Reference
Joseph Laviola
Middle School Social Studies
Commonwealth Connections Academy
The Last Emperor chronicles the life of Pu Yi, final ruler of the Qing Dynasty and last emperor of China. Pu Yi's life could be described as that of the perpetual pawn, puppet and prisoner. The film begins in 1950 with Pu Yi as a political prisoner of Communist forces in Manchuria. During a failed suicide attempt, he slips into a memory and the story takes us to 1908 and his early life as the child emperor. The two locations and political realities are drastically different, as superbly conveyed by the drastic changes in scenery; Communist Manchuria is characterized by gray concrete, solemn faces and overcast skies while the Qing Dynasty is portrayed with life, color and music. These settings and characterizations are fantastically interwoven into the film, which continuously alters back and forth between his life in a Communist reeducation camp and his memories of happier days. The mere color and framing of each scene could elicit weight powerful emotions even if the film were a silent production.
After abdicating his rule in 1912, Pu Yi becomes a prisoner within his own palace, the Forbidden City, where he exerts no real power and is unable to leave. Outside of the city walls, the Republic of China is the true political power within his realm. In 1934, desiring to return to the role of ruler granted by his birth, he returns to his ancestral home in Manchuria and functions as the Emperor and political puppet of the Empire of Japan. In the days following the defeat of Japanese during the Second World War and the the victory of the People's Republic of China, he is captured and reeducated in the ideology set forth by Mao Zedong and his followers.
The music and cinematography of The Last Emperor are fantastic and the film won nine Oscars in 1988, including Best Picture, Best Cinematography and Best Original Score. Depictions of court life, music, food and imperial culture will be both deeply engaging and utterly foreign to anyone, even those who have not studied East Asian culture or society at any great length.
Incorporating this into a middle school curriculum for Social Studies could pose challenges for teachers who are restricted to American History, but would offer a fantastic insight for the students of those teaching World History since the film does such a superb job of conveying the color and character of Chinese culture and society during the pre-Republican era.
