Here we have an astonishing movie in all aspects : acting, directing, music, costumes... almost everything is wonderful, the main issue is that the viewer can not fully sympathize with Pu Yi (the last mperor).
The film tries to represent him as a (reformer) who tries to change the old irrational traditions of the chinese Qing dynasty while there was nothing in his hands to change! that is a fact, when he was only at 6, China became a republic and the new regime dealt with his family as a foreign monarchy! so the only signs of his claimed reform was cutting his long hair braid or wearing glasses! of course we - the viewers- will feel sorry for the tragedy of his family and the long miserable journey from the luxurious palaces of the forbidden city where the eunuchs were swiping his crap to the detention camp where the communists taught him the values of the new era! but the truth is : Pu Yi was a spoiled man who knew nothing about the people he was trying to rule, a man who treated his servants with cruelty and arrogance and ended his reign betraying his homeland by selling himself to his country enemies for a meaningless title. John Lone did his best, Peter O'toole shines as always and Joan Chen played the broken wife perfectly, but again, this was a touching story of a man you can not be touched with! finally; the film score was great, I enjoyed hearing it repeatedly away from the film itself!
Review of The Last Emperor
