China shows its own ‘Last Emperor’ series

Press, 24 August 1988, Page 50

China shows its own ‘Last Emperor’ series

NZPA-AFP Peking Chinese television has begun showing a 28-epi-sode series on the life of the country’s last emperor, Pu Yi, ahead of the release in Peking of Bernardo Bertolucci’s Oscarwinning film on the same subject. The series has been broadcast hastily in a bid to ensure that the officially sanctioned version is seen ahead of the Bertolucci film, which has caused some official concern, observers said. “Unlike the film, the television series attempts a realistic portrayal of Pu Yi (1905-67),” the “China Daily” said. “By comparison, Bertolucci’s film, which won nine Academy awards in April, is perceptibly expressionistic, showing a lot of Western imagination and preference.” The official English language daily was apparently referring not only to the political content of the film but also to such scenes as one showing Pu Yi in bed with both his wife and mistress, and

another showing female homosexuality, observers said. “China Daily” cited Pu Jie, brother of the last emperor who served as an adviser for the Chinese television series, saying that in his opinion it was the best programme about his eider brother yet made. The producer, Feng Ji, told “China Daily” that the television series was being shown at prime time through August as next month the slot would be taken over by the Seoul Olympic Games. This did not explain why the Chinese release of Bertolucci’s film, originally scheduled for June, had been postponed to September, observers said. The Chinese television series, in the works since 1983, cost SUSI. 4 million ($2.18 million). Unlike Bertolucci, the director, Zhou Huan, was not allowed to film inside the Forbidden City, the former Imperial Palace in Peking.