The Last Emperor [SOUNDTRACK]

Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Byrne

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 9, 1991)
• Original Release Date: December 18, 1987
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Virgin Records Us
• ASIN: B00000DR52
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,947 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Last Emperor, director Bernardo Bertolucci's epic tale of Pu Yi, the exiled final potentate of China's 3,000-year old Qing dynasty, was the big winner at the 1988 Academy Awards, taking Oscars for (among others) Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Score. The composing trio of Sakamoto/Byrne/Su was an unusual one to be sure, but it's clearly Sakamoto who carries the day here. The avant-garde trained/former Yellow Magic Orchestra pop mastermind crafted a seamless fusion of grand Western themes, Asian shadings, and his own deliciously distinct timbrel sensibilities; an accessible if deceptively modern classicism. Not surprisingly given his Talking Heads roots, Byrne's efforts are more rhythmic and minimal, yet his consuming passion for world music thoroughly evidences itself as well. His lyric and lilting "Main Title Theme" (one of the film's unusual elements was its use of two main themes by separate composers) may offer a pleasant surprise to listeners overly familiar with his pop work. The composer Cong Su is represented by just one cut; but it's a gentle, ethereal spin on Chinese folk influences that fits well with his fellow composers' work. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is what I called "East Meets West"!, May 5, 2001

By	"beethoven_nikita_christ" (Singapore) - See all my reviews

"The Last Emperor"'s soundtrack consists of music that is really "East Meets West"...

Every track is special... You can hear chinese instruments, like the pipa and erhu, playing at this moment and then through smooth transition western instruments, like the violins, take over the melody... The melodys sound very Chinese in most of the tracks, while some of the tracks sounds really western... Good mix!

What impress me most is the track entitled "Main Title Theme [The Last Emperor]"... It gives listeners an imperial China feel and it is really relaxing.

Most of all, I think the music written for this movie is the best I have ever heard... You can hear lots of effort being put in writting it. It also sounds better than the soundtrack of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" as it does not attempt to squeeze in any so called pop songs to destroys the whole effect of the soundtrack.

Finally, the music here is what I really called "East Meets West"... Buy this soundtrack! You will be surprised at how the composer managed to mix eastern and western instruments together to produce such beautiful music!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Little Contrived..., September 27, 2001

By	Tom (Palatine, IL USA) - See all my reviews

...but entertaining, none-the-less.

It is always fun to track down anything David Byrne has worked on, but this soundtrack is a wee disappointing. While listening to the soundtrack (as opposed to watching the movie which it underscores) you always have a sense that this is somehow a synthetic interpretation of what you expect when you look at the forbidden city...almost westernized.

It's great music, and a great and cohesive effort, but many of the repetitive melodies sound as if they might be more at home in Broadway hit than a period piece about the declining days of Chinese aristocracy.

If you saw the movie and enjoyed the music (as I did) there is no reason not to pick this disc up. If you are buying this because you think you are getting some authentic Chinese music...keep shopping.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Last Emperor: tragic story told through music, July 23, 2001

By	VeryCherry (S-E UK) - See all my reviews

After seeing the film for the first time, I was stunned by the amazing beauty and emotional content that could be created by simply telling a tragic real-life story. But it wasn't until buying the soundtrack that I realised, although the film would have been incredible and artistic on its own, it was the music that created the depth of mood that made the film so poignant. The tracks are hauntingly beautiful, and reflect all aspects of the film; the culture, the sorrow and the reminiscence of another era long gone. I recommend the soundtrack for anyone who has seen and loved the film. The combination of traditionally Chinese instruments with "a Western touch" is brilliantly skillful, and will appeal even to those who haven't had a preference for classical music before. Although the last couple of tracks may falter with Red Guard music and chants, the vast majority are instantly recognisable and deeply touching.