What It's About:

This sweeping historical epic tracks six decades in the topsy-turvy life of Aisin-Gioro “Henry” Pu Yi (Lone), China’s last emperor, from his ascendancy to the throne in 1908 at age 3—and subsequent imprisonment in the Forbidden City at the hands of foreign invaders—to his Communist reconditioning in the 1950s and post-imperial years as a humble plant tender in the Peking Botanical Gardens.

Why I Love It:

Shot on location in Beijing’s Forbidden City—the first time ever for a Western film— Bertolucci’s lush, sumptuous biopic tells of a deeply sheltered man’s personal transformation, while examining the tumultuous political changes rocking the country he ostensibly rules. Ably played by three actors as the character ages, Pu Yi longs for escape, and finds it partly through marriage to Wan Jung (Chen) and in the worldliness of his Scottish tutor (a scene-stealing yet measured Peter O’Toole). With its exotic visual flair and cast of thousands, “Emperor” is dressed to impress, so it’s no surprise the film nabbed nine Oscars. Only the Director’s Cut will do.