The Last Emperor15

Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci | China | 1987 | 2h 43m | Starring John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O’Toole, Ruocheng Ying, Victor Wong

Sweeping historical epic about the life of Chinese Emperor Pu Yi, who took the throne at age three, in 1908, before witnessing decades of cultural and political upheaval, within and without the walls of the Forbidden City. Recreating Ching dynasty China with astonishing detail and unparalleled craftsmanship, the film won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score for composers Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Byrne, and Cong Su.

Classic Season: Sakamoto / Vangelis / Badalamenti

Reviews

‘There’s no doubting its spectacular richness and heartfelt, deeply satisfying storytelling.’
★★★★★
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

‘One of the most visually arresting pictures of recent years.’
★★★★
David Parkinson, Radio Times

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed The Last Emperor between June 4, 2023 and June 4, 2023.

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Today (Tuesday 30th April)
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18:15

Omen 15
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Award-winning directorial debut by Belgian rapper-turned-filmmaker Baloji following a young Congolese man's fraught return to his hometown. Screenings plus intro by Maona director Tatenda Jamera.

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20:30

Late Night with the Devil 15
1h 33m
A late night talk show descends into bloody chaos as an evil force is unleashed on an unsuspecting TV audience. A devilishly constructed and wickedly funny found-footage horror set in 1970s America.

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Tomorrow (Wednesday 1st May)
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15:45

Disco Boy 15
1h 33m | French w/ English subtitles
A Belarusian migrant arrives in Paris and joins the Foreign Legion in order to attain French citizenship in this dreamlike debut by Italian filmmaker Giacomo Abbruzzese, starring Franz Rogowski (Passages).

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18:00

Still the Enemy Within 15
1h 53m
A unique insight into one of British history’s most dramatic events: the 1984-85 Miners’ Strike. Forty years on, this is the raw first-hand experience of those who lived through the UK’s longest strike.

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21:00

Evil Does Not Exist 12A
1h 46m | Japanese w/ English subtitles
Residents of a rural village outside Tokyo oppose the development of a nearby luxury "glamping" site in this captivating eco-drama by Oscar-winning director Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car).

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Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road. We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We don’t show adverts, just a couple of trailers, so don't be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!

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