Message from vbautista

[Anonymous]

I viewed The Last Emperor. It was a wonderful film about the last Manchurian emperor of China. I was captivated with the story that was pretty much historically accurate. The story was presented from a very personal and human perspective. I came to feel sympathy toward young P’u Yi who since the age of three was like a prisoner in the Forbidden City. The young actors portraying P’u Yi were extremely artistic in presenting a young Emperor who was callow, naive, and manipulated throughout his life. The movie presents the major events of the Emperor’s life, such as the selection of his wife, the troops of a warlord entering the City to remove him, life in Tientsin, a puppet Emperor in Manchuria, and finally as a prisoner of war.

I wonder if any scenes were actually filmed in the Forbidden City. The sacredness of the City as a symbol of imperial grandeur and China’s glorious past are well presented in this film.

I would definitely use this movie in the classroom to explore the question: “What is the role of the monarchy today?” The movie is also useful in showing the changes in China during the period of life of Emperor P’u Yi. A teacher could use this movie as a spring board to explore world events or those specific to Asia, such as the Japanese invasion into Manchuria, the attack on Pearl Harbor, or Communism in China.

It is a great movie to see.