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Vittorio Storaro’s cinematography is widely regarded as one of the greatest achievements in the history of the medium. Storaro developed a complex color theory for the film to represent different stages of Pu Yi’s life and psychological states:

The production of The Last Emperor is the stuff of Hollywood legend. Producer Jeremy Thomas spent years securing the rights and the necessary permissions. The cooperation of the Chinese government was a miracle of diplomacy, coming at a time when China was just beginning to open its doors to the West. The Last Emperor

The film’s final shot is a masterpiece of irony. The aged Pu Yi, now a tourist in his own former home, sneaks past a velvet rope, goes up the throne, and pulls a small toy cricket from behind the seat—a gift from the blind eunuch in his childhood. The cricket jumps out, alive. The guards ask the boy standing there: "Who are you?" He replies, "I was the Last Emperor." The cooperation of the Chinese government was a

Puyi’s reign was brief. In 1912, following the led by Sun Yat-sen, he was forced to abdicate, ending 267 years of Manchu rule and over two millennia of imperial governance in China. The cricket jumps out, alive

The Last Emperor is legendary for its production credentials. It was a multinational co-production (Italy, China, UK) that employed over 19,000 extras and 9,000 costumes. Crucially, the Chinese government granted Bertolucci permission to film within the actual Forbidden City in Beijing—a location previously closed to Western filmmakers. This authenticity provides a stunning visual backdrop, contrasting the immense, labyrinthine halls of the palace with the intimate, often solitary figure of Puyi.

The main theme—a mournful flute line drifting over a repetitive, hypnotic bass note—perfectly captures the film’s duality. The bass is the immovable stone of the Forbidden City; the flute is the child’s voice, lost inside it. Sakamoto, who also acts as the Japanese officer Amakasu in the film, wrote the score in a feverish rush. The result is a soundtrack that feels like the last breath of an ancient world echoing into a cold, mechanical future.

Coloristic of the film by Bernardo Bertolucci «The Last Emperor