashed heavily upon the walls of the immense buildings within the Forbidden City. It is lacquered thick on the massive doors that hold the child-emperor, Puyi (John Lone) a veritable prisoner in his own kingdom. It seems to permeate the very film stock upon which the picture is shot. It is of course the color of good fortune to the Chinese and BB captures it beautifully in this visual masterpiece whose thousands of other colors dazzle the constant watching eye. We seem to overlook at times that movies are first and foremost a visual medium, but one can hardly forget this viewing The Last Emperor. Bertolucci’s palate of color is as loaded, vibrant and varied as they come. (Bob Ross is not the only master capable of commanding the colorful attributes of phthalo blue, alizarin crimson and cadmium yellow!)

The story relates the checkered career of the last Chinese emperor before the battling warlords fragmented the country and made it an easier prey for the burgeoning communists to conquer. Told in a series of flashbacks as Puyi sought to escape the Red Chinese roundup of what they considered to be political prisoners, color (or the absence thereof) is again used to great affect. The more recent episodes filmed in the communist prison are wholly stark in their total absence of color when played against the pomp and riotous color of the Forbidden City flashbacks.

Pu Yi is shocked no one wants to
bathe and dress him anymore.

Coddled as only a ruler of an empire still fixated in the middle ages could be, we follow Pu Yi’s charmed life behind the massive walls in the center of the Chinese Empire. The sheer scale of the visuals is at times breathtaking beyond belief and Bertolucci does the almost impossible job of keeping the story focused on the characters despite them being swallowed up in the vast backdrop of unearthly-sized buildings, immense public squares, grand stone staircases and rooftops that stretch away to the horizon.

Most of the sympathy for the child-emperor comes from the tried and true, almost fairytale-like conundrum of having him waited on hand and foot by a thousand royal eunuchs and hundreds of imperial staff, as amongst it all, little Puyi bewails his fate of never being allowed to leave the Forbidden City. He is a non-functioning monarch prisoner behind his own imperial walls. He longs to see the world on the other side of those massive red doors which are always firmly shut against his leaving. It is ironic to consider when he finally does make it out, he enjoys several years of freedom before becoming a prisoner (again) of the Communists in 1945 who accuse him of playing into the hands of the rapacious Japanese as their puppet ruler of the puppet state, Manchukuo (Manchuria).

Yes, thank you... keep those lips closed!

The familiar face of Peter O’Toole surfaces as the Scottish tutor, Reginald Johnston. He is charged with educating the young emperor in the ways of the modern world. It is surprising now that I think back on it how little O’Toole had to say in this film. There are no large blocks of dialogue that gush forth nor any montage scenes of the teacher/pupil hard at work. And yet by adroitly weaving their tale, the filmmakers get the impression put across that the connection and camaraderie of the two characters was close. I still have an American’s squeamish aversion to staring at a mouthful of rotten Irish teeth and Mr. O’Toole’s choppers can never be mistaken for a set of piano keys. However, I figured I persevered through the fantastic array of noses in All the King’s Men, so I knew I could probably handle staring at some bad teeth…

I sensed the epic feel of the first half of the picture abandoned somewhat as we settled into the flashbacks of the emperor’s later life. During the second half we are treated to the intrigues of Puyi’s Manchukuo ruling period and the problems of juggling a royal wife, a royal consort and the ever menacing Japanese as the world raced headlong into World War II. Still, despite the loss of those incredible visuals, the story moves along as the fates close in on China’s last emperor, finally culminating in his incarceration in a political prison. And as grand as the picture opens, it closes with the final scenes of Puyi, now a released and “re-educated” proletariat gardener, puttering around amongst his vines. I must say that as portrayed by John Lone, Puyi is a formidably even-tempered character. He seems as at ease around his few tomatoes as he was commanding a staff of thousands in Beijing.

And now, there only remains for me to make mention the arcane fact that The Last Emperor has got to be the only movie of all the Academy winners that has earned the little statue for a motion picture that includes a shot early in the film of royal doo-doo! I must confess I knew that would intrigue some of you…

--kak

Italians portray the Chinese in English

Lone and Chen play the last imperial rulers of China.

Wow, that was a long movie! Even so, at 2 hours and 42 minutes, The Last Emperor is still only the second longest movie we’ve watched for Oscar Boot Camp. The Greatest Show on Earth ran a little longer, but this one was much less painful to view.

And you know, I don’t really remember hearing about this movie back in 1987. I have a theory about  this, though. When the movie was released, I was thirteen and in the eighth grade. Most thirteen-year-olds I know aren’t all that concerned with political history, especially of foreign countries. Throw in that the most well-known actor in the film is Peter O’Toole, who wasn’t exactly heartthrob material at the time, and you’ll see there was nothing to draw my adolescent brain. No hunky superstars, nothing modern and glitzy, and nothing “cool.”

Set primarily in the first half of the twentieth century, this movie portrays the life of Pu Yi, the last emperor of China. I must admit I know very little of Chinese history, and this movie certainly brought me up to speed on their last 100 years or so. From the ridiculously plush splendor of the Forbidden City to the grueling harshness of a Communist prison camp, Pu Yi (played by John Lone) lives through some pretty fantastic situations.

Ack! I can't stand the cuteness!

Pu Yi ascended the throne when he was just three years old.  Like most royalty, he was treated with the greatest care. He had servants to bathe him, feed him, taste his food, dress him, and choose his wife.  No privacy was allowed him, and he was considered to be a god, human perfection on earth. That’s one of the problems with being chosen by God to rule, isn’t it? From birth the whole empire holds its breath, hoping some disaster (great or small) won't befall him, putting him into an early grave and those left behind plunged into political upheaval.

The movie made me gasp several times from the sheer vastness of the Forbidden City and all the people they employed as extras to fill it. This was before CGI, folks, and the cast must have run to the thousands. The costumes were breathtaking, the sets elaborate, and wealth extravagant.  It was a feast for the eyes, for sure, with yards of Chinese silk in bright colors.

I find it extremely interesting that this film was made by Italians, about China, and all in English. I wonder if it were made today if they would have chosen to do it in Chinese with subtitles to give it more authenticity. Since the success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, subtitles seem to be more acceptable, lending more street cred to the picture. Not that I think this movie was inauthentic. Of course, not knowing much of Chinese history, I can’t speculate as to how close to the truth this film actually was. I know filmmakers often condense and rearrange events to make them fit their time frame better. However, it was slightly jarring to watch the inhabitants of the Forbidden City speak to each other in English. I got over it, but I think I would have preferred subtitles.

Joan Chen plays the newly wed Empress who is
impressing the Emperor with her skills.

The acting was quite good. John Lone, plays the adult Puyi, and he looks startling like the real thing. Joan Chen and Vivian Wu play his wife the Empress and his number two consort respectively. Both ladies did admirable jobs, but I thought Joan Chen did an especially good job playing the wife. From beautiful young princess to debilitated opium addict, she certainly had a range within the role.

There were only two things about this movie that I didn’t like.  The first was it felt a little flat to me. It was gorgeous, a spectacle, no doubt.  I didn’t really feel a connection to any of the characters. I think the trick of great movie-making is to find the connection between your leading man (or lady) and show the universal human within them that resonates with everyone. I suppose finding a way to relate the Emperor of China to everyman is a real challenge, but I think it can be done. I don’t feel I learned enough of the interior landscape of Puyi’s mind to make him a convincing character. And I don’t think the fault lies with the actors here… I think the script could have been better.

The second thing I had a problem with was the length. Again, a tighter script could have helped with that. Beautiful imagery can’t cover up the fact that there was too much here, and needed to be cut down. A lot of the childhood scenes I think could have been eliminated. How many times do we have to have the point pressed that this boy is an Emperor who can do what he likes and not be punished for it?

The Last Emperor was beautiful for sure. However, I didn’t feel it had the emotional oomph to make it a truly great picture. Apparently the Academy disagrees with me, since it won in every category it was nominated, including Best Director for Bertolucci, Best Editing, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It won nine Oscars in total.

I guess I must be a contrarian, or really stupid. If it’s the latter, no one tell my mother. She’d be devastated. 

~Anna

Up Next: Cimmaron (1930-31)