The Last Emperor

In one of his most epic productions, Bernardo Bertolucci paints the story of Puyi – the last ruler of the Manchu Qing dynasty. The film, based on the emperor’s autobiography, begins in 1950, when Puyi, in his forties, is held in Soviet custody after a suicide attempt. However, the narrative spans a much broader period, telling the story of the fall of imperial China through a series of flashbacks: from the moment the young emperor, only three years old, was taken from his mother and placed on the throne, to the pivotal moment of his pardon and release. The first Western film ever shot in the Forbidden City (the former imperial palace in Beijing), it captivated audiences with its spectacular cinematography by Vittorio Storaro, a haunting score by Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Byrne, and its reflection on the illusion of power and the fleeting nature of human ambition. The film received numerous awards, including nine Oscars, among them Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.

Joanna Najbor

Bernardo Bertolucci (1941 – 2018) was once a promising poet, but began his film career while still in college alongside Pasolini; he quickly made his debut with The Grim Reaper (1961). Bertolucci’s first Oscar nomination came in 1970 for The Conformist but he attained international acclaim in 1972 with the scandalizing Last Tango in Paris. Bertolucci’s later films also achieved critical success, with The Last Emperor (1987) receiving nine Academy Awards.