Editorial Review

Bernardo Bertolucci does the nearly impossible with this sweeping, grand epic that tells a very personal tale. The story is a dramatic history of Pu Yi, the last of the emperors of China. It follows his life from its elite beginnings in the Forbidden City, where he was crowned at age three and worshipped by half a billion people. He was later forced to abdicate and, unable to fend for himself in the outside world, became a dissolute and exploited shell of a man. He died in obscurity, living as a peasant in the People's Republic. We never really warm up to John Lone in the title role, but this movie focuses more on visuals than characterization anyway. Filmed in the Forbidden City, it is spectacularly beautiful, filling the screen with saturated colors and exquisite detail. It won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Read more

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Reviews (124)

Pu Yi : prisoner No. 981!
This film is really mesmerizing. The sumptuous locations that worked out as real stages to tell the tragic story of the raise and fall of the last Emperor of a very reduced territory of a huge nation. Enclosed in this zone, prisoner of the conventionalisms, his castrated childhood, slaved by his own power, became a fervent fan of the Western way of life thanks to the wise advises of his British mentor: R.J.
Accomplishes the impossible
Ask any director in a world not yet blessed with The Last Emperor whether it might be possible to create a film that documents, with reasonable depth and historical accuracy, the modernization of China--from imperial days through the Cultural Revolution--and that does so while managing also to capture the immeasurable gravity, ethos, and pathos of the twentieth century and all its billions, and you'd be told in so many words that such a task was absolutely, without a doubt, impossible, no matter the allotted length.
A masterpiece
The Last Emperor is one of those movies that dazzle us even after 18 years of its original release. The acting is fantastic, the Photography simply beautiful, and the locations,(specially the Forbidden city sequences) are breathtaking.
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Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie   

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Reviews (18)

Memorably tragic
Sansho the Bailiff projects a bleak and depressing view of medieval Japan.The director Kenji Mizoguchi was masterful, providing an authentic and unforgettable immersion into feudal Japan.This Japanese folktale describes the kinds of sacrifices that may have been required to overcome some of humanity's basest instincts, and a sad and mesmerizing story it is.The acting is wonderful, and the music excellent.There are a number of scenes that would likely be startlingly beautiful if shot in color, but fit the starkly tragic mood in black and white.Hopefully this great movie will soon be restored and transferred to DVD.Highly recommended.

So great, so beautiful!
"Sansho Dayu" is so great and so beautiful. It is one of my very favorite films.
Magnificent Masterpiece - R2 DVD available
This is one of the most beautiful and heart-breaking films I've ever seen.
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Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Foreign    3. Foreign Film - Japanese    4. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    5. International    6. Movie   

Editorial Review

Bernardo Bertolucci does the nearly impossible with this sweeping, grand epic that tells a very personal tale. The story is a dramatic history of Pu Yi, the last of the emperors of China. It follows his life from its elite beginnings in the Forbidden City, where he was crowned at age three and worshipped by half a billion people. He was later forced to abdicate and, unable to fend for himself in the outside world, became a dissolute and exploited shell of a man. He died in obscurity, living as a peasant in the People's Republic. We never really warm up to John Lone in the title role, but this movie focuses more on visuals than characterization anyway. Filmed in the Forbidden City, it is spectacularly beautiful, filling the screen with saturated colors and exquisite detail. It won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Read more

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• NTSC

Reviews (124)

Pu Yi : prisoner No. 981!
This film is really mesmerizing. The sumptuous locations that worked out as real stages to tell the tragic story of the raise and fall of the last Emperor of a very reduced territory of a huge nation. Enclosed in this zone, prisoner of the conventionalisms, his castrated childhood, slaved by his own power, became a fervent fan of the Western way of life thanks to the wise advises of his British mentor: R.J.
Accomplishes the impossible
Ask any director in a world not yet blessed with The Last Emperor whether it might be possible to create a film that documents, with reasonable depth and historical accuracy, the modernization of China--from imperial days through the Cultural Revolution--and that does so while managing also to capture the immeasurable gravity, ethos, and pathos of the twentieth century and all its billions, and you'd be told in so many words that such a task was absolutely, without a doubt, impossible, no matter the allotted length.
A masterpiece
The Last Emperor is one of those movies that dazzle us even after 18 years of its original release. The acting is fantastic, the Photography simply beautiful, and the locations,(specially the Forbidden city sequences) are breathtaking.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Movie   

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Reviews (12)

Good Wine
I have been a fan of Zhang Yimou's films since 1999 when I first watched his 1991 film Raise The Red Lantern for my East Asian Novel class, and since then I have watched several other of his films such as Not One Less, To Live, The Road Home, Happy Times, and Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles. Each one of his films brings something new to the table and delves into such issues as urban/rural conflicts, political corruption, and Japan-China relations. Red Sorghum is Zhang Yimou's first film as a director and while it may be a bit simpler than many of his later films it contains elements that almost every fan of his films will be familiar with: beautiful settings, very fleshed out characters, and moments of conflict where those who possess little power are overwhelmed by larger forces. Also, Red Sorghum is Gong Li first film, and it is nice to see that even at such a young age, 21, that she already possessed on screen charisma that can really grip the viewer's heart. While not as masterful as her performances in To Live or Chen Kaige's Farewell My Concubine, her tears and iron core are still quite moving.
A pastoral epic!
The bold portrait of the humble village wine makers against the interloping Japanese forces. An enigmatic and brave film that marks the ascending and meteoric career of Yimou Zang. Winner of the Silver Bear 1988, and one of my Fifty top choices of that Decade.
A very good movie!
Watching this movie makes you feel the blood in your whole body are burning! It's very hard to produce a movie with such a strong force of passion. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Film - Chinese    2. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    3. Movie   

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Reviews (11)

THE BURMESE HARP
Director Kon Ichikawa made a truly great movie, especially considering that this anti-war movie was made not long after the end of the second world war. [1956 release] Having read quite a bit about the Pacific theatre of war as an undergraduate, I came to appreciate this movie about how the trauma of this horrible war affected one Japanese soldier. The soldier becomes spiritually obsessed with burying as many Japanese war dead that he comes across in his journey throughout the country of Burma. And he vows to remain in Burma until he has accomplished this task [a very formidabale task!] The fact that this Cinematic masterpiece is only available on VHS, not DVD, does not detract from the richness of the movie. I rank this movie right up there with "PATHS OF GLORY," as my two most favorite anti-war movies ever made. A must see.

Haunting Japanese anti war film!
At the end of the WW2, a survivor of a Japanese Command, follows his bliss when he takes a decision: to disguise himself as a monk . He will make a reflexive tour, a powerful insight act, a soul searching journey soul searching backto those places where his fellow comrades met the death. This redemption fact once more completes the mythical cycle of the life: birth and innocence, maturity and experience and finally wisdom and redemption.
Come Japan, come England, Burma is Buddha's country
At the beginning of this long film the audience sees a spectatcular view red dirt and red mountains of Burma, which is very significant because, if one is familiar with Buddhist tradition, the dust symbollizes the mortal world of suffering and it represents what one wants to brush off if one desires to follow the path of the Buddha. After seeing the bleak terrain, the audience is introduced to a small contigent of soldiers led by Captain Inoue a former music teacher. In order to keep his troops spirits up, the Captain teaches his men how to sing with varying degrees of success. His most gifted soldier is Mizushima, who has taught himself how to play a Burmese Harp which he has mastered quite skillfully.
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Subjects:  1. Foreign    2. Foreign Film - Japanese    3. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    4. International    5. Movie   

Editorial Review

Bruce Lee wrote and directed Read more

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Reviews (74)

Just say WOW!
The story isn't that good. The humour is awful. Some of the sets are a joke. But the action? Man, you just can't fault this baby. The twin nunchaku sequence is superb. The fight with Bob Wall is unbelievable. But the true triumph is the Chuck Norris fight. Has to be one of the greatest fight scenes ever filmed. Fantastic. The choreography (entirely Lee's work) is matched only by the final execution. This is a true lesson from a true master on how cinematic fight scenes should be built, performed and filmed. Stunning.

Horrible Quality
This movie has bad quality it is dubed in they have deep voices and it sounds bad.If you want a good bruce Lee movie get Enter the Dragon I thought it would be a good movie but I was worng.It was not even a hollywood movie maybe if you were a big fan of Bruce Lee you could handle the bad quality.

Bruce Lee's most fun film; a classic
Set in Rome, Return of the Dragon (ROTD) is the last of Bruce's Hong Kong-produced films.Unlike Hollywood-produced Enter the Dragon, the English is dubbed, the production quality low by comparison. Yet, this movie is highly entertaining.Enter the Dragon was Bruce's biggest film, but there's something about ROTD that makes it his most exciting.
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Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Martial Arts / Kung-Fu    4. Movie   

Editorial Review

Talk about your tween fantasies: Read more

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Reviews (9)

EXCELLENT MOVIE.
From Horse Sense to this- an EXCELLENT sequel!!!
Excellent!
There was so much more to this movie than just three guys shipwrecked!There were lessons on the value of friends and family... and just how valuable material objects are.But it's just like Disney to add a moral to a story... thank goodness!This is the reason I feel comfortable turning on the Disney channel when our family sits down to watch a movie together. Great light hearted family fun
Although slightly implausible, "Jumping Ship" is a good all round family entertainer - ideal for those lazy summer afternoons, when you need something fun and light to entertain the kids. Certainly worth watching. There are no Oscar winning performances from the young cast, however, its pace is at a comfortable jog and worth sticking though all the clich�s. The director left a couple of "bloopers" in the final version that are a nice touch. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comedies    2. Feature Film Family    3. Movie    4. TV Shows   

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Reviews (6)

2.5, maybe...
Raymond Chandler's wisecracking, star-crossed private eye Philip Marlowe is transplanted into the swinging '60s where hopheads, strippers and psychiatrists join the usual compliment of thugs and goons that make his life miserable.James Garner gets a nice dry run for the "Rockford Files" TV show, while Rita Moreno bares all in her climactic stripping scene.Honestly, the script is not that great -- for the life of me I couldn't actually figure out who did what, or why... But it's still a fun film, in a campy kinda way.The film's one truly great moment is a scene is with Caroll O'Connor as a police detective who, having wearied of playing Marlowe's schnook, bursts into a violent tirade about how lousy his job is, and nearly beats the handcuffed private eye to death.It's a scene that could stand tasteful recycling elsewhere and, I suspect, was only in the film because O'Connor improv-ed it and made *something* good happen in this otherwise somewhat addled production...

Garner as Private Eye as Tenatious as a Bobo Doll
Garner wins our sympathy as a battered P.I. who's client doesn't like him and neither do the thugs who cross his path.This movie will make you feel like laughing and crying at the some time.But you know that Marlowe is tough enough to come out on top at the end of the day.Sort of corny in a Seventies kind of way, Marlowe is definitely comforting mind candy so curl up with a bowl of popcorn and enjoy!

"Rockford Files"+ "Shaft" = "Marlowe" A terrible combonation
The title for this review says it all, it's exactly what "Marlowe" is. This is an atrocity.Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Movie    3. Mystery / Suspense   

Editorial Review

Zhang Yimou (Read more

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Reviews (144)

This is the one to watch
Red Lantern is a carefully crafted story centered around a young woman named Songlian, played by the ever-brilliant Gong Li. Songlian's hopes and dreams of college and a better life are cruelly cut short by the sudden and unexpected death of her father. With no money for school and at the insistence of her mother, Songlian is forced to marry Chen, a wealthy landowner who already has three wives of his own. Each of the wives reside in separate wings of his centuries-old castle estate. The living quarters are extremely upscale and come complete with a personal servant and maid. But, like the storied bird in the gilded cage, their lives are sad, empty and lonely.
The Quality to DVD is Appalling!
Raise the Red Lantern is a wonderful movie with a great story.When I had heard that this movie was going to be transfered to DVD format, I was thrilled. And then I bought the DVD, and to my dismay, within the first couple of minutes into the movie, there were white lines and distortion. Since I loved the movie so much, I thought I would make an exception for the first few minutes, but as the movie continued, so did the white lines.I could not believe what I was seeing.The DVD copy of this movie, reminded me of the old movies I use to see years ago, when there were only 7 channels on TV.
Terrible transfer quality!
UGH!Yet another disaster!I REALLY hoped this would be a bettter transfer than Ju Dou, but alas I am not satisfied!I am already 2 minutes into the dialogue and thinking "oh my gosh, do I really have to sit through this cr*p again??"Terrible subtitles also...erghhhhh...and I LOVE Gong Li.What a shame.I guess one can watch it KNOWING it's going to be bad quality ahead of time...I just really wasn't expecting it.I'm going to go watch it as I'm sure it's going to be great acting. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Film - Chinese   

Editorial Review

Having earned Hollywood's respect with blockbusters like Read more

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Reviews (233)

Of Historic Importance..But...Longwinded
This review refers to "Windtalkers" DVD
Who was the movie more focused on?
As a nephew of a Navajo Code Talker, I would like to express my thoughts on WINDTALKERS.
Life of the Navajo Code Talkers
This film was okay but they should have gone more on how the code talkers operated to get the Japanese target destroyed. There were too many war cliches in this film like when Sgt. Enders picked up wounded Pvt. Ben Yahzee amid gunfire from heavily trained Japanese rifleman. The Big Texas Marine who operated the BAR seemed like a Saturday Morning Cartoon Character. There was racism like the Zoot Suit Riots in LA. But the Marines would have respected their Navajo Radio Operater like a brother since their lives depended on him and the Navy Corpsman. I thought John Woo (who mostly make hardboiled-gun battle action movies) was the wrong person to direct this film. Hopefully the new Band of Brothers sequel based on the Pacific Theater and the move based on the book "Flags of our Father" that are be made by Steven Spielburg, Tom Hanks, and Clint Eastwood will be good. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action    2. Adventure    3. Drama    4. Feature Film-drama    5. Movie   

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Reviews (11)

Martial Arts Filmography
This is an excellent video for collectors and enthusiasts.Those who plan to learn martial arts, should look elsewhere though.
Must be on DVD!
This is the best martial arts Documentary A Very Good Documentary
Narrated by John Saxon, who played a fellow martial artist in "Enter the Dragon" with Bruce Lee, Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan...Wait, they're all potrayed in this tape!Along with Jet Li and the others this documentary gives you insight on how it is to be a martial artist.Gives you good, clean information and very crisp fight scenes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Documentary    3. Martial Arts    4. Martial Arts / Kung-Fu    5. Movie   

Editorial Review

Like seeds of a dandelion blowing in the wind, the plot of Read more

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Reviews (65)

Presentation is Everything!
This is a movie that may require several viewings in order to fully appreciate the humor.
Causes great Need for Noodles!
Every time I watch this I have to be prepared to go get some noodle soup!My family adores this movie, but my short-attention-span boyfriend just doesn't get it.I can't watch this movie often, but I do sometimes get a real hankering for the movie.

One of my favorite movies
This is an amazing movie.Even if you aren't crazy about foreign films or subtitles, the humor (and other emotions) in this movie comes across even if you don't read every word.Hilarious and well done.I'm shocked to see the price of the DVD but this is one of those movies I can understand being pricey.Try it - even if you don't like foreign films but ESPECIALLY if you do! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign    2. Foreign Film - Japanese    3. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    4. Movie   

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Reviews (21)

A dedicated journey by an aunt and uncle
If you are a frequent viewer of foreign film, you may know that periodically, you need to view a film twice, especially with oriental films.In this case... Japanese, old film, similar looking people, complex names, lack of clear close-ups, etc.
Singing about the dark times
Ever since Theodor Adorno first raised questions about the possibility of making poetry after Auschwitz, art has been haunted by the possibility of its own failure, the possibility that one of its most remarkable features--its ability to shock the viewer into new ways of seeing--might be eclipsed by the great spectacles of mass death the extermination camps made possible.How could there be poetry after Auschwitz?To this question another could be added: Can there be cinema after Hiroshima?Or is all cinema doomed to failure given the incursions the mushroom cloud has made on our consciousness?
Available now at a fraction ofthe prices advertised here!
Wonderful film as aptly described by previous reviewers. Just want to inform potential buyers that this film is now available at Amazon.fr.as "pluie noire". Subtitled in both French and English. So no need to purchase at the crazy prices avertised by marketplace sellers! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Film - Japanese    2. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    3. Movie   

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Reviews (5)

funny!
it was my first time to watch a silent movie and i thought this movie was quite fun!this movie is based on the time frame that when Japan's economy grew and more people moved to a big city to work; emergence of white collar workers.the ordinal family decided to move outside the city in order to live closer to father's boss.the story tells us how kids encounter this change and society. Silent Japanese Film??? I'm kidding, right?
No Kidding, if you have any sense of humour you'll love this film.Now I am an admitted Ozu film lover, which means I find his unique cinematography of a camera that isn't darting all over the place and shots at low levels that make you feel like you are standing (or sitting) there watching what is going on, a very enjoyable way of viewing a film. One of Ozu's best films
It is a shame that the availability of Ozu films is not more widespread. 'I Was Born But...' exemplifies the concern for family relationships by one of the great masters of Japanese cinema. This film being silent should notbe seen as an obstacle (nor should any silent film). It echoes the charmingpathos and humour one might expect from a Charlie Chaplin classic. Read more

Subjects:  1. Foreign Film - Japanese    2. Foreign Film [Dub Or Subtitle]    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

With stylish director Roger Spottiswode(Read more

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Reviews (247)

just the way i like my bond...
Look people..its a Bond movie..movie loaded with 2 hours of action,explosions, cgi and hot women,this movie will give your sound system a workout, yeah some action scenes leave you doubting the realism but its BOND, get over it..GOLDENEYE still my favorite

Bad Bad Bad
Bad Bad Bad WORST VILLAN WORST PLOT WORST ACTORS WORST SONG NOTHING WAS GOOD ABOUT IT!!!!

Agent 007 vs the Media...
When MGM successfully resurrected the near dead James Bond franchise with "007:Goldeneye" starring the newest James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, many critics felt that maybe the franchise had experienced it's final adventure.The box office gold that resulted from the film told a different story, putting another adventure starring everyone's favorite MI-6 agent on the fast track to production.With a solid story, returning cast members and some new additions, not to mention Bond fans salivating over the casting of sexy Teri Hatcher (TV's "Lois & Clark:The New Adventures of Superman") as the latest Bond girl, expectations were justifiably high for this 18th James Bond film.While some of the efforts in this long-lasting franchise have been less than stellar, the most disappointing would be "007:Moonraker" starring Roger Moore (the worst James Bond in history), this newest Bond adventure was not one of the weak installments, and truth be told is one of the better adventures in the secret agent's illustrious career.
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Subjects:  1. Action    2. Action / Adventure    3. Adventure    4. Feature Film-action/Adventure    5. Movie   

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Reviews (5)

"Sisters of the Gion".
Mizoguchi's films centre around the theme of prostitution: prostituion of the body, for sure, but also prostitution of the soul ("Life of O-Haru"), of the work ethic ("Osaka Elegy"), and of the sanctity of acting ("Zengiku Monogatari"). No wonder he figures so highly in the praise of Jean-Luc Godard, who transposed Mizoguchi's concerns onto a far wider-reaching political scale, with, for example, "Two or Three Things..."
A Tale of Two Sisters
Mizoguchi Kenji always had a soft spot for the women of Japan, being known as a "feminist" director in his home country. Mainly, he sees the pathos of the suffering of Japanese women, buckling under the strict social rules of their society.He is a master of"aware," beautiful suffering, that is such a trademark of Japanese film.