Title: The Last Emperor
Product review: This movie, directed by Bernard Bertolucci, chronicles the life of the last emperor of China, Aisin-Gioro "Henry" Pu Yi, played by John Lone. It begins when he inherits the throne in 1908 at the age of three and continues to 1967 when the Maoists begin to rule. These 60 years witness a remarkable period of change: in 1912, China becomes a republic and the emperor merely a figurehead; in 1924, the Dynasty collapses and the emperor flees to Singapore and a roaring-twenties lifestyle; in WW II, there are more hardships as Japan ravishes the country and the emperor is a prisoner; then the Commies take over and the emperor is "remolded" into a citizen. The movie is fascinating and authentically filmed (including scenes done in the Forbidden City), but at 160 minutes (218 minutes in the Director's Cut version) it is way too long.
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