[FIELDWORK] THE LAST EMPEROR, THE FORBIDDEN CITY

THE LAST EMPEROR, Bernardo Bertolucci (1987)           

The Forbidden City, Beijing

Puyi sits in the Hall of Harmony, the main building of the Forbidden City, surrounded by his courtiers.

   Columbia Pictures released The Last Emperor in November 1987. The film retells the life of Puyi, who is the last emperor of China.1 It tells the life of Puyi. Appointed as the emperor of China at the age of three, puyi had his childhood as the last emperor of China. When the republic was founded, he lost his authority and was exiled from the Forbidden City. However, the identity of the last emperor trapped him for his entire life, making him struggle between east and west, China and Japan, ordinary citizen and comprador. The film’s first chapter is based in the Forbidden City in the background.2 The luxurious traditional royal palace demonstrated the dignity of the emperor, as well as the honors created by Puyi’s ancestors. However, those large, heavy doors bring pressure and burden. The honor and the burden are just like two sides of a coin, being a trope indicated throughout the film and the life of puyi.
Known as the first movie filmed at the Forbidden City, the Forbidden City is an essential element in the movie.3 As the most glorious palace globally, the Forbidden City is presented as luxurious, boundless, and mesmerizing. With a yellow beam, the scene inside the Hall of Harmony is presented with a sacred atmosphere. Those intense yellow beams also make the scene unclear, bringing a feeling of mystery, a common element for Chinese emperors. For outdoors scenes in the Forbidden City, a view from top to down is often adopted in the film’s first part. Also, the scene of buildings is taken incomplete, leaving space for audiences to imagine how large those buildings are. However, a gray beam was adopted when Puyi was informed to leave the Forbidden City. The view changed from down to top. In the scene where Puyi left from the back door, the troops opened the heavy door slowly. The entry was in darkness. As Puyi left the Forbidden City, the light behind him looked further and further from him.
As the palace for the great emperor, the Forbidden City always looks sacred. Nevertheless, nowadays, another strong feeling is peace and loneliness when wandering in the Forbidden City. By contrast, the Forbidden City in the film brought a strong emotion. When Puyi was the emperor, the emotion was happiness and honor. When he was exiled, the emotion was sadness and anxiety. Being the emperor, the Forbidden City was Puyi’s home. In his view, the Forbidden City bore his emotion. The memory of being the emperor was the happiest time for him. Hence the beam was bright and lively. Meanwhile, he was a small kid when he was the emperor, so the scene was unclear. He was the only lord in the palace, so the views were always from top to down, showing his dignity. As the emperor, especially the last emperor, other people had a complex feelings towards him. He always appeared on one side of the Forbidden City while others were on the other. The large Forbidden City emphasized the distance between the emperor and his courtiers. When he left the Forbidden City, his life would be changed dramatically. The uncertain future was demonstrated as the dark, heavy, boundless corridor of the Forbidden City. The last scene of the Forbidden City was an overview of the closing door. It was also a hint of the end of Puyi’s life as the emperor. 

— Kehan Long 3035771323Image result for 太和殿广场

See the source image

Left: Puyi stands on the Hall of Harmony, looking at his courtiers. Scenes from the Last Emperor, 1987, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Right: the scene from the Hall of Harmony today.

Left: Puyi leaves the Forbidden City, Scenes from the Last Emperor, 1987, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Right: The back door of the Forbidden City today. The same door where Puyi left the Forbidden City.

Notes: 

1 Produced by the Hemdale Film Corporation, the film was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci  and starred actor John Lone Joan Chen. It was based on the autobiography of puyi, the last emperor of China. It was premiered on the Tokyo international film festival on 1987, and release on November 18 in the United States. 

2 The Forbidden City was constructed from 1406 to 1420, and was the former Chinese imperial palace and winter residence of the emperor of China from the Ming dynasty (since emperor Yongle, also know as Ming Cheng Zu) to Qing dynasty.

3 Corliss, Richard. 1988. “Show business: Love and respect, Hollywood style”. Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,967235,00.html

1 thought on “[FIELDWORK] THE LAST EMPEROR, THE FORBIDDEN CITY

  1. Jen Lam says:

    You have analyzed quite a number of scenes in the film with regard to the space, and have understood the use of various techniques. You have included photos of the Forbidden City but did not elaborate further on the contrasts between the reality and the film representation. You may also use concepts like contrast to discuss your piece as well.

    Reply

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