Movie Review: The Last Emperor
Movie Review: The Last Emperor
In 1908 China's last emperor, Pu Yi, was isolated by the Republic for many years in the Forbidden City. When he was released, he lived in different places for a while before joining with the Japanese. Then in the late forties he was imprisoned by the Chinese Communists. After his sentence, he was allowed to go free and spent the rest of his final days as a normal citizen.
"The Last Emperor," tells the story of Pu Yi from age three until his death. The movie talks about two major subjects. The first, of course, is the life of Pu Yi himself and he goes from hero to zero with the rise of the republic. The second is the director's view of the stupidity of Man, as the Chinese go from one tyrant to another.
The story is told in flashback. When the film opens, Pu Yi is in prison after the Second World War, a prisoner of the Communists, who are determined to convert him into an ordinary Chinese citizen. It takes them ten years to convert him. During his imprisonment, we see the life of Pu Yi. Pu Yi grows up in the Forbidden City as practically a prisoner. He is not able to leave and he does not really know what goes on outside the city. What he doesn't know is that the Republic is taking over. As Pu Yi matures he acquires an English tutor (Johnston), a wife, and a consort. After he is dethroned as the emperor, he cooperates with the Japanese, however does not realize that that the Japanese are only using him to gain control of China. After World War II he is captured by the Communists and reeducated into a model member of the community, living out a relatively normal life until his death in 1967.
This movie successfully portrayed the life of Pu Yi as the Chinese emperor and the problems he endured as emperor. The movie also shows how communist China was able to "brainwash" its prisoners into Communists. The Movie also effectively showed how the rise of the republic stormed into the Forbidden City...
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