The Last Emperor

(Le dernier empereur) (1987)

Director: Bernardo Bertolucci

Screenwriter: Bernardo Bertolucci / Mark Pappolo

Starring: Zun Long / Joan Chen / Wu Junmei / Peter O 'Toole / Ying Ruocheng / Wu Tao / Huang Ziqiang / Dennis Deng / Ryuichi Sakamoto / Maggie Han / Rong Ronghua / Toshio Tashiro / Gu Jiede / Richard Wu / Wou Tige / Chen Kaige / Lu Yan / Jiang Xirong / Chen Shu / Bao Haoxin / Huang Wenjie / Shao Ruzhen / Henry K / Zhang Liangbin / Liang Dong / Constantin Gregory / Huang Hanqi / Wang Tao / Song Huaigui / Cai Hongxiang / Cheng Shuyan / Zhang Tianmin

Genre: Drama / Biography / History

Country/Region: UK / Italy / Chinese mainland / France Language: English / Mandarin / Japanese

Release Date: 1987-10-04 (Tokyo International Film Festival) / 1987-10-23 (Italy)

Runtime: 163 minutes / 218 minutes (extended version)

Also known as: The Last Emperor Puyi (Hong Kong) / L' ultimo imperatore / Le dernier empereur

IMDb: tt0093389

Plot Summary: The film tells the turbulent life of China's last emperor Puyi from his accession to the throne to his abdication and eventual rehabilitation as a war criminal. Imprisoned in the Forbidden City during his childhood, Puyi experienced the monumental changes of the dynasty's collapse, the Republic of China's transition, the establishment of Manchukuo, and his capture by the Soviet Union. The film presents the collapse of imperial rule and the unpredictability of personal fate through its grand narrative and visual style, serving as both a microcosm of modern China's history and a Western director's reinterpretation of Eastern power, destiny, and individual freedom.

The film won Best Picture at the 60th Academy Awards, Best Foreign Language Film at the 12th Japan Academy Prize, and Best Costume Design (nominated) at the 7th China Golden Rooster Awards.