The Last Emperor - Criterion Collection (1987)

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 outside of 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 featuring director Bernardo Bertolucci, producer Jeremy Thomas, screenwriter Mark Peploe, and composer-actor Ryuichi Sakamoto
* - The Italian Traveler: Bernardo Bertolucci, a 53-minute film by Fernand Moszkowicz tracing the director's geographic influences, from Parma to China
* - Video images taken by Bertolucci while on preproduction in China
* - The Chinese Adventure of Bernardo Bertolucci, a 52-minute documentary that revisits the film's making
* - A new, 47-minute documentary featuring Storaro, editor Gabriella Cristiana, costume designer James Acheson, and art director Gianni Silvestri
* - A 66-minute BBC documentary exploring Bertolucci's creative process and the making of The Last Emperor
* - A 30-minute interview with Bertolucci from 1989
* - A new interview with composer David Byrne
* - A new interview with Ian Buruma examining the historical period of the film
* - Theatrical trailer
* - PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by David Thomson, interviews with production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti and actor Ying Ruocheng, a reminiscence by Bertolucci, and an essay and production-diary extracts from Fabien S. Gerard Product Description

No version gets it ALL right

The five stars are given to the movie itself. For the different DVD versions, there are various pros and cons. Below is a short summary -

Hong Kong version - forget what it's like, given it away long ago.

US Artisan version - only Director's cut (i.e. longer TV version), original 2.35:1 aspect ratio but only 4:3 letterboxed (i.e. not anamorphic widescreen), transfer quality just ok.

Japanese version - only theatrical version, original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, anamorphic widescreen, very good quality transfer, but no English subtitles, only Japanese ones (an issue for me).

UK Optimum version - both Director's cut and theatrical version, both in 2.35:1, both anamorphic, good quality transfer but slightly not as good as Japanese version (some flickering of the words is visible). PAL version means the length of the movie is slightly shorter (209 mins for Director's cut and 156 mins for theatrical version). No English subtitles for both versions.

Criterion Collection - both Director's cut and theatrical versions, top quality transfers, anamorphic, excellent packaging and extra materials (just like any other Criterion DVD in general). But what, 2:1 crop ??? - this ruins everything.

Criterion blu-ray - do not have it yet (no blu-ray player), but from other reviews, it seems to contain only the theatrical version.

Now, over 20 years since I first watched this excellent movie, the wait for the ultimate video release is not yet over. I thought the Criterion release would end the wait but eventually it did not (because of the crop issue). I am really quite tired of comparing the various versions. Just want to get the right one to really enjoy the movie once more.

Recommendations for DVD: Get the UK version if crop is an issue and English subtitles are not necessary. If crop is not an issue, then get the Criterion version. October 12, 2008

Stunning -- on all accounts

All that was written before my review is not hype. It's all true. See it on the largest screen you can... September 26, 2008

No, no, no. No more foreplay...

Why the hell was it cropped in 2:1?

Was Bernardo Bertolucci at all involved, or concerned with the transfer of his own movie?

And if so, did he agree with such stupid idea?

Thank Heavens I did not trash my Optimum PAL DVD of the very same movie...

Besides being cheaper, it has a far higher image resolution and it still comes with a pristine 2:35 image ratio. Besides, the sound is far better on the Optimum copy than on Criterion.

Despite being filled with extras, the Criterion copy sports a sound mix that is filled with effects, while the Optimum copy has them in a much more discreet way.

This over-emphatization of sound effects, results in some dialogues being lost to the dogs.

No. I usually admire and revere the work that the guys at Criterion do, especially when it comes to Japanese movies such as those of Akira Kurosawa (in those they have surpassed themselves).

But here, nah, not worth the effort and the money (despite of all the extras).

Maybe in a future, when those involved in this chopping will be gone, we might stand a better chance at having the full movie as it was actually presented and restored the way Criterion knows.

Until then and if you have the chance to have a Region/Code Free DVD player, stick to the British copy. It is far, far superior.

But in the end it is up to you. Do you care more about the Bonuses and Extras offered, rather than the movie itself?
Then stick to the Criterion copy (it is stuffed with tons of material).
But if you, like me, are more focused on the movie and don't give a hoot about the wrappings, the candles and the cherries, than try to get hold of an Optimum DVD of this movie (you may still find it at Amazon.co.uk).

June 21, 2008

A film that solidifies my faith in cinema....

This film, along with 1900, are Bernardo Bertolucci's greatest films (so far). The Last Emperor is one of my all time favorites, safely secure in my top ten list. The late Gene Siskel called this film "one of the greatest films I've seen since I became a film critic" (I'm paraphrasing here). It's one of the most mysterious, beguiling, and transendant epics ever made.

The film is remarkable for many reasons. Bertolucci's career was on the wane at the time. He's a marvelous filmmaker, but he's been erratic his whole career, going for long periods without making any films, and making uneven films as well. This film came at a time when Bertolucci wasn't really respected by critics at large. His previous two films, Luna and Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man, were pretty much dismissed by critics and audiences alike (especially the latter). Somehow, Jeremy Thomas, a fabulous producer, managed to scrap together funds for this film, and after the film was completed, Bertolucci had returned to his top form, making arguably his best film. The film, on paper, is a recipe for disaster. It had no known stars, it's directed by a filmmaker who doesn't make blockbusters, it's about a little known Chinese emperor (little known in the West, anyway), it's a long film, and it's a long, costly shoot (though not as much as other epic films). Yet, it's a rare film where everything seems to work.

The film is also remarkable that it's one of the few Best Picture Oscar winner that not only deserves its wins, but is a real work of art. The Best Picture Oscar, unfortunately, has been known to go to films of dubious or questionable quality, or to films that are safe and non-controversial (remember the Brokeback Mountain vs. Crash controversy). Very rarely does an artistic work like this even get nominated, much less win in every category it's nominated in. The film isn't a feel good, easy to digest Best Picture. It's a demanding film, one that you have to use every portion of your eyes to adore. It's so immensely challenging visually and thematically. Perhaps the Academy was so overwhelmed by the beauty and majesty of this film that they felt compelled to give it the awards it so richly deserved.

The Criterion version of this film does it complete justice. You get two versions of the film. You get the original 164 minute, theatrical version and the 218 minute TV version. Bertolucci said that the director's cut of this film is the 164 minute version, not the longer version. I was always under the impression that the 218 minute cut was his film. It wasn't. Bertolucci was under contract to deliver a longer version for Chinese television, and that's what the longer version is. It's not a director's cut. Many assumed (including me) that since the 5 1/4 hour version of 1900 was a director's cut (which it is, and it's available on DVD now), that the television version of The Last Emperor was as well. It is not.

As for the controversy of the "new" framing, it isn't like Bertolucci wasn't there to approve this transfer. He's very much alive and I know that Bernardo isn't going to let his film be squeezed and butchered by his cinematographer, Vittorio Storario (one of the best ever). When they both say the film was intended to be shown in a 2:1 aspect ratio, I believe them. The transfer for the 164 minute version is the best I've ever seen it. The early Artisan DVD is an abomination. Colors and textures are butchered, which is insulting, considering how beautiful this film is. I accept that this is the proper framing. When Berlin Alexanderplatz was restored, it was overseen by Xaver Schwarzenberger, the original cinemtographer. Many were angry at Xaver for "tinkering" with Fassbinder's film, but Xaver knew the material better than anyone (except maybe Fassbinder himself), and he was the only one who really had any credibility over the transfer. There is no discernible reason as to why a cinemtographer would butcher his own work, and that includes Xaver and Vittorio.

This set has many, many extras, almost as expansive as the film itself, and a 90 page booklet with interviews, essays, and articles about the film, the production, and Chinese history. This set (and the film) are endlessly fascinating, and for any serious cinema person out there (and you know who you are), this is a must film. It's one of my top ten films, and it's so ravishing and enthralling I never really get tired of seeing it.

June 19, 2008

A Sweeping Epic in a Definitive Setting

The winner of nine Academy Awards - including Best Picture - it chronicles the tragic life of Puyi (John Lone and several young actors), the last Emperor of China - which was written by Mark Peploe & Bernando Bertolucci and directed by the latter.

From his ascension to the throne at age two, Puyi ruled from 1908-1912 and briefly in 1917, while being a puppet leader ruler Imperial Japan - 1932-1945 - of Manchukuo. His life encompassed the power struggles of influential warlords, the invasion & occupation by Japan and civil war, which ultimately consolidated the power of the Communist forces under Mao Zedong.

Though there are composite characters and omissions, the storyline is highly factual in the film. The DVD includes the film as edited for theaters and the lengthier version for television. Puyi's younger brother - Pu Chieh - and Li Wenda, who assisted in the writing of his autobiography, were consultants in the making of the film.

Through chronological flashbacks, the story encompasses Puyi's life, which ultimately found him imprisoned in the Soviet Union and China from 1945-1960, until deemed "reformed." He died in 1967.

Additional materials include a Bertolucci travel companion, video diary and a featurette on the making of the film.

A visually stunning movie, it stands the test of time and will remain a classic in cinematography. This multi-DVD set is a definitive setting for this sweeping epic.



June 4, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...