Review of The Last Emperor (1987) by Ryan V — 28 Apr 2012

Pu Yi (John Lone) was placed in the Forbidden City of China when he was only three years old. He eventually became emperor, but political turmoil fated him to be the final one. The Last Emperor is tasked with telling Pu Yi's story while also showcasing how China transitioned from crumbling nation to 20th century superpower.

The movie, which is splendidly filmed, works best when framing Pu Yi's difficulty with adjusting to a rapidly changing world. This film may be more interesting for social historians than cinephiles, but I doubt that anyone will come out of this feature without taking something from it.