An Overwhelmingly Glum Survey of Imperial China's Lingering, Ceremonial Afterlife

Rating: 5/10 (10 July 2012)

A long, delicate meditation on the necessity of a ceremonial public role in the face of several looming, massive, cultural revolutions. It's also an essay on the corrupting power of an absurdly sheltered life. Following the private and public trials of Puyi, who ascended to the imperial throne before his fourth birthday, it's one soul-crunching onslaught of manipulation after another over the course of several decades. Almost every single member of the cast is either disgustingly entitled or a steadfast, unwavering fanatic to a self-serving cause, including the emperor himself who often falls into both camps. He's naive and misguided, a result of his isolated regal upbringing, but also wants desperately to make a lasting positive mark on the world. It's frustrating to watch his attempts at reform explode on the launchpad over and over again due to the oppressive presence of a corrupt group of advisors, a hamstring he's never able to overcome. Though it has a tendency to linger far too long, the film is drop-dead gorgeous when it's set inside China's famous forbidden city. When later chapters shift to other locations, it drains that life from the screen and the already-dreary story really starts to drag. A real downer, it can be powerful at times but suffers from a total lack of resolution.