The Last Emperor (1987) :
Brief Review -
An ornamental theory to tell the story of an ambitious emperor who did not deserve it. The Last Emperor suggests very much by its title that it is a story of the Last Emperor of the Forbidden City, China who was nothing but an ambitious child who cultivated his own empire, reformed it and destroyed it too. The inception of an idea that he's an Emperor and he can do anything he wishes was done when he was just 3 years old but by the time he grows he finds himself trapped in World War and Republication of China and Japan. The story doesn't really offer anything extraordinary in terms of writing skills but it had to be honest to the available data even if it doesn't fit really in any cinematic or dramatic proportions. And anyways it doesn't really connect to the audience who doesn't know or care much about China and Japan's history. Well, i am one of them. Besides, i had to like to it as a Cinematic achievement, that's a fact. Director Bernardo Bertolucci delivers a very much watchable and interesting film using all the cinematic properties like locations, screenplay, production design, cinematography and gripping storytelling in systematic manners. The performances looked convincing and so does the characters, doesn't matter of they don't stay in memory by the time film ends. It's about spending those 160 minutes without feeling lazy and The Last Emperor succeeds in keeping the laziness away. Overall, it's a very good biopic and even a Fantastic must watch but only if you care so much about China or Puyi's history. Biographies are meant to rule Oscars and this just got lucky otherwise who cares about this film as we do for other memorable Classics.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest
An ornamental theory to tell the story of an ambitious emperor who did not deserve it. The Last Emperor suggests very much by its title that it is a story of the Last Emperor of the Forbidden City, China who was nothing but an ambitious child who cultivated his own empire, reformed it and destroyed it too. The inception of an idea that he's an Emperor and he can do anything he wishes was done when he was just 3 years old but by the time he grows he finds himself trapped in World War and Republication of China and Japan. The story doesn't really offer anything extraordinary in terms of writing skills but it had to be honest to the available data even if it doesn't fit really in any cinematic or dramatic proportions. And anyways it doesn't really connect to the audience who doesn't know or care much about China and Japan's history. Well, i am one of them. Besides, i had to like to it as a Cinematic achievement, that's a fact. Director Bernardo Bertolucci delivers a very much watchable and interesting film using all the cinematic properties like locations, screenplay, production design, cinematography and gripping storytelling in systematic manners. The performances looked convincing and so does the characters, doesn't matter of they don't stay in memory by the time film ends. It's about spending those 160 minutes without feeling lazy and The Last Emperor succeeds in keeping the laziness away. Overall, it's a very good biopic and even a Fantastic must watch but only if you care so much about China or Puyi's history. Biographies are meant to rule Oscars and this just got lucky otherwise who cares about this film as we do for other memorable Classics.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest