Director Bernardo Bertolucci built this fascinating story of China's last emperor on an epic scale, but in essence it is the very intimate tale of a man raised in glorious isolation who struggles to come to terms with a rapidly-changing world in which he is not equipped to live. Pu Yi became emperor of China at the age of three. Then, in 1912, China's new republic restricts him to the Forbidden City, the vast palace enclave, effectively creating the most opulent prison in history. His only connection with the outside world is his Scottish tutor, Reginald Johnson (Peter O'Toole). After eviction by a Chinese warlord, Pu Yi becomes a puppet of the Japanese, then, with the Mao revolution, a prisoner in his own country. Although a long film, The Last Emperor never fails to fascinate, even when the pace seems leisurely. Four actors play the part of Pu Yi, but the move from one to the other as the character ages is seamless. Visually stunning, the picture's sheer scale is sometimes in danger of dwarfing the human tale it tells, but a strong cast and an intelligent script stop this happening.

©ipc tx. Film content from TVTimes