last Emperor

---

he may be more than a symbol
The spectacles are a detail
What do you really want
Mr Johnston?
Ah Just the spectacles
The Princess Wan Jung
Your Majesty
Seventeen years old
Princess Wu Chang
fifteen years old
The princess De Li
Your Majesty
And the Princess Fung Ying
Who is this?
Princess Wen Hsiu
twelve years old
She has got a funny face
Notjust one wife One empress
and one secondary consort
Two wives?
But who do you choose to be
the Empress?
They chose her
Shes very old Johnston
Shes seventeen
Thats not so old Your Majesty
What does she look like?
Old fashion
I want a modern wife Johnston
who speaks English and French
And who can dance the
quickstep
Johnston
Sir
Im going to escape Johnston
Ive got a suitcase
and a ticket to England
Im going to Oxford University
Your Majesty if you get married
you will become the master
of your own house
A wedding might be a more
practical way to escape
Why did you never get married
Johnston?
The secondary consort
welcomes the Empress greets
the secondary consort
You are doing everything very well
Thank you
I rehearsed many times
What is His Majesty thinking?
I was thinking if I was the real emperor
I would become the ruler of China now
And what would the Emperor do
if he could really rule?
I would change everything
Even the way we get married
Is the Emperor against arranged
marriages?
It is humiliating not to choose
whom you marry
Even I was not allowed
to choose
In another year or two
His Majesty will be
taller than me
Is it true the Emperor has a suitcase
under his bed and is going to Oxford?
Will the Emperor take Wan Jung
with him?
Perhaps he would like to
see my face before he decides
Yes the Emperor would like to
see the face of the Empress
It is the Emperor who must
remove the kaitou
I also had a tutor like Mr Johnston
Miss Windsor Shes American
Miss Windsor taught me how to
do the dance of the quickstep
Does the Emperor know hoe to
do the quickstep?
Will you teach me?
Leave us Leave us
If Your Majesty thinks it is old
fashioned to make the rain and
the wind with a stranger
we can be like a modern couple
to begin with
A modern couple?
Good night
Good night
You must come to Oxford
with me
I like him
Im sure Im going to like him
And he will grow up
Eyes down
Report your arrival
Prisoner nine eight one
reporting
Louder
Prisoner nine eight one
reporting
Open the door
Close the door
Sit down
Name?
Aisin Gioro Pu Yi
Write it
Now read that aloud
We call them
toothpaste and water tap
The toothpaste prisoner needs to be
squeezed every now and then or else
he forgets to keep confessing
The water tap man needs one good
hard twist before he starts
But them everything comes out
Now youre an intelligent person
Im sure you understand me
Good
Then we will begin
Why do you think you are
in here nine eight one?
Im accused of being a traitor a collaborate
and a counter revolutionary
Its not an accusation
You are a traitor you are a collaborator and
youre a counter revolutionary
Did you write this?
And you call it a confession?
This is noting but a list of dates
A childs fairy tale
What do you want me to confess?
You know what you did and
what others did
So why dont you
volunteer the information?
I dont understand
We dont tell people what to confess
We already know everything about you
I
Go on
I wanted reforms
What did you what to reform?
Everything
Cut off my queue
Your majesty Please
Its heavy
The emperor before me was murdered
because he wanted to reform the empire
Is that not so Mr Johnston?
Yes Your Majesty Probably
Well let us see if they will kill me for
reforming the Forbidden City
Lord Chamberlain
Im appointing
Mr Johnstons friend
the poet and scholar
Chin Hsiao Hsiu
to be the new Lord Chamberlain
I want him to supervise a detailed
inventory of the imperial storerooms
So that we can learn exactly
how much has been stolen
Can I sleep here?
Im frightened
Youre brave
Are you not frightened?
Im excited
I dont want to escape anymore
I want to rule
Kiss me
Can I stay with you as well?
Get in Get in
I used to play a game with the eunuchs
Trying to guess who is who
Now I cant see you
Jung
Wan Jung?
When Hsiu?
Come underneath the sheet with us
Your Majesty
The storerooms on fire
Your Majesty
What are they carrying?
Their organs
Whatever their crimes they cant
be deprived of the right to
be buried as whole men
Well?
I have forgot what
I was saving
Youre wasting our time
We want to know about the Japanese
How did your friendship
with the Japanese begin?
Who introduced you?
When?
Hmm I think it was it was 1924
Parliament had been dissolved again
The president had fled
At first I thought it was just another a
coup detat by just another warlord
Only this time it was different
This time it was my turn
Fifteen love
Play
Thirty fifteen
The rotten government of
the republic is in flight
Now we shall remove the foreign
stench of the Manchurian rats who
still hide in the Forbidden City
Mr Pu Yi and his family have been given
one hour to leave the Forbidden City
They will be escorted
to the home of his father
and remain there under guard as state
prisoners until further notice
What are you all looking at?
What are you standing there for?
You always wanted to leave
the Forbidden City
Now youre got an hour to park
So go Go
I always thought I hated it here
Now Im afraid to leave
Do you think they will kill me?
You must do as they say Your majesty
while I try to reach the British embassy
They will give you asylum there
Im sure will
Chang take my car to the South gate
I want to drive His Majesty
Your Majesty
Please Your Majesty
What? But you didnt go to
the British embassy did you?
You ended up at the Japanese embassy
The Japanese were the only people
prepared to help me
Help you for nothing?
Japan has an emperor
Were almost the same age
I thought it was kindness
At the same time I realized that
for many Chinese I was alien
Simply because Im Manchurian
There was even an anti Manchurian
league who wanted to assassinate me
So I want to live in Tientsin
It was a nice provincial town
with a big port
In those days we had a large
international settlement
The Japanese thought it would
safer for me there
Were the Japanese paying
for you in Tientsin?
Oh No
I had to rent a villa
The Villa Chan and it was very expensive
So were the bodyguards
I spent a lot of money in Tientsin
Did you still believe in a restoration
of the imperial system?
Others did
They were later caught and exiled
I cant remember how much jade
and jewelry they made me
spend to buy the friendship of some warlord
or some white Russian general
And what else did you spend
your money on?
Oh I was never tired of buying pianos
watches radios
As long as they were foreign
Of course
Anything Western was good
Especially Wrigleys chewing gum
Bayer aspirin and cars
While you were in Tientsin most
of China came under the control
of General Chiang Kie Shek
the so called Nationalists
the Kuomintang
What were your relations with them?
None
I felt useless in Tientsin
I was twenty one
I dreamt of going to the West
I became a playboy
Am I blue Am I blue
Aint these tears in my eyes
telling you am I blue?
Youd be too If each plan with
your girl done fell throught
was a time I was her only one
But now Im the sad and lonely one
Bu Bu Booo Bu Bu Booo
Now shes gone and were
throught Lord Im blue
Very good
Thats a great ship
if youre going first class
Im not going anywhere
Would you like to dance?
Youre a brave man
Nobody here would have
danced with me
Why is that?
Because Im Chiness
Well Im American
You say California
I say French Riviera
San Francisco
Monte Carlo Are we really going this time?
Whos that couple?
Oh Henry and Elizabeth
The Emperor of China?
The Emperor and his wise
Shes beautiful
Yes very
And who are you?
Im His Highnesss other wife
His other wife?
Number two wife
Well some people have all the luck
Ladies and gentlemen
General Chiang Kai Shek
has taken Shanghai
The Kuomintang have broken with the Reds
and have knocked them for six
The Reds are finished
Sorry about the reception everyone
It would be wiser to return to the Japanese
delegation now Your Mejesty
Your car is waiting
Thank you Mr Amakasu
The general strike in Shanghai
has collapsed
The international settlement is safe
Troops of the Kuomintang
are now in full control of the city
And firm steps are being taken
to restore order
in the native areas
Wen Hsiu you want some gum?
I want a divorce
I dont want to be your
mistress any longer
I thought you were my
secondary consort
In the Forbidden City you were the
emperor and I was a secondary consort
But now you are Henry Pu Yi
Wan Jung is your wife Elizabeth
And who am I? Im nobody
I didnt know you were so unhappy
You can only have one wife
in the West
I want a divorce
No one can divorce me
I want a divorce
Your Ladyship
Thank you
I dont need it
I dont need it
Wen Hsiu?
Elizabeth Can I come in?
Dont you remember me?
Im dressed like a pilot
but I still cant fly Not yet
Eastern Jewel
We had dancing classes together
Yes just before your marriage
Silly girl
Why do people want to get married?
Wen Hsiu has gone
She will never come back
Is it so bad?
She was my only friend
Well at least now youve got
your husband all to yourself
And youve got me
Ill be your friend
You smoke opium?
Be wicked Its the best in Shanghai
Why are you going to Europe?
The place to go is Japan
Its more fun than anywhere
Its modern
How do you know were going
to Europe? Its a secret
Oh I know everything
I know Chiang Kai Shek has got false teeth
I even know his nickname
cash my check
Im a spy
I dont care who knows it
A spy?
I work for the Japanese
special service Bureau
and Ive come to protect you
The Japanese
They are getting closer to him everyday
He is sending his brother to the
military academy in Tokyo
They talk to him about Manchuria
all the time
And Mr Amakasu
never says hello to me
I dont trust the Japanese
Of course Id love to be the
Emperors new secondary consort
Eastern Jewel
If the post is available
The post is vacant
my dear cousin
But you dont fit the port
Wen Hsiu left the dog behind
Do you want it?
Its my fault
Its all my fault
I came to see you Your Majesty
To give you bad news
Something terrible has happened
The lmperial tombs of our Manchurian
ancestors have been attacked and robbed
by troops of the Kuomintang
Chinese soldiers
A warlord working for
Chiang Kai Shek
The body of the Empress Dowager
was hacked to pieces
Her pearl necklace has become
a wedding present from
Ching Kai Shek to his new wife
Tell me nine eight one
Do you consider yourself
to be Chinese?
Of course
What is this?
Japan
And what do you call this part
of China?
The Northeast
And what did you call it
as a child?
Manchuria
Japan invaded Manchuria on
September eighteenth 1931
and began to set up a puppet
state called Manchukuo
Shortly afterwards a Japanese delegation
paid you a secret visit in Tientsin
to request your collaboration
which you say you refused
Speak up
Ive already told you
I have told you a hundred times
Tell us again Tell us
two hundred times
I refused to collaborate
You say you refused
but a month later
on November tenth 1931
there your are arriving in Manchuria
or should I call it Manchukuo?
Now according to this so called
confession of yours you didnt
go of your own free will
You insist that you were
kidnapped by the Japanese / Yes
And taken to Manchuria
by force / Yes
Sit down
Do you remember a man called
Reginald Fleming Johnston?
He was your tutor
Yes
And a good friend
I believe
After twenty eight years in
China Mr Johnston returned
to England
He became a professor
of original studies
at London University
And he wrote a book Its called
Twilight in the Forbidden City
and its dedicated to you
Tientsin 1931
Im going to miss you
Johnston
I shell miss you Your Majesty
Do you think a man can
become emperor again?
Yes
Thank you Your Majesty
How can we say Good bye?
As we said Hello
Farewell Mr Johnston
Farewell Your Majesty
Good bye Mr Johnston
Well never forget you Mr Johnston
Good bye Mr Johnston
Good bye Good bye
On page four hundred
and forty nine Mr Johnston writes
The endeavor to make out that
the Emperor had been kidnapped
by the Japanese is wholly untrue
He left Tientsin and went to
Manchuria of his own free will
Johnston was a liar
What did you say?
I didnt hear you
Mr Johnston had left before
I was taken to Manchuria
He couldnt have known
what happened
Sit down
According to this account
you pre packed the mans things
on the morning of November ninth
Isnt it unusual for a man
whos kidnapped to have
his luggage packed
by his valet the day
before hes kidnapped?
This is what youve written
isnt it?
Who told you to pack this mans luggage?
These two stories dont fit
do they?
It was a long time ago
Perhaps I made a mistake
You are lying
You are both lying
Control yourself
Request your choice
Request you to change your mind
Im the hereditary ruler of the
Manchurian people
There can be no Manchukuo
without me
Do you not see?
The Japanese are using you
I must try to use them
The Japanese invasion of
Manchuria will be condemned
by the League of Nations
and by every civilized
country on earth
The Chinese Republic had broken every
promise it ever made to me
Chinese troops desecrated
the tombs of my ancestors
And Chinese troops didnt defend
Manchuria from the Japanese
But Manchuria is still China
China has turned its back
on me
Please dont go
Manchuria is the richest
frontier Asia
Coal oil railways
Millions of Chinese immigrants
are going there every year
Im going to build my country
Johnston was wrong
but he wasnt a liar
There was no kidnapped
You went to Manchuria by
your own choice because
you wanted to be Emperor again
You will rewrite your confessions
from the beginning
Manchuria 1934
To heaven
To earth
To the moon
To the sun
Youre an empress again
What Im going to be is a pilot
Im going to train at a secret
base near Yokohama to learn
precision bombing
I want to bomb Shanghai
Bomb Shanghai?
I hate China
I hate you
The Japanese Army High Command
Very impressive
The Japanese Army
Quickly
Uh may I introduce you?
My wife the Princess Hiro Saga
Prime Minister Hsiao Hsiu
Honorable Chang Ching Hui
Minister of Defense
Monseigneur Colonna
The Empress and I accept with
great pleasure
Excuse me General
Ahh And now Mr Amakasu
Hes the new chief of the Manchuria
Motion Picture studies
Why do you have to spoil this day? Why?
Mr Amakasu is the most
powerful man in Manchukuo
What are you talking about?
You didnt believe I could be
Emperor again but I am
You are blind
Do you know what it means
to be an empress? You are an empress
Why do you not make love to
me anymore?
Because you have become an
opium addict
Opium killed my mother
opium destroyed China
You can buy opium anywhere
in Manchukuo
Shut up
In any shop
Shut up
Your brother is going to have
a child
We must have a child
We must have an heir
Emperor Hirohito has officially
invited us to Japan
Im going alone
You are staying here
I would never go to Japan
Then go to your room
Ten thousand years to His Majesty
Ten thousand years
I told you I hate you
Only because I give you what you need
Now were engaged
You forgot my toothpowder
Oh yes sir
Move him
Nine eight one
Collect your things
Upstairs
Stop
Your laces are undone
Do them up
Thursday you serve lunch
Friday you clean the toilet
Saturday you sweep the floor
I have never been separated
from my family
Youd better get used to it
You dont remember me do you?
I was the Minister of Trade
in Manchukuo
You were all in Manchukuo
Now Im the cell leader
It is important to follow the rules here
No talking during study session
Manchuria 1935
Where is your gun Captain?
Where are their swords?
Our weapons have been
removed Your majesty
on order of colonel Yoshioka
Colonel Yoshioka?
Colonel Yoshioka
What has happened here?
Why has my guard been disarmed?
Yes its very unfortunate Your Majesty
There have been many
changes while you were in Tokyo
Your Majesty may I present
Masaomi Kobayakawa the new
Japanese ambassador to Manchukuo
Why is prime Minister Hsiao
Hsiu not here to receive me?
The prime Minister has resigned
Your Majesty
His son been
assassinated
Assassinated?
By communist bandits
Your Majesty
I must see him at once
He refuse to see anyone Your majesty
He has gone to a monastery far away
Who are you?
Chang Ching Hui Your Majesty
Minister of Defense
Yes of course
The council meeting will be at
four oclock
Your Majesty Before the state dinner
Im going to have a child
The father is Manchurian
Colonel Yoshioka Mr Amakasu
I did it for you
His Majesty forgot to sign the
appointment of the new prime
Minister Mr Chang Ching Hui
I didnt forget
When an Englishman robs someone
Your Majesty he becomes a gentleman
If he robs a lot he becomes a knight
Do you imagine the British run
their Empire as a charity?
If India has to pay for the
cost of its own occupation
so must Manchukuo
We hope Manchukuo will have an heir
The Empress is expecting a child
Yes Your Majesty
We are aware of the situation
This is the name of the father
His name is Chang
He is your driver
All the necessary facts have been recorded
The man will be punished
The emperor cant allow
his honor to be stained
The Japanese are the only
divine race on earth
We will take China
Hong Kong Indo China
Siam Malaya
Singapore and India
Asia belongs to us
There have been complaints
from your cellmates
You must learn how to urinate
at night without working them all up
The way to do its to urinate
against the side of the bucket
not into the middle
Yes comrade
You still think Im your
servant dont you?
We are all pretending
You are just pretending
you have changed
Shut up The party will teach
us to be a new man
Were working for a new China
You worked in Amakasus private office
You are still the same people
People dont change
Guard Guard
Guard
And I let it happen
I let it happen
The second edict Your Majesty
Japanese will be the official
language in Manchukuo schools
Your Majesty
The baby was born dead Your Majesty
How is the Empress?
It would be better if she gone
to a clinic somewhere warm
Shes already left
Your Majesty
Open the door
With Manchukuo now firmly in
their grasp the Japanese soon
controlled most of North China
By 1937 they were ready to strike South
at the heart of the country
The attack on Shanghai was one of the
first civilian bombing raids in history
It left thousands homeless
thousands dead
Three months later Japanese armies were
besieging the provisional capital at Nanking
And when the city fell
the atrocities began
Trying to terrorize
the rest of China
more than two hundred thousands
of the civilians exacuted
The world watched in horror
but no help was given
On December the seventh 1941
Japan attacked the American fleet
at Pearl Harbor
There was no warning
Manchukuo the Japanese bastion
in North China was still ruled
by the puppet emperor Pu Yi
But behind the facade of triumph
was a country enslaved
Nine days after the bomb at Hiroshima
on August the fifteenth 1945
Emperor Hirohito announced
the surrender of Japan
It was the first time his voice
had ever been heard on radio
You must get to Tokyo Your majesty
You must surrender to
the Americans not the Russians
The communists will kill everyone
The Empress has returned
Your Majesty please
Your Majesty
Hurry There is no room on the
plane Your Majesty
The women arent in danger
We must hurry
Your Majesty
Your Majesty is leaving now
Now
The Russians
Perhaps you think we are here
to teach men to lie in a new way
Why did you sign every
accusation made against you?
I didnt step you from killing
yourself to see you like this
Someone who signs anything to please
his enemies to please me
You know about a lot of things in
Manchukuo Even the secret agreements
But you couldnt possibly have
known about the Japanese biological
warfare experiments in Harbin
Could you? So why
did you sign these papers?
I was responsible for everything
Your are responsible for what you do
All your life you thought you were
better than everyone else
Now you think you are the worst of all
Why can you not leave me
alone?
You save my life to make me
a puppet in your own play
You saved me because Im
useful to you
Is that so terrible to be useful?
Aisin Gioro Pu Yi
By order of the supreme
peoples count
the war criminal Aisin Gioro
Pu Yi male fifty three years old
of the Manchu nationality and from Peking
has now served
ten years detention
As a result of remolding thought
labor and ideological education
during his captivity
he has shown that he has
genuinely reformed
In accordance with clause one
of the Special Pardon Order
he is therefore to be released
You see I will end up living in
prison longer than you
Peking 1967
The Red Guards
They are so young
Its dangerous
Look over there
Pu Chien look
Its the Governor of our prison
It cant be
It is Im sure it is
Be careful Come back
Comrade This must be a mistake
I know this man He is a good man
Who are you?
Im a gardener
Join us comrade or fuck off
But what has he done?
He has been accused
Accused of what?
Confess your crimes
I have nothing to confess
Kowtow to Chairman Mao
Confess your crimes
I have nothing to confess
Kowtow
Confess your crimes
Wait
He is teacher
He is a good teacher
You Get out of here
You cant do this to him
Move You want to be him?
You are wrong
He is s good teacher
Stop
You are not allowed in here
Who are you?
I live here
Im the son of the guardian
Ah Well I used to live here too
That is where I sat
Who are you?
I was the Emperor of China
Prove it
This is the Hall of Supreme Harmony where
the empress were crowned
The last Emperor to be crowned
here was Aisian Gioro Pu Yi
He was three years old
He died in 1967