The Last Emperor (1987)

Bertolucci's masterpiece receives a re-release with an extra hour of footage that deepens the story of Pu Yi. The film is praised as a remarkable cinematic achievement and eye-opening history lesson, with breathtaking colours, sets, costumes and extras in the Forbidden City.

The Criterion edition makes a strong case for The Last Emperor as a truly great epic that captures the political turmoil of 20th-century China through the story of an individual swept up in history. The passive nature of the protagonist makes for a difficult epic, though rich ironies abound.

The review praises the film as a coolly lavish epic and intoxicating visual rush thanks to its director, production designer and cinematographer. Its core remains cool and distant in telling the story of a man ill-fitted for either end of history's lens.

The critic views the film as a visually magnificent but deeply flawed epic that foregrounds old-fashioned movie magic and marks a breakthrough for Chinese images in Western cinema. They single out the collaboration between Bertolucci, cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, and the production design team for lavish, awe-inspiring imagery while noting issues with characterization, perspective, and an outsider's gaze.

Bertolucci's director's cut of the epic is a David Lean-esque spectacle with spectacular richness and heartfelt storytelling. It gives clearer emphasis to Pu Yi's time as a puppet emperor in Manchuria, though some elements now appear ersatz compared to newer Chinese cinema.

The sumptuous Bertolucci epic triumphs in production design and location shooting with its use of thousands of extras, though it also conveys great sadness in tracking Puyi's lifelong imprisonment from gilded cage to Red Army capture.

Bertolucci's epic follows Pu Yi's journey from child emperor to gardener, striving to show his capacity for personal redemption amid historical upheaval. The Forbidden City sequences stand out for their sumptuous visual richness, though spectacle often overshadows deeper sympathy.

The film is described as one of unique visual splendor that makes for a fascinating trip to another world but proves remote and untouchable like its subject. It is a prodigious production and exquisitely painted mural of 20th century Chinese history.

Bertolucci's film presents Pu Yi's life as a passive historical pageant without a true protagonist or dramatic drive, resulting in a visually graceful but ultimately dull and intellectually conceived spectacle. The critic singles out the film's many felicitous set pieces and rhyming images of helplessness for their poignant impact.

The critic finds the film arthritic and a let-down overall, with an awkward structure that fails to capture the drama of its subject's life despite occasional spectacular visuals. It works best as an illustrated introduction to modern Chinese history.