The Last Emperor
1987 · Movie · PG-13 · 163 min · ★ 7.6
A dramatic history of Pu Yi, the last of the Emperors of China, from his lofty birth and brief reign in the Forbidden City, the object of worship by half a billion people; through his abdication, his decline and dissolute lifestyle; his exploitation by the invading Japanese, and finally to his obscure existence as just another peasant worker in the People's Republic.
Based on The First Half of My Life
Where to watch
Streaming on HBO Max and Cinemax.
3 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 1987
- Release date
- 1987-10-04
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 163 min
- TMDB rating
- 7.6/10 (1,923 votes)
- Box office
- $44,000,000
- Budget
- $23,800,000
Themes
- suicide
- experiment
- china
- isolation
- buddhism
- becoming an adult
- war crimes
- suicide attempt
- war on drugs
- revolution
- drug addiction
- opium
- +21 more
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Original Score · 1988
- Academy Award — Best Film Editing · 1988
- Academy Award — Best Sound · 1988
- Academy Award — Best Picture · 1988
- Academy Award — Best Cinematography · 1988
Show all 23 awards →
- Academy Award — Best Costume Design · 1988
- Academy Award — Best Production Design · 1988
- Academy Award — Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay · 1988
- Academy Award — Best Director · 1988
- European Film Academy Special Jury Award · 1988
- César Award — Best Foreign Film
- David di Donatello — Best Film
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- Academy Award — Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay · 1988 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Picture · 1988 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Production Design · 1988 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Director · 1988 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Cinematography · 1988 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Original Score · 1988 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Costume Design · 1988 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Sound · 1988 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Film Editing · 1988 · nominated
- David di Donatello — Best Director · nominated
Cast & crew
John Lone
as Pu Yi (Adult)
Joan Chen
as Wan Jung
Peter O'Toole
as Reginald Johnston (R.J.)
Ruocheng Ying
as The Governor
Victor Wong
as Chen Pao Shen
Dennis Dun
as Big Li
Ryuichi Sakamoto
as Amakasu
Maggie Han
as Eastern Jewel
Ric Young
as Interrogator
Vivian Wu
as Wen Hsiu
Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci