Buy this one!
Added 9/27/2008
If you enjoyed this movie as much as I did you will want it in you DVD library, however, be aware of the fact that there is a Chinese version which is in Mandarin. I ordered the Chinese version by mistake because at the time it was not clear that it was not in English.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Yeah, what he said.
Added 2/21/2008
I agree 100% with Nix Pix. He said it all. I only wish to reiterate here. Amazing film but world's worst DVD transfer. Shame on ARTISAN for releasing such an inferior product. DO NOT waste your time or money on this version. Even if you find it in a bargain bin for 99 cents, leave it alone. Unless you need a new coaster or something.
Instead buy the new Criterion 4 disc remastered version. A little more expensive but well worth it. The preservation of excellent cinema alone justifies the expenditure. Better picture, better sound and finally the correct aspect ratio. Criterion is where it's at.
2 out of 5 people found this helpful.
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Wait for the Criterion Editon!
Added 2/14/2008
It comes out at the end of February and well worth the wait. Search it out!
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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The Twilight of the Middle Kingdom
Added 2/8/2008
"The Last Emperor" tells the amazing true story of Pu Yi,the Middle Kingdom's last emperor. From its gripping opening sequence in which the young Pu Yi is torn from his mother's arms to his life as a nobody in the gray blandness of Communist China, it is a powerful spectacle. Ryuichi Sakamoto&David Byrne's soundtrack captures the epic sweep of the movie. Bernardo Bertolucci's direction is superb&his international cast is perfect.
"The Last Emperor" begins with Pu Yi being taken to the Forbidden City. He grows up under the shadow of the menacing Empress Dowager; he is incredibly dependent on his voluptuous wet nurse,who still breastfeeds him when he's older. Eunuchs surround him. When he is enthroned as emperor,he's worshipped as a living god. All very heady stuff for a young child. Growing up,he is naive to the eunuchs robbing him blind;he's as much a slave as his own slaves are. Reginald Johnston (Peter O'Toole) comes into Pu Yi's life as the first father figure he's ever had,instructing him in Western culture. In accordance with royal norms, Pu Yi takes a wife Wan Jung (the luminous Joan Chen) and a concubine. When the Chinese Empire is overthrown, Pu Yi is vulnerable to Japan's offer of Manchukuo. They prey on his weakness,his desire for power. Pu Yi's life crumbles around him. His concubine is impregnated by his taxi driver (she gets a forced abortion);his wife carries on a passionate affair with a beautiful female Japanese spy&succumbs to a fatal opium addiction. Pu Yi's life goes from one form of imprisonment to another. From being imprisoned in the Forbidden City,he goes to being a prisoner of Communism. Communist China is just as oppressive,though it proclaims uniformity&equality. Instead of spectacles of lamas sounding horns, Pu Yi beholds the spectacle of the Red Army dancing as they wave Mao's Little Red Book. A kindly jailer befriends Pu Yi-only to be killed arbitrarily during the Cultural Revolution. Pu Yi survives Communism; it doesn't save him.
"The Last Emperor" succeeds in painting the portrait of an era. It shows how much China changed over the course of nearly a century. However,there are some interesting details that got lost,for logical reasons. Bertolucci depicts Pu Yi as a passionate heterosexual man,joyously making love to his wife&his concubine. In fact,Pu Yi never consummated any of his marriages,abandoned his Empress on their wedding night&there's compelling speculation that he was in fact gay. Reginald Johnston is depicted as a celibate bachelor. It's true Johnston never married. However,when he returned to Scotland,he had two different girlfriends there,one of whom burned his letters to her after his death.
"The Last Emperor" is a ravishing,sensual spectacle. It inspired me to write an "alternate history" in which Wan Jung finds solace&love in Reginald Johnston's arms instead of getting addicted to opium. One can only wonder what sort of rating this movie would've had if Ang Lee had choreographed love scenes between Peter O'Toole and Joan Chen. Lust,caution indeed. "The Last Emperor" is a powerful,superb spectacle. Enjoy!
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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The REAL DEAL!
Added 1/12/2008
This is the AUTHENTIC ARTISAN RELEASE of "The Last Emperor". The other DVD listings are for CRAPPY Korean and Chinese Counterfeit R1 Imports. Asian Regions do not Manufacture legitimate Region 1 for Export. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! I can't figure out why Amazon allows the other illegal counterfeits to be listed on their website!!?? Is Amazon turning into FakE-BAY?
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Cultural Clash
Added 10/19/2009
I call this "a cultural clash" because within a lifespan, this story presents one way of life colliding with another one, both being part of the lifespan of a person who was born as an emperor, receiving all the honors of one, later to see his way of life move on to witness the end of monarchies to control by communist type economies and governmental controls, all within the life span of the "emperor" who refuses to acknowledge this profound cultural change. Can a person tolerate such changes while remaining "sober"? Our hero seems to have held on to a rational life, still thinking he is the emperor... emperor of what? The answer to this is the heart of the story.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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A rare Criterion misfire
Added 9/14/2009
I must add my voice to those who are disappointed in the video and audio quality of this Blu-Ray release. When my fiancee and I sat down to watch this movie, she remarked, "Wow, this is beautiful photography. I bet it will look even better when we get it on Blu-Ray" . . . to which I had to reply sheepishly that this *is* the Blu-Ray.
I should have read the customer reviews here before purchasing this disc. Instead, I relied on the usual superior standards of Criterion releases to guide my purchase decision. Now that I learn that this release omits a lengthier cut of the film that's been included in previous versions as well . . . I'm just mystified that Criterion put their stamp on this disappointingly murky print of an otherwise beautiful and haunting work of cinema. I'll be checking the reviews for all further Criterion purchases now.
2 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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A great film given great BluRay treatment
Added 9/10/2009
The Last Emperor has always been a favorite of mine. The story of the last Emperor if China and his eventual transition into Chairman mao's China. The film honestly shows life in the Forbidden City, it's isolation from the real world, it's internal politics and corruptions. But the main line is the child emperor growing up in the city with only his courtier and an English teacher as company. The whole film is rich in colour, movement and sound. The video transition to the blu-ray format is stunning. More detail in shaded areas and a richness of full bodied colours that was just not possible on DVD. The Audio has benefited greatly from a fine DTS HD Master Audion track along with a stereo track for those who need it. Definitely amongst the best transfers to date.
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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