Let’s dig into The Last Emperor. After making his directorial debut with La commare secca (AKA The Grim Reaper) (1962) – literally right out of college – Bernardo Bertolucci attracted major notice with his second feature film Before the Revolution (1964). He really hit his stride during the 1970’s, attracting international praise with films like The Conformist (1970), Last Tango in Paris (1972), 1900 (1976) and La Luna (1979), though his career slowed in the early 1980’s, due to troubles trying to bring a screen adaptation of Dashiell Hammett’s Red Harvest before the cameras. However, he would shelve that in favor of a project that would bring him his crowning achievement: the story of Puyi, The Last Emperor of China. Previously released on DVD and Blu-ray by Criterion – and overseas by Arrow Video last year on UHD Blu-ray – the company has given the film its UHD Blu-ray debut here in the US.
The Production: 5/5
When he was only 3 years old in 1908, Puyi is brought – more appropriately, taken – before the dying Empress Dowager Cixi and proclaimed the new emperor of Qing Dynasty China. By 1950, Puyi is in captivity following the end of WWII and in the custody of the Red Army following the rise of Mao Zedong’s Communist forces overtaking the country. In between those events, Puyi’s life mirrors that of his country, going through drastic changes in status and fortunes as he goes from being the last ruler of the Qing Dynasty to being exiled from the Forbidden City and becoming Emperor of occupied Manchuria in the 1930’s. Along the way, Puyi learns to make peace with the forces both within and outside of his control as he comes to terms with his legacy in a country that he used to lead as a small child.
As one of the most engrossing epics of all time, The Last Emperor is both epic in its scope and intimate in the details of the life of its main subject. Director Bernardo Bertolucci and producer Jeremy Thomas took a painstaking effort in recreating the first half-century of China – they were even granted access to the Forbidden City, something that no other film production company had access to prior to this film – that length between initial pre-production to completion (lasting nearly 3 years) proved to be worth the effort. The overall production values are top notch from top to bottom, with the contributions from cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti, costume designer James Acheson and the music composing team of Ryuichi Sakamoto (who also appears in the film as Imperial Japanese Army officer Masahiko Amakasu), Cong Su and Talking Heads frontman David Byrne standing out amongst the production team; the film also has great performances from the cast, with John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O’Toole, Victor Wong, Dennis Dun, Sakamoto, Ric Young, Lisa Lu and Maggie Han standing out amongst the over 19,000 actors utilized for the film (most of them beings extras, with some being supplied by China’s People’s Liberation Army for some scenes). While the film does gloss over some of the darker aspects of Puyi’s life – some of these changes had to be made at the behest of the Chinese government in order for filming to commence – the film does remain a compelling story of how circumstances beyond our control can shape the life and legacy of leaders thrust into that position through said circumstances; it’s easy to see why the film swept every category it was nominated for at the Oscars (going 9-for-9 in Oscar wins, only the second film to achieve this and the first since Vincente Minnelli’s Gigi to accomplish that feat). In the end, The Last Emperor is still an utterly captivating and mesmerizing epic of a bygone era in world history and of a country’s last emperor swept up in the raging tide of historical change that engulfed his nation for much of the first half of the 20th Century.
Video: 5/5
3D Rating: NA
The 163-minute theatrical version of the movie is presented in Dolby Vision HDR in its original 2:35:1 aspect ratio on the UHD Blu-ray disc, taken from a brand new transfer created from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative; the first accompanying Blu-ray disc presents the theatrical version in SDR in the 2:00:1 Univisium aspect ratio – yet using the new transfer – that was used on Criterion’s previous DVD and Blu-ray release of the film. The 218-minute television version of the movie is also presented in the 2:00:1 Univisium aspect ratio used on Criterion’s 2008 DVD release. Overall, film grain, color palette and fine details are presented faithfully with minimal to no cases of scratches, tears and dirt present on the transfer. Comparing this release to previous Criterion editions, this UHD Blu-ray combo release is now officially the best the film will ever look on home video here in the US and having the movie in its original aspect ratio is an added bonus.
Audio: 5/5
The film’s original surround audio track is presented on a DTS-HD Master Audio track for this release, remastered from a 35mm magnetic track for this release. On both theatrical and television versions, dialogue, sound mix and the Oscar-winning music score – composed by the trio of Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Byrne and Cong Su – are presented faithfully with clarity and minimal cases of distortion like crackling, clicking, popping and hissing present on the tracks for each version. When compared to Criterion’s previous DVD and Blu-ray release, this UHD Blu-ray combo release is now likely the best the film will ever sound on home video.
Special Features: 5/5
On both UHD Blu-ray and Theatrical Version Blu-ray disc
Commentary by director Bernardo Bertolucci, screenwriter Mark Peploe, producer Jeremy Thomas and actor/co-composer Ryuichi Sakamoto – Originally recorded for Criterion’s 2008 DVD release, the quartet reflect on the film’s production and their favorite memories during production; Bertolucci and Sakamoto have both passed on since the track was originally recorded.
On Theatrical Version Blu-ray disc only
The Italian Traveler, Bernardo Bertolucci (53:03) – Fernand Moszkowicz’s 1984 documentary chronicles Bertolucci’s journey from his native Italy to China to start preparations for this movie while also looking back on some of his past films.
Postcards from China (8:02) – Bertolucci’s pre-production footage, shot in China in 1985, is presented here with optional commentary by Bertolucci himself.
Bernardo Bertolucci’s Chinese Adventure (51 minutes) – Paolo Brunatto’s 1986 documentary captures the making of the film from pre-production to post-production.
Making of The Last Emperor (45:05) – Carried over from Criterion’s previous DVD and Blu-ray releases, cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, film editor Gabriella Cristiani, costume designer James Acheson and art director Gianni Silvestri reflect on their roles in recreating Qing Dynasty era China for the big screen in this featurette from 2008.
Episode of The Southbank Show from 1987 chronicling the film’s production (1:06:03)
David Byrne on The Last Emperor (25:05) – The Talking Heads musician, songwriter and singer and the film’s co-composer – he won an Oscar alongside Sakamoto and Cong Su – talks about how he approached creating the music for the movie in this 2008 interview.
Beyond the Forbidden City (45:15) – Cultural historian Ian Buruma talks about the tumultuous first half of the 20th Century for China and how it’s depicted in the movie in this 2008 interview.
1989 episode of The Late Show: Face to Face (30:35) – Bertolucci speaks with Jeremy Isaacs about the film as well as the major influences on his work in this TV interview.
Theatrical Trailer (2:36)
Booklet feat. an essay by film critic David Thomson, a reminiscence by Bertolucci, an excerpt from a 1992 interview with production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti, a 1987 interview with actor Ying Ruocheng and an essay by Bertolucci’s personal assistant on the film Fabien S. Gerard
An additional essay by Gerard from the 2008 Criterion DVD release was the lone casualty here.
Overall: 5/5
A success with both critics and audiences – with a record tying Oscars haul – The Last Emperor is one of the most captivating and mesmerizing biopics of 20th Century world cinema. Criterion has bested their previous DVD and Blu-ray releases here, with a stunning HDR transfer of the theatrical version (and in its original aspect ratio to boot on the UHD Blu-ray disc) as well as including the television version – which was missing from Criterion’s previous Blu-ray release – in addition to carrying over the special features from previous editions (although one essay was left off of the accompanying booklet here, and the TV version is still in the Univisium aspect ratio compared to the 2023 Arrow Video UHD Blu-ray, which has it in the 2:35:1 ratio). Despite the issue of the TV version not in the theatrical aspect ratio, this release is still likely the definitive home video release of the movie from Criterion and is very highly recommended.
Mychal has been on the Home Theater Forum’s reviewing staff since 2018, with reviews numbering close to 300. During this time, he has also been working as an assistant manager at The Cotton Patch – his family’s fabric and quilting supplies business in Keizer, Oregon. When not working at reviewing movies or working at the family business, he enjoys exploring the Oregon Coast, playing video games and watching baseball in addition to his expansive collection of movies on DVD, Blu-ray and UHD, totalling over 3,000 movies.
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