The Last Emperor
Bernardo Bertolucci
Synopsis
Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor won nine Academy Awards, unexpectedly sweeping every category in which it was nominated—quite a feat for a challenging, multilayered epic directed by an Italian and starring an international cast. Yet the power and scope of the film was, and remains, undeniable—the life of Emperor Pu Yi, who took the throne at age three, in 1908, before witnessing decades of cultural and political upheaval, within and without the walls of the Forbidden City. Recreating Qing dynasty China with astonishing detail and unparalleled craftsmanship by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro and production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti, The Last Emperor is also an intimate character study of one man reconciling personal responsibility and political legacy.
Special Features
* - DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FOUR-DISC SET FEATURES:
* - All-new, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro
* - All-new, restored high-definition digital transfer of the extended television version
* - Audio commentary by director Bernardo Bertolucci, producer Jeremy Thomas, composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, and screenwriter Mark Peploe
* - The Italian Traveler, a documentary by Fernand Mozskowicz, exploring Bertolucci's journey from Parma to China
* - The Making of "The Last Emperor," a new documentary featuring Storaro, editor Gabriella Cristiana, costume designer James Acheson, and art director Gianni Silvestre
* - Postcards from China, video images taken by Bertolucci while on preproduction
* - The Late Show: Face to Face, a 30-minute BBC interview with Bertolucci from 1989
* - New video interviews with composers David Byrne and Sakamoto
* - Theatrical trailer
* - PLUS: A booklet featuring essays by David Thomson and excerpts from script supervisor Fabien Gerard’s journals from the production
* - More!
Film Info
1987
218 minutes
Color
2.35:1
Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0
Anamorphic
English
Cast
Pu Yi John Lone
Wan Jung Joan Chen
Reginald Johnston Peter O'Toole
The governor Ruocheng Ying
Chen Pao Shen Victor Wong
Big Li Dennis Dun
Amakasu Ryuichi Sakamoto
Eastern Jewel Maggie Han
Interrogator Ric Young
Wen Hsiu Vivian Wu
Chang Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Ar Mo Jade Go
Yoshioka Fumihiko Ikeda
Pu Yi (3 years) Richard Vuu
Pu Yi (8 years) Tsou Tiger
Pu Yi (15 years) Tao Wu
Pu Chieh (adult) Guang Fan
Pu Chieh (7 years) Henry Kyi
Pu Chieh (14 years) Alvin Riley III
Credits
Director Bernardo Bertolucci
Producer Jeremy Thomas
Executive producers John Daly, Franco Giovale, Joyce Herlihy
Screenplay Bernardo Bertolucci, Mark Peploe
Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro
Editors Gabriella Cristiana, Anthony Sloman
Production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti
Art directors Maria-Teresa Barbasso, Gianni Giovagnoni, Gianni Silvestri
Composers David Byrne, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Cong Su
Set decorator Chunpu Wang
Costume designer James Acheson
Quelle: The Criterion Collection
Wird im Februar als 4-Disc-Set erscheinen.