The Last Emperor by the late Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci is a landmark film. It was the first Western film to be allowed to be filmed in the Forbidden City (Beijing) by the Chinese government . It is also a comprehensive portrayal of the life of Pu Yi, the last emperor in Chinese history.
Cover of the book The Last Emperor Revisited by author Basil Pao
HONG KONG UNIVERSITY PRESS
In the book The Last Emperor Revisited by Hong Kong photographer Basil Pao, precious documentary images from the film's set were published. Basil Pao was the photographer who was allowed to take pictures of the film crew throughout the time they were filming in the great palaces of the Forbidden City.
A large shot of Basil Pao's film crew while they were filming Pu Yi, now 15 years old, in front of the Gate of Supreme Harmony.
Actor Wu Tao plays 15-year-old Pu Yi, sitting while filming.
The Forbidden City management strictly controlled the entry and exit of the Forbidden City during the filming period. Director Bernardo Bertolucci had the privilege of filming in the largest hall in the Forbidden City - the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which symbolized the power of the Chinese emperor.
The film recreates a series of visually overwhelming scenes when the filmmaker combines personal inspiration with historical inspiration, thereby evoking many thoughts about the vicissitudes of the times. Among them, there is a scene of Pu Yi's coronation as a child, which is extremely magnificent, and the crew had to fulfill strict requirements on set to ensure the scene achieved the best possible quality.
The Chinese government at that time created many favorable conditions for the film crew to film in the palace. After The Last Emperor , China did not allow any other film crew to film in the grand palaces of the Forbidden City.
Wedding scene in the palace
Young Basil Pao. He also played a role in the film as Prince Chun Zaifeng, Puyi's father.
Pu Yi was the 11th emperor of the Qing Dynasty, ascending the throne in 1908. The film depicts the major milestones of this emperor's life. Until the revolution broke out, Pu Yi (now played by actor Sun Long) was driven from the throne. The court was in ruins, and the royal family fled the Forbidden City one after another in chaos. After losing the throne, during the long period of Japanese occupation, Pu Yi became a "puppet emperor" in Manchuria...
Actress Tran Xung plays Uyen Dung, Pu Yi's wife, on set.
Actor Henry Kyi plays Pu Jie, Pu Yi's younger brother, at age 7.
Actor Sun Long, who played Pu Yi as an adult, slept on set.
Film crew recreates Cultural Revolution scenes
Director Bernardo Bertolucci on the set of The Last Emperor , while filming a big scene
Two actresses on set
Actor Ton Long on set
Bernardo Bertolucci had been planning to make The Last Emperor for a long time before he asked the Chinese government to allow him to film in the Forbidden City. By this time, his name had already spread far and wide in the world , especially through the work Last Tango in Paris (1972). He received the Honorary Palme d'Or in 2011 for his contributions to cinema. When mentioning Bernardo Bertolucci, one must almost always mention his masterpiece The Last Emperor , and vice versa.
The Last Emperor is highly appreciated by the film industry for its historical documentary and cinematic language. At the 60th Academy Awards, the film won 9 awards, including all the important awards such as: Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.
The Last Emperor will be re-screened in Hong Kong on October 7 and 21.
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