10 Greatest Portrayals Of Monarchs In Movie History

3. The Last Emperor

The Last Emperor is a sweeping epic, detailing the entire life of Puyi, the last emperor of China before the Xinhai Revolution in 1911 forced his abdication. It begins when he was chosen by the dying Empress Dowager Cixi to succeed her, at the young age of two years old. The film goes on to show Puyi's life at the ages of 8 and 15, but the bulk of the significant content takes place when Puyi was an adult, played by Hong Kong-born actor John Lone. He faced a tremendous amount of turmoil in his life, after losing his throne and being imprisoned for ten years as a war criminal. It's never easy to experience a complete upheaval of every aspect of your life, and John Lone brings a sense of quiet resolve that defines the character throughout. The Last Emperor is largely known as a visual masterpiece, with the always stellar Bertolucci behind the camera and the production being granted unprecedented access to the Forbidden City, but Lone's performance as Puyi really brings it all together.