Classically Extravagant (spoilers)

Rating: 8/10 (8 June 2004)

The Last Emperor is one of the finest, and last, examples of the old-fashioned art epic. Featuring a massive cast, an extravagant budget, and an epic sweep that brings it from the Forbidden City to Manchuria to the streets of Bejiing, it chronicles a half-century of history and the life of China's last emperor, Henry Pu Yi.
It is not a film for everyone. At times it is decidedly opaque; the acting is unspectacular, and the story is slow moving. If you want a dramatic, fantastic epic, go see Braveheart or Lord of the Rings.
But if you're in the right state of mind, Last Emperor is spectacular. Much of the story centers around the title character's life in a communist re-education camp, told in flashbacks as he comes to grips with his life and the parts he played. For years a prisoner in his own palace, held captive by the winds of change in China, he becomes tyrant and puppet-emperor of Manchuko, the Imperial Japanese puppet state, and collaborator. In his own mind, he has finally ascended to greatness, but we see how sad and utterly pathetic he has become. When the war ends, and he is captured by the communists, he is confronted with the reality of his own sad life, and forced to come to grips with it. The conflict between inner and outer perceptions characterizes most of the film.
The Last Emperor is remarkably even-handed in its portrayal of the various political factions. This is probably due to the fact that almost every nation portrayed contributed in some matter to its production. There are no winners, and as we see the chaos of the 1920s and Chiang Kai-Shek lead to the tyranny of the Japanese occupation and the disaster of the Cultural Revolution, we are left with a sense that history is fulfilling itself, again and again and again. We see Pu Yi's helplessness and impotency firsthand, that even as China moves from the 15th to the 20th century that men do not change. They can only come to grips with their own actions and accept responsibility for their deeds.
And yet, life goes on.
The Last Emperor is a somber, artistically reflective piece, and one of the best films of the late 20th century. See it if you're in the mood for a more relaxed piece, and a melancholy look at how the romance and pageantry of Imperial China grew into modernity.