The Last Emperor (1987)

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers:

Mark Peploe (writer) and
Bernardo Bertolucci (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

18 December 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

He was the Lord of Ten Thousand Years, the absolute monarch of China. He was born to rule a world of ancient tradition. Nothing prepared him for our world of change.

Plot:

The story of the final Emperor of China.

Plot Keywords:

Breast Suckling | Japanese Army | Wet Nurse | Tour | Abdication

Awards:

Won 9 Oscars. Another 39 wins & 12 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Aug. 2	9:00 PM	PBS
Sun. Aug. 3	1:20 AM	PBS

Cast

John Lone	...	Emperor Pu Yi / Henry
Joan Chen	...	Empress Wan Jung / Elizabeth
Peter O'Toole	...	Reginald F. 'R. J.' Johnston
Ruocheng Ying	...	Governor of Detention Center (as Ying Ruocheng)
Victor Wong	...	Chen Pao Shen
Dennis Dun	...	Big Li
Ryuichi Sakamoto	...	Amakasu
Maggie Han	...	Eastern Jewel
Ric Young	...	Interrogator
Vivian Wu	...	Wen Hsiu (as Wu Jun Mei)
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa	...	Chang (as Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa)
Jade Go	...	Ar Mo
Fumihiko Ikeda	...	Yoshioka
Richard Vuu	...	Pu Yi - Age 3
Tsou Tijger	...	Pu Yi - Age 8 (as Tijger Tsou)
Tao Wu	...	Pu Yi - Age 15 (as Wu Tao)
Guang Fan	...	Adult Pu Chieh - Pu Yi's Brother (as Fan Guang)
Henry Kyi	...	Pu Chieh - Age 7
Alvin Riley III	...	Pu Chieh - Age 14
Lisa Lu	...	Tzu Hsui
Hideo Takamatsu	...	General Ishikari
Hajime Tachibana	...	Japanese Translator
Basil Pao	...	Prince Chun - Pu Yi's Father
Henry O	...	Lord Chamberlain (as Jiang Xi Ren)
Kaige Chen	...	Captain of Imperial Guard (as Chen Kai Ge)
Liangbin Zhang	...	Big Foot (as Zhang Liangbin)
Wenjie Huang	...	Hunchback (as Huang Wenjie)
Dong Liang	...	Lady Aisin-Gioro - Pu Yi's Mother (as Liang Dong)
Zhendong Dong	...	Old Doctor (as Dong Zhendong)
Jiechen Dong	...	Doctor (as Dong Jiechen)
Constantine Gregory	...	Oculist
Huaikuei Soong	...	Lung Yu (as Soong Huaikuei)
Ruzhen Shao	...	High Consort #1 (as Shao Ruzhen)
Li Yu	...	High Consort #2
Guangli Li	...	High Consort #3 (as Li Guangli)
Xu Chunqing	...	Grey Eyes
Tianmin Zhang	...	Old Tutor (as Zhang Tianmin)
Hongnian Luo	...	Sleeping Old Tutor (as Luo Hongnian)
Shihong Yu	...	Hsiao Hsiu (as Yu Shihong)
Jun Wu	...	Wen Hsiu - Age 12 (as Wu Jun)
Lucia Hwong	...	Lady of the Book
Jingping Cui	...	Lady of the Pen (as Cui Jingping)
Shi Liang	...	Republican Officer (as Wu Hai)
Junguo Gu	...	Tang (as Gu Junguo)
Xu Tongrui	...	Captain of Feng's Army
Fusheng Li	...	Minister of Trade (as Li Fusheng)
Shu Chen	...	Chang Chinghui (as Chen Shu)
Shuyan Cheng	...	Lady Hiro Saga - Pu Chieh's Wife (as Cheng Shuyan)
Daxing Zhang	...	Tough Warder (as Zhang Daxing)
Ruigang Zu	...	Warder #2 (as Zu Ruigang)
Yuan Jin	...	Party Boss (as Jin Yuan)
Akira Ikuta	...	Japanese Doctor
Michael Vermaaten	...	American
Matthew Spender	...	Englishman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hongxiang Cai	...	Scarface (uncredited)
Xinmin Cui	...	Japanese Bodyguard (uncredited)
Zhenduo Li	...	Dignitary (uncredited)
Shigang Luo	...	Chang Chinghui's Secretary (uncredited)
Guang Ma	...	Japanese Bodyguard (uncredited)
Biao Wang	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Baozong Yang	...	General Yuan Shikai (uncredited)
Hongchang Yang	...	Scribe (uncredited)
Lingmu Zhang	...	Emperor Hirohito (uncredited)

Directed by
Bernardo Bertolucci

Writing credits
Mark Peploe		(writer)
Bernardo Bertolucci		writer
Henry Pu-yi		autobiography From Emperor to Citizen: The Autobiography of Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi

Produced by
John Daly	....	executive producer
Franco Giovale	....	associate producer
Joyce Herlihy	....	associate producer: UK
Jeremy Thomas	....	producer

Original Music by
David Byrne
Ryuichi Sakamoto
Cong Su

Cinematography by
Vittorio Storaro

Film Editing by
Gabriella Cristiani
Anthony Sloman

Production Design by
Ferdinando Scarfiotti

Art Direction by
Maria-Teresa Barbasso		(as Maria Teresa Barbasso)
Gianni Giovagnoni
Gianni Silvestri

Set Decoration by
Chunpu Wang		(as Wang Chunpu)

Costume Design by
James Acheson

Makeup Department
Ennio Cascioli	....	assistant hair stylist
Iole Cecchini	....	hair designer
Elisabetta De Leonardis	....	assistant hair stylist
Giancarlo De Leonardis	....	hair designer
Giancarlo De Leonardis	....	hair stylist
Franco Giannini	....	assistant makeup artist
Antonio Maltempo	....	assistant makeup artist
Fabrizio Sforza	....	makeup artist
Gino Zamprioli	....	assistant makeup artist
Wanxiang Zhang	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Stefano Bolzoni	....	production manager
Mario Cotone	....	production supervisor
Richard Lloyd	....	post-production supervisor (tv version)
Lamberto Palmieri	....	production manager
Alberto Passone	....	production manager
Pietro Sassaroli	....	production manager
Michael Saxton	....	post-production supervisor
Attilio Viti	....	production manager
Liansheng Wang	....	associate production manager (as Wang Liansheng)
Kebing Yang	....	associate production manager
Yumin Zhang	....	associate production manager (as Zhang Yumin)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Franco Angeli	....	third assistant director
Serena Canevari	....	second assistant director
Giulio Levi	....	third assistant director
Ying Ning	....	third assistant director
Basil Pao	....	third assistant director
Nicoletta Peyran	....	third assistant director
Gabriele Polverosi	....	first assistant director
Biao Wang	....	assistant director (as Wang Biao)

Art Department
Sante Barelli	....	special set paintings
Bruno Cesari	....	set dresser
Osvaldo Desideri	....	set dresser
Galliano Donati	....	sculptor
Andy Friend	....	illustrator
Roberto Magagnini	....	props
Carlo Maggi	....	head plasterer
Dario Micheli	....	set dresser
Barnaba Pagliarini	....	drapery
Cynthia Sleiter	....	draughtswoman
Boriana Soong	....	art department assistant
Fernando Valento	....	construction manager
Jixian Wang	....	art designer (as Wang Jixian)

Sound Department
Don Banks	....	boom operator
Alan Bell	....	dialogue editor
Geoff R. Brown	....	dialogue assistant (as Geoff Brown)
Terry Busby	....	footsteps editor
Mike Hopkins	....	dialogue editor
David Motta	....	sound engineer
William Parnell	....	sound assistant (as Bill Parnell)
Bill Rowe	....	sound mixer
Ivan Sharrock	....	sound mixer
Ian Silvester	....	technical engineer
Les Wiggins	....	sound editor
Colin Wood	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Gino De Rossi	....	special effects
Fabrizio Martinelli	....	special effects
Claudio Quaglietti	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Craig Chandler	....	optical effects
Alan Church	....	optical effects
Shulamit Levin	....	digital restoration (2007 restored version)
Tony Willis	....	effects cameraman (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Giuseppe Alberti	....	focus puller
Luigi Bernardini	....	focus puller
Filippo Cafolla	....	head gaffer
Keith Hamshere	....	special photographer
Sean Herlihy	....	assistant camera
Alfredo Marchetti	....	head grip
Mauro Marchetti	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Stefano Marino	....	electrician
Angelo Novi	....	still photographer
Nicola Pecorini	....	steadicam operator
Mauro Pezzotti	....	grip
Enrico Umetelli	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Riccardo Umetelli	....	clapper loader
Zhenhua Wang	....	lighting technician
Fabio Zamarion	....	camera loader
Rob McEwan	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Nina Axelrod	....	casting assistant
Brendan Donnison	....	adr casting (as Brendon Donnison)
Ulrike Koch	....	casting: China
Joanna Merlin	....	casting supervisor
Patricia Pao	....	casting: Hong Kong

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Martin Adams	....	costume property maker
Franco Antonelli	....	wardrobe coordinator
Vincenzo Cancellara	....	wardrobe assistant
Thomas Casterline	....	assistant costume designer
Damiana Celletti	....	wardrobe assistant
Silvana Cocuccione	....	wardrobe assistant (as Silvana Cocuccioni)
Shirley Cooper	....	costume property maker
Millina Deodato	....	assistant military costume designer
Anna Foresi	....	wardrobe assistant
Magot Forster	....	costume applique work
Frank Gardiner	....	assistant costume designer
Annie Hadley	....	cutter
Gilly Hebden	....	assistant costume designer
Colette Koo	....	assistant costume designer (as Collette Koo)
Teresa Micocci	....	cutter
Day Murch	....	costume applique work
Paola Pedricca	....	wardrobe assistant
Ugo Pericoli	....	military costume designer
Huanxiang Sun	....	costumer (as Sun Huanxiang)
David Whiteing	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Martin Crane	....	first assistant editor
Fiorella Giovanelli	....	second assistant editor
Mike Griffiths	....	telecine colorist (television version)
Catherine Hodgson	....	second assistant editor
Aldo Manni	....	negative cutter
Nadia Mazzoni	....	second assistant editor
Elvio Sordoni	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Gemma Dempsey	....	assistant music supervisor
Greg Fulginiti	....	music engineer
Ray Williams	....	music supervisor
Hans Zimmer	....	score producer
Paul Kegg	....	musician: cello (uncredited)

Other crew
Verena Baldeo	....	production assistant
Cicely Berry	....	dialogue coach
Maurice Binder	....	title designer: main title
Lizzie Bryant	....	secretary to producer
Rubin Cai	....	organizer: Beijing Film Studio (as Cai Rubin)
Andrew Calvert	....	computer operator
Riccardo Caneva	....	accountant
Concetta Caporale	....	production secretary
Anita Capozzi	....	interpreter
Fausto Capozzi	....	accountant
Marco Carosi	....	video
Xu Chunqing	....	representative: China Film Co-Production Corporation
Hazel Crombie	....	production accountant
Sheala Daniell	....	assistant production accountant
Sevilla Delofski	....	assistant to producer
Gianna Di Michele	....	accountant
Suzanne Durrenberger	....	continuity
Susanna Ferrari	....	interpreter
Sergio Forcina	....	armorer
Giovanna Fulvi	....	interpreter
Juliet Garland	....	computer operator
Vanessa Goddard	....	publicity coordinator
Marina Grappelli	....	accountant
Maurizio Graziosi	....	accountant
Constantine Gregory	....	dialogue coach
Pauline Hume	....	graphic artist: titles
Massimo Iacobis	....	production assistant (as Massimo Jacobis)
Michael Jones	....	milliner
Lee Katz	....	production consultant
Sara Keene	....	director of publicity
Mary Lance	....	documentary film researcher
Memo Mancino	....	armorer
Carlo Pasini	....	production secretary
Manuela Pineskj	....	production coordinator (as Manuela Pineskj Berger)
Guoburou Run Qi	....	advisor
Ann Roddy	....	interpreter
Daniel Shallon	....	assistant continuity
Gregorio Simili	....	dyer
Shirley Sun	....	production consultant
Betty Swinburne	....	accounts secretary
Ron Swinburne	....	financial controller
Cinzia Taffani	....	production secretary
Luciano Tartaglia	....	accountant
Ann Tasker	....	unit publicist
Riccardo Umetelli	....	screenings operator
Li Wenda	....	advisor
Federica Zappalà	....	accountant (as Federica Zappala)
Liangbin Zhang	....	representative: China Film Co-Production Corporation (as Zhang Liangbin)
Monica Zucchetti	....	interpreter

Production Companies

• Yanco Films Limited
• TAO Film (co-production)
• Recorded Picture Company (RPC) (associate production)
• Screenframe Ltd. (associate production)
• AAA Productions (associate production)
• Soprofilms (associate production)

Distributors

• Acteurs Auteurs Associés (AAA) (1987) (France) (theatrical)
• Artisan Entertainment (1998) (re-release)
• Atlantic Film (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Columbia Pictures (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia-Cannon-Warner (1987) (UK) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• DNC Home Entertainment (2003) (Italy) (DVD)
• EuroVideo (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Impuls Home Entertainment (2006) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Jugendfilm-Verleih (1987) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (Argentina) (video)
• Monopole-Pathé (1987) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Nelson Entertainment
• Opening Distribution (France)
• Optimum Releasing (2004) (UK) (all media) (director's cut)
• Second Sight Films (1999) (UK) (DVD)
• Shochiku Company (1988) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Shochiku Home Video (1989) (Japan) (VHS)
• Shochiku Home Video (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Switzerland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Abbey Road Studios  music recorded and mixed at
• Beijing Film Studio  assisted by
• China Film Co-Production Corporation  assisted by
• Dreamachine  international sales
• Fratelli Cartocci S.r.l.  generator
• Lillie Yard Studios  music recorded and mixed at
• Morris Angel  civilian costumes
• Perruzzi  military costumes
• Props Galore  civilian costumes
• Roger Cherrill Ltd.  post-production
• Thorn EMI Elstree Studios  re-recording facilities
• Virgin Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Dernier empereur, Le (France)
Modai huangi (China: Cantonese title)
Ultimo imperatore, L' (Italy)

Runtime:

160 min | 219 min (director's cut)

Country:

China | Italy | UK | France

Language:

English | Mandarin | Japanese

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Germany:12 | Iceland:12 | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Germany:12 (director's cut) | UK:15 (director's cut) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (1999) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Brazil:14 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-11 (re-rating) | Finland:K-14 (original rating) | France:U | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:12 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Netherlands:12 (director's cut)

Filming Locations:

Beijing Studios, Beijing, China

Company:

Yanco Films Limited

Trivia:

Hairdresser Giancarlo De Leonardis imported 2,200 pounds of human hair to make the elaborate wigs needed for the court. For the coronation scenes, his staff spent ten days training fifty Chinese to pin wigs and plaits onto two thousand extras in under two hours.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the Empress Dowager dies, a eunuch covers her face with a cloth. Just before the cloth touches her face, you can see her left eye close.

Quotes:

The Governor: [bidding farewell to Pu Yi as he is released from reform camp] You see, I will end up living in prison longer than you!

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Am I Blue

An Example of Quantity and Quality Combining to Make an Unforgettable Film

"The Last Emperor" is a near perfect film. It was nominated for nine Oscars in 1987 and it won nine (including the Best Picture Oscar). The movie is about the life of Pu Yi (John Lone), China's last emperor. In spite of becoming emperor at the age of three, Yi's reign was more of a burden than anything else. Yi would ultimately end up living an unsavory life of imprisonment which is heartrending to the viewer. "The Last Emperor" is visually stunning. The minute details are amazing. However, the story stands up high as well. Historically accurate for the most part, "The Last Emperor" is easily one of the top 10 films of the 1980s and overall an exceptional achievement in every cinematic department known to man. 5 stars out of 5.