The Last Emperor (Criterion Collection)

Although it is 160 minutes long and shot with breathtaking scope and sumptuousness, Bertolucci's film is a story about claustrophobia. Pu Yi, the Manchurian emperor of China who ascended the throne in 1908 at the age of three, is a prisoner in the palace he rules over. Outside, real power changes hands with each coup d'etat. Pu Yi grows to manhood, is tutored by a Westerner (Peter O'Toole), and marries a gorgeous princess (Joan Chen). However, the adult Pu Yi (John Lone) is destined for a communist reeducation camp when the war is over. Director: Bernardo Bertolucci Star: John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O'Toole, Dennis Dun, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Special Features: Single -Disc Set Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35 Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 - English Additional Release Materials: Audio Commentary - Bernardo Bertolucci Director; Jeremy Thomas Producer; Ryuichi Sakamoto Composer; Mark Peploe - Screenwriter Running Time: 218 minutes.