[font=Arial, sans-serif]Many years ago I had seen [/font]The Last Emperor, but this time it carried a much more pronounced impact for me because of my exposure to the USC US - China Institute. This time I was a much more active viewer as I attempted to make sense of the timeline and historical context. I also wanted to know more and did a little investigating on line to fill in some of the gaps in my understanding. I would have liked to do quite a bit more research if time would only permit. I was interested to learn that the actual autobiography of Emperor Puyi, the last Emperor of China, was used to gain insight into his life and the historical events that surrounded it.
[font=Arial, sans-serif]Since I had been having trouble understanding how he came to power, how he was still in power when Chinese communism was taking hold, and how he was involved in Japan’s attempt to colonize parts of China, this movie helped quite a bit. [/font]
I do think I will watch it one more time and then do some more investigating before I take it into the class. Even then, I would only use parts of it as it is very long and some of it should not be used in class. However, the visuals are truly stunning and the scenes of the child Emperor are sure to capture my student’s attention. I would try to download several excerpts and play them one at a time as we consider Chinese culture and the events that led up to Japan’s involvement in WWII. As I investigate, I may find other ways to incorporate this film into my 6th, 7th, and 8th grade history classes.
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The Last Emperor
04/09/2013 02:53 PM
#1
The Last Emperor
Like you, I saw this movie when it first came out and thought about watching it again for this class but chose to see a different film instead. I think I will have to revisit it as I am sure I too will have a completely different perspective now.
I was thrilled to stumble upon it on PBS while flipping through the channels a few months back. I too saw this film when it first came out and was entering my middle school years. I agree that there are some portions of the movie that are not appropriate for students. I recall not understanding the entire story as it shifted between time frames. I firmly believe that watching this movie after having the students learn about the political changes occurring in China at the time as well as the Japanese occupation of Manchuria would help shed light on the student's understanding of the film.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1994-03-01/news/9403010209_1_pu-yi-puppet-emperor-chinese-republic
Like many have already mentioned, I too wanted to revisit the movie after the classroom discussions. I didn't have the time, but came across an older news article from the Chicago Tribune about the legacy of the last emperor. It is amazing to think that life offers such drastic and quick changes to status, fame, lifestyle and all at the same time alters our current history. Hope you enjoy the article from 1994 about the heirs to the Imperial throne.
I saw this film many years ago, and it was difficult to understand what was happening because I knew so little about the historical period. I look forward to watching it now, and gaining a deeper understanding.
Like many others commenting here, I saw this movie when it came out. I was in 7th or 8th grade and we had been studying China. I remember enjoying it (and that it was sad). I also remember it was long. I wonder why it was such an important film to show to young students. I guess it was epic in topic and length. I'll put this on my ever-growing list of movies to revisit.