Last Emperor, The: The Criterion Collection (DVD)

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---

Video

The film is presented in a 2.00:1 wide-screen aspect ratio. The film was originally screened in a 2.20:1 ratio, but apparently Storaro, who oversaw the transfer, chose to reframe it for 2.00. I leave it to you to decide whether that makes this the "official" aspect ratio for the film or not. The colors in the digitally restored transfer of the theatrical version are beautiful, and the image quality is crystal clear.

I have only briefly looked through the television version, but it appears the transfer isn´t quite as strong as the theatrical version. It still looks great, though.

Audio

The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0. Optional English subtitles support the English audio; no subtitles are provided for the Chinese dialogue often heard in the background (the main characters speak in English).

Extras

Criterion has pulled out all the stops with a four-disc behemoth. The first disc includes the 165 minute theatrical version of the film along with a commentary track by Bertolucci, producer Jeremy Thomas, screenwriter Mark Peploe and composer-actor Ryuichi Sakamoto. Disc Two includes the 218-minute television version of the film. I have not had a chance to compare the two versions so I can´t comment on whether the extra 53 minutes improves the experience.

Disc Three offers Part One of the special features in the set, kicking off with three relatively lengthy documentaries:

-"The Italian Traveler: Bernardo Bertolucci" (53 min) is a documentary by Fernand Moszkowicz (assistant director on "Last Tango in Paris") which follows Bertolucci´s "geographical influences" as he turned his eye from Europe to the Far East.

-"Bernardo Bertolucci´s Chinese Adventure" (1986, 51 min) is an on-set documentary shot by Paolo Brunatto.

-"Making ´The Last Emperor´" (45 min) pays tribute to the film´s sweep of the technical Oscar awards in 1988. The feature includes new interviews with Storaro, editor Gabriela Cristiana, costume designer James Acheson, and art director Gianni Silvestri.

-"Postcards from China" (8 min) offers some video footage shot by Bertolucci while scouting locations in China.

Disc Four picks up where the previous disc left off:

-An episode of the British TV series "The Southbank Show" (66 min) explores Bertolucci´s creative process during the shooting of "The Last Emperor."

-A 1989 episode of the British TV series "Late Night: Face to Face" (30 min) sees host Jeremy Isaacs interviewing Bertolucci about his Oscar win and his creative influences.

-"Beyond the Forbidden City" (45 min) provides a welcome relief from the onslaught of "making of" documentaries. Cultural historian Ian Buruma provides historical context about the massive changes in China during Pu Yi´s life.

-Finally (whew!) the collection is rounded out by an interview with David Byrne, co-composer of "Emperor". This new interview (25 min) was recorded in 2007 for the Criterion Collection.

The hefty insert booklet which arrives sandwiched in between the two wings of this four-part fold-out boxed set includes an essay by David Thomson and interviews with so many people you´ll just have to read it for yourself to find out who.

Film Value

I wouldn´t wish most Oscar-winning films on my worst enemy, let alone a film with nine Oscar wins, but "The Last Emperor" is that rare breed of film that is both pure Oscar bait and also a thoroughly compelling work. It might a bit too stately and dignified for my taste, but that´s really a minor quibble. Bertolucci balances the epic with the personal in a high-wire act that would make any Wallenda blush, and breathes into what could have otherwise been a staid and stagy project.

The collection is superb, but at some point you have to ask when it´s all just a bit too much. How many people are ever going to watch both cuts of the film, all four "making of" documentaries, as well as three other lengthy interviews/featurettes and listen to the full-length commentary? I know I didn´t. On the other hand, why complain about overkill? For a Bertolucci fan or scholar, this is a gold mine. It´s hard to think of anything else Criterion could possibly include in this digital encyclopedia.

---

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---