The Last Emperor
Director of The Spider’s Stratagem, The Conformist, and Last Tango in Paris, Bernardo Bertolucci was one of the greats of Italian cinema. In 1987 his acclaimed epic The Last Emperor – made with British producer Jeremy Thomas (Naked Lunch, Crash) – swept the 60th Academy Awards winning nine Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director.
Following the life of Pu Yi, the last of the Emperors of China, from his birth in 1908 through his childhood in the fortress-like Forbidden City and his later misguided collaboration with the Japanese in World War II, The Last Emperor tells the history of China through the eyes of the man brought up to believe he was the country’s divine ruler.
Filmed on location in China, Bertolucci and Thomas were the first western filmmakers to be allowed access to previously forbidden locations. Together with a cast including John Lone, Joan Chen and Peter O’Toole, and director of photography Vittorio Storaro’s lushly evocative cinematography, they created a classic film of sweeping scope and delicate intimacy that stunned critics and audiences alike. The Last Emperor arrives in a brand new 4K restoration that will take your breath away.
Details by Film
The Last Emperor
Theatrical VersionThe Last Emperor
Extended VersionStreaming Options
Release Information:
Technical Specifications
Supplements
- Extended Version
- Eight double-sided postcard sized lobby card reproduction artcards
- Fold-out double-sided poster featuring two artwork options
- Illustrated collectors book featuring new writing by film critics Kat Ellinger and Philip Kemp, plus select archival material
- First to Last: The Road to the Forbidden City, a new visual essay by film critic David Cairns exploring Bernardo Bertolucci’s career prior to The Last Emperor
- Open the Door, a new visual essay by film critics David Cairns & Fiona Watson in which they follow Bertolucci into the Forbidden City to explore in-depth The Last Emperor and the truth on which it is based
- Archive interview with director Bernardo Bertolucci
- Archive interview with star John Lone
- Archive interview with star Joan Chen
- Postcard from China, video footage shot by Bernardo Bertolucci while location scouting in China
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery