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.System Requirements:Running Time: 218 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA/HISTORICAL EPIC Rating: PG-13 UPC: 715515027922 Manufacturer No: CC1739DDVD Product Description

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, 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 that it's 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

Criterion Does it Again.

So as we all know, The Criterion Collection is really the Mercedes of DVD releases, and this one is no different.
With both versions of the film, amazing special features, and a silky-smooth DVD trasfer, I will recommend this film to almost anyone.
For those that cannot remember, this movie came out of no where to win something like 9 Oscars, which is very strange considering it was by an Italian director with an all-star foreign cast.
It is the story of the Last Emperor of China and his fall from grace both a political and human standpoint during the Communist Revolution. He is a decent man, but years living a certain way and only understanding things in the very specific terms that were given to him, he is confused by the outside world and all of the changes.
This is a film that also does wonders on a high-def set just because of the extremely vibrant and beautiful use of colour that the director and cinematographer use throughout the entire movie, and the way that the colours change and lose their vibrancy just as the child does.
Great film, great music, a must have for movie collectors. May 29, 2008

GREAT MOVIE. GREAT CRITERION COLLECTION

What can I say?

Why aren't you buying this movie right now?

This is one of the best movies of the 80s. Beautifully made. The kind of movie that constantly remind you what movies are all about.

4 dvds filled with hours and hours of great material.

Click on Add to shopping Cart NOW. May 24, 2008

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