Not Your Average Historical Drama
Saturday, November 7, 2026, 12:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Instructor: Maurizio Giammarco, Ph.D., Temple University
In the 1980s, when the Chinese government granted Bernardo Bertolucci unprecedented access to the Forbidden City, an entire cinema suddenly became a new frontier for Western viewers. The resulting achievement, The Last Emperor (1987), proved an international hit and multiple Oscar winner, becoming a breakthrough for Chinese images in Western cinema.
Unfolding through flashbacks ranging from 1908 to 1967, the film follows the life of Pu Yi, the last monarch of China who ascended the throne at age three, “abdicated” in 1911, collaborated with the Japanese during World War II, and was imprisoned, then rehabilitated by the Chinese Communists during the Cultural Revolution. These turbulent historical moments depict Pu Yi’s struggle to reconcile himself with the masses and with the destiny thrust upon him.
Bertolucci’s visual style, characterized by elaborate camera moves that capture the spectacular setting, his meticulous lighting, and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro’s symbolic use of color to reflect the different episodes of Pu Yi’s life demonstrate that The Last Emperor is a film that balances the scope of a David Lean epic with the intimacy of a Yasujirō Ozu drama. In doing so, it reveals the story of a man who embodied the contradictions and paradoxes of 20th-century China.
Are you interested in “just” seeing this movie? Visit the public screening page here.
Cinema Classics Seminars offer an entertaining and engaging way to learn more about some of the true classics of world cinema. All students receive an introductory lecture before the film and a guided discussion after the film. In addition, those in attendance receive a ticket to see it on the big screen, as well as popcorn and a drink. Please note: the screening associated with this seminar will be open to the public, as well.
Please contact BMFI Programs and Education Manager Jill Malcolm with any questions.
$30 for members, $40 for non-members
Schedule