by Chris Marshall:
If nothing else, Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor is one of the finest looking Best Picture winners
to date, even during the darker periods covered by the film. It spans the life
of the last emperor of China, Pu Yi, who was unseated from power after the rise
of Chiang Kai-Shek. Unlike many stories about great leaders, Pu Yi did not rise
from nothing to a place of great power. Instead, he began with everything and
ended with nothing except his pride and his memories.
Because Pu Yi became emperor at the age of 3, he is played
by a number of different actors, but we spend the most time in his adulthood,
where he was portrayed by John Lone. There is very little star power in this
film, with Peter O’Toole being the only widely recognizable star. But it is
well-acted, despite the lack of known names.
Becoming an emperor when you are three years old presents an
interesting set of benefits and challenges. Most of the benefits belong to Pu
Yi himself, who is spoiled on a level that is unimaginable in modern days. If
he misbehaved, what could be done? He ruled China absolutely, and absolute
fealty was required among his subjects, even when he was a toddler.
