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Buy this DVD with Pierrot le Fou - Criterion Collection DVD ~ Jean-Paul Belmondo today!

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On the DVD
Among the finest Western-made movies about the East, Bernardo Bertolucci's epic traces the emergence of modern China through the life of one man. After taking on Italian history in The Conformist and 1900, the director was well placed to tackle the story of Pu Yi (played by John Lone as an adult). The narrative proceeds along two tracks: the emperor's post-Forbidden City existence and his cloistered upbringing. Educated by Scotland's Reginald Johnston (Peter O'Toole, in a role slated for Sean Connery), the monarch develops into a sophisticated, if powerless figure. After taking an empress (Joan Chen) and playing into the hands of the Japanese, Pu Yi ends up a menial member of the People's Republic.

This four-disc special edition honors Bertolucci's vision, starting with restored transfers of the final cut and the 218-minute broadcast edition, the former overseen by Oscar-winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. Recorded in 2003 and 2007, the audio commentary features Bertolucci and fellow award recipients Jeremy Thomas, Mark Peploe, and actor/composer Ryuichi Sakamoto (co-composer David Byrne appears in a separate interview). Among the revelations: the film was originally planned as a five-part series, Peploe adapted the screenplay from over 50 books, and the filmmaker admits he now finds some scenes embarrassing. The supplements continue with documentaries about the director's path from Parma to Peking ("The Italian Traveler") and the production ("Bernardo Bertolucci's Chinese Adventure" and "The Southbank Show"), a video diary ("Postcards From China"), and a new featurette ("Making The Last Emperor"). Lest viewers fear these features merely flatter their subject, 1986’s "Adventure" captures Bertolucci pitching a fit on the set (in an attempt to protect his youngest actor from distractions). As lavish as the film it celebrates, this beautifully designed keepsake concludes with the theatrical trailer, two additional interviews (Bertolucci and historian Ian Buruma) and a 96-page booklet. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description
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

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