The Last Emperor

[BioMechanic]

One of my all-time favorites is getting the Criterion treatment.

From amazon:

Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor won nine Academy Awards, unexpectedly sweeping every category in which it was nominated quite a feat for a challenging, multilayered epic directed by an Italian and starring an international cast. Yet the power and scope of the film was, and remains, undeniable the life of emperor Pu Yi, who took the throne at age three, in 1908, before witnessing decades of cultural and political upheaval, within and outside of the walls of the Forbidden City. Recreating Qing-dynasty China with astonishing detail and unparalleled craftsmanship by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro and production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti, The Last Emperor is also an intimate character study of one man reconciling personal responsibility and political legacy.

Special Features
* - DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FOUR-DISC SET FEATURES:
* - All-new, restored high-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro
* - All-new, restored high-definition digital transfer of the extended television version
* - Audio commentary featuring director Bernardo Bertolucci, producer Jeremy Thomas, screenwriter Mark Peploe, and composer-actor Ryuichi Sakamoto
* - The Italian Traveler: Bernardo Bertolucci, a 53-minute film by Fernand Moszkowicz tracing the director's geographic influences, from Parma to China
* - Video images taken by Bertolucci while on preproduction in China
* - The Chinese Adventure of Bernardo Bertolucci, a 52-minute documentary that revisits the film's making
* - A new, 47-minute documentary featuring Storaro, editor Gabriella Cristiana, costume designer James Acheson, and art director Gianni Silvestri
* - A 66-minute BBC documentary exploring Bertolucci's creative process and the making of The Last Emperor
* - A 30-minute interview with Bertolucci from 1989
* - A new interview with composer David Byrne
* - A new interview with Ian Buruma examining the historical period of the film
* - Theatrical trailer
* - PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by David Thomson, interviews with production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti and actor Ying Ruocheng, a reminiscence by Bertolucci, and an essay and production-diary extracts from Fabien S. Gerard.

Can't wait! I've never seen the extended version. It should be quite a spectacle.

[bbobb]

Extended Television version? I've never seen that either. Exciting.

[Josh]

I've never seen it. Period.

Worth a netflix?

[YellerDog]

Pretty much anything Criterion puts out is worth at least a rental.

[Scourge]

It's a great movie. I'd say yes, but is it really up your alley? The theatrical cut is 160 minutes. The long cut is 219. In other words, it's really long. Incredible cinematography though.

[Josh]

ok. its in the queue now.

I don't mind long movies. I'm not a retard.

[Scourge]

ok. its in the queue now.

I don't mind long movies. I'm not a retard.

I just meant if it's not a subject you're into, you're going to be watching it a while.

Here's the original trailer:

http://www.videodetective.com/defaul...blishedID=1316

Hey, you enjoy Chinese movies (Shower, The King of Masks, etc.) If you haven't watched Chen Kaige's Farewell My Concubine and Zhang Yimou's To Live yet, they'd go well with The Last Emperor.

[BioMechanic]

Out today!

Best Buy has it for $50, and something like $42 on amazon w/free shipping.

[Clash!]

Criterion sells all their DVDs on their website for 20% off SRP, but thats only $47, cheaper at Amazon has it for right now.

[D_N_G]

even though the transfer is beter than the previous relase, this criterion release os still a big disappointment:

I just read on Criterion's website that the aspect ratio has been confirmed to be 2.00:1.

This is thanks to Vittorio Storaro, the film's cinematographer who trimmed down the beautiful Original Aspect Ratio of 2.35:1 to conform to his "Univisium" universal film format.

More proof that films need to be protected from their directors and cinematographers.

the extras and clean transfer should be ace though