The Last Emperor - The Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

From my The Last Emperor 4K UHD Mediabook Review 

Historical epics like Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor can be incredibly difficult to review. On one hand, you have to juggle historical accuracy while on the other you have to balance entertainment value for an audience. Toss in an expensive independently funded production against the backdrop of Chinese censorship and script approval along with the honor of being the first Western film to shoot at the Forbidden City, there’s a lot one must consider with a film like this. But history, in this case, speaks for itself. Sweeping the Oscars and bringing home nine golden dudes including Best Picture, The Last Emperor has proven to be one of Bertolucci's greatest accomplishments. 

Focusing on Puyi, the final monarch of the Qing Dynasty, we have a fascinating historical character who witnessed incredible cultural change firsthand from a unique social position. He was also far from being a benign presence in these events, and Bertolucci may undercut his film by glossing over the worst behaviors of his main character. No historical epic is immune from glossing over or stretching certain details to fit a narrative, but it’s important to understand that Puyi was a far more complicated individual than portrayed. 

To the credit of actor John Lone, he delivers an incredibly nuanced portrayal of the adult Puyi humanizing a figure born to believe he was beyond the approach of normal humans. Richard Vuu, Tsou Tijger, and Tao Wu were also impressive in their performances as the young Emperor in his formative years. Between these actors, we flash backward and forward in time as the three-year-old Puyi ascends the throne, learns of Western culture, and grapples with his reeducation after the fall of the Japanese-backed Manchukuo state. The film tackles a large period in 20th-century Chinese history and these actors never falter. 

John Lone has always given fantastic performances, even in films like The Shadow, but it’s here where he shines brightest. It’s one of those mysteries how this film could sweep the Oscars but neglect to even nominate him. Likewise, Joan Chen delivers a devastating performance as Puyi’s wife Wan Jung. While a small supporting role, Peter O’Toole gives a masterful turn as the English tutor Reginald Johnston and yet again another oversight from the Academy. 

Leave it to an Italian filmmaker like Bertolucci to bring this epic tale to life. Combined with producer Jeremy Thomas, co-writer Mark Peploe, and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor is a visual feast while never losing its dramatic footing focusing on its main character. A film like this, the first Western production to shoot in the Forbidden City, could easily get lost in the visual splendor. It’s a costume epic that has a lush, vivid eye for spectacle but thanks to Bertolucci and Peploe’s screenplay, never loses the eye for human drama.

I wouldn’t personally put this on a “favorite films” or “best ever made” list, but it’s one I greatly admire. I grew up with this movie in the house thanks to my dad forgetting to send back the monthly Columbia House card. It was one of those films I watched very young and probably annoyed my parents to death because I had so many questions. “Why did they do this?” “Why did this happen?” “What’s going to happen now?” I had so many questions because it was one of the first big “grownup” films that fully captured my attention. Because of that, I try to revisit The Last Emperor every few years. It’s not one I pull off my shelf often, but every time it arrives in a new home video format I’m always compelled to give it another viewing.

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
After releases in Germany and the U.K., The Last Emperor rises to power on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in the United States with a three-disc set from The Criterion Collection. The 4K is pressed on a BD-100 disc with a Region A BD-50 disc for the Theatrical Cut and another BD-50 disc for the extended cut. The discs are housed in a clear case with individual trays, so no stacking. Also included is a 40-page booklet with essays from David Thomson and Fabien S. Gerard and interviews with Bertolucci, production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti, and actor Ying Ruocheng. Each disc loads to an animated main menu with Criterion’s standard accordion-style menu system.

As is the case with the releases from across the Atlantic, The Criterion Collection’s 4K disc shares the same Dolby Vision master created by Germany's Turbine Medien, but like the Arrow disc, not the same encoding. Getting down into the nitty gritty of bitrates, the Criterion disc comes in second best. The average punting the bitrate is a tad higher than the arrow by 5-10mbps but, the Turbine disc still clocks in the heaviest. Especially for big expansive scenes like during little Pu Yi’s anointment and he runs through the yellow curtain and out into the forbidden city courtyard looking over his subjects. That reverse shot where we see the full expanse of his walled empire the Turbine clocks into the 90s whereas this disc hits about 75mbps. Not bad! It’s still a stunning disc on its own and if you’re not keep on importing, this will serve fans well. Here's what I thought about the Turnine release (which again is essentially the same here) 

The Theatrical Cut of The Last Emperor arrives fully restored to 2160p with the proper 2.39:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision HDR (and HDR10). The effort was a shared project between Turbine and Arrow in collaboration with StudioCanal. The results are simply fabulous. The contrasting images of the bright, bold, and colorful early years of Pu Yi’s life against the dark, cold, and drab later years are striking and have never looked better. The smallest intricate details in facial features, clothing textures, and the incredible production design never falter. The ceremony where Pu Yi is to choose a wife and first consort is particularly stunning with the immaculate beading in the costumes. There’s good reason why this film won Best Cinematography - Vittorio Storaro earned every ounce of that golden statue. 

Dolby Vision HDR is another amazing highlight for this release offering spot-on color saturation giving extra attention to key primaries, especially reds, while ensuring flesh tones are healthy and human. Black levels are in perfect form offering deep inky blacks with lovely shadow separations. This is key for the scenes depicting Puyi’s later years. Whites are brilliant and crisp without blooming. From frame one, this is an exceptional transfer. 

The Extended Cut has always looked a bit rough. I don’t know the exact reason why the elements weren’t available for restoration, I’ve heard different explanations, but it’s a notable down from the 4K. I keep hoping one day we’ll see this version fully restored, but as is the Theatrical Cut is still magnificent.

On the audio front, we have two options, a DTS-HD MA 2.0 or a DTS-HD MA 5.1 track. Personally, I loved the 5.1 option. The 2.0 is strong in its own right, but it feels far more lively and immersive with 5.1 audio. The extra spacing of key audio effects, dialog, and the magnificent Oscar-winning score by Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Byrne, and Cong Su sounds magnificent. Big lively parade scenes or anytime you have hundreds of extras, the soundscape feels massive. Later when Pu Yi is in confinement during his reeducation period the mix is intensely confined. The slightest foot shuffle or whisper has great impact for these tense scenes.

Where Criterion’s release of The Last Emperor shines over other releases is the bonus features. While we don’t get everything those other discs enjoyed, we do have some unique and weightier exclusives. First is the archival audio commentary from 2003 and 2007 featuring Bernardo Bertolucci, Jeremy Thomas, Mark Peploe, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. While all of the participants aren’t sharing the mic together, there’s a lot of great info and trivia about the production to pull. Absolutely worth a listen if you haven’t done so already. The Italian Traveler and Postcards from China were both found on the Turbine set, but this edition offers many more unique and exhaustive featurettes, archival documentaries, and interviews. Quite simply it’s the motherload for this film. It might not be complete, there are still a couple of extras exclusive to the Arrow and Turbine sets, but this one feels the most comprehensive. 

4K UHD Disc

• Audio Commentary featuring Bernardo Bertolucci, Jeremy Thomas, Mark Peploe, and Ryuichi Sakamoto

Blu-ray Disc One:

• Audio Commentary featuring Bernardo Bertolucci, Jeremy Thomas, Mark Peploe, and Ryuichi Sakamoto
• The Italian Traveler, Bernardo Bertolucci (SD 53:03)
• Postcards from China w/ Optional Audio Commentary (SD 8:03)
• Bernardo Bertolucci’s Chinese Adventure (SD 50:53)
• Making the Last Emperor (HD 45:05)
• The Southbank Show (SD 1:06:03)
• David Byrne (HD 25:05)
• Beyond the Forbidden City (SD 45:15)
• The Late Show: Face to Face (SD 30:35)
• Trailer 

Blu-ray Disc Two: 

• Extended Television Cut (HD 3:38:50)

Criterion’s release of Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor may not have been the first 4K release to reach collector’s shelves, but it brings its own weight to the title. The film remains a fascinating look at one of the most challenging historical figures staged as an incredible production bringing these events and figures back to life. Bitrate variances aside, this set features the same excellent Dolby Vision transfer from Turbine but only offers DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio. It’s a great audio mix, true to the film and holds well, but I would have loved to hear that 5.1 option on this disc. The biggest draw for this release is the incredible selection of bonus features with nearly five hours of content before commentary, extended cut, and booklet writings. If you haven’t imported this title on 4K, Criterion gives fans an amazing disc to consider. Highly Recommended