'The loneliest boy on Earth'
TODAY'S RETRO-REVIEW: The 1987 classic "The Last Emperor," starring John Lone, Joan Chen and Peter O'Toole. Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, the movie won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
THE PLOT: The film follows the life on Pu Yi (Lone), who was -- you guessed it -- the last emperor of China. Though the movie begins with his capture and life as a war criminal after WW2, the film focuses on his rule over China before it was overthrown by Communists and his collaboration with the Japanese during the war.
MAYBE YOU REMEMBER: Several people who knew personally knew Pu Yi -- his older brother, the prison governor, a former manservant -- were brought in to serve as advisers on set.
SURELY YOU CAN'T FORGET: This was the first feature film that was able to gain Chinese government approval to film in the 250-acre Forbidden City. In addition, studios and unlimited numbers of extras were provided by China -- in exchange for exclusive domestic distribution rights. And at the Academy Awards, the movie won for for all nine categories for which it was nominated.
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID: The film "never makes the mistake of having only one thing to say about the life of a man who embodied all of the contradictions and paradoxes of 20th century China." -- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times.
WHY WE STILL LOVE IT: What better movie to celebrate on the opening day of the Beijing Olympics? Unlike so many movies of its time, "The Last Emperor" focuses not on action, but on emotion -- and even that it accomplishes with the most subtle of touches. As Ebert says in his review, the point to take away is this -- "that a single human life could have infinite value."
TOP 5 MEMORABLE LINES FROM THE LAST EMPEROR:
5. "If you cannot say what you mean, your majesty, you will never mean what you say and a gentleman should always mean what he says."
4. "I know that you know that I know that you know that that is a dialouge between Confucius and Chuang Tzu."
3. "Many heads have been chopped off. It does stop them thinking."
2. "I think the Emperor is the loneliest boy on Earth."
1. "All your life you thought you were better than everyone else. Now you think you're the worst of all!"
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Gorgeous piece of filmmaking.
And as an aside, it's also responsible for one of my favorite Academy Award quotes (next to that of the great pithy David Niven): upon receiving the Oscar for Best Director, Bertolucci replied "If New York is the Big Apple, tonight Hollywood is the Big Nipple."
Brilliant.
Posted by: jane | August 08, 2008 at 11:45 AM
I have to agree -- it's a wonderful movie. Definitely one of my favorites.
Posted by: Jeff from Vegas | August 08, 2008 at 11:29 AM
I loved this movie. I should watch it again very soon.
Posted by: Marissa | August 08, 2008 at 11:23 AM
"I know everything - I even know Chiang Kai-shek has false teeth...I'm a spy..."
Still one of my all time favorite historical films. A perfect review choice for the opening of the Olympics.
And is Bertolucci capable of doing a film that is less than visually stunning?
No. No he is not.
Posted by: Tonianne | August 08, 2008 at 10:56 AM
Sorry if this is a double post.
A beautiful piece of filming making!
I love this movie, I own it on LASERDISC!!
I still quote this moive:
"She is not my wet nurse, she's my butterfly"
"I'm the king of heaven"
Posted by: Mike in Austin | August 08, 2008 at 10:12 AM
D*** STEVE! I love this movie, friggin love it! I still quote this movie!! Not to mention I own it on....LASERDISC!
"She is not my wet nurse but my butterfly"
"I'm the king of heaven!"
Posted by: Mike in Austin | August 08, 2008 at 10:09 AM