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.

Join our mailing list and we'll make sure you always know what's on and when.

What else is on?

Friday 7th August
Find out more

14:15

The Odyssey 15
2h 52m
Odysseus, King of Ithaca, journeys home after the Trojan War, confronting vengeful gods and monstrous trials along the way. Christopher Nolan adapts Homer's epic, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, alongside Tom Holland, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson.

Book here

Find out more

17:45

Ish 15
1h 27m
A racially charged police stop-and-search shatters best friends Ish and Maram's bond, forcing them to confront the men they're becoming. Imran Perretta's award-winning debut, co-written with Enda Walsh and shot in striking monochrome, movingly captures the fragile threshold between childhood and adolescence.

Book here

Find out more

20:00

The Odyssey 15
2h 52m
Odysseus, King of Ithaca, journeys home after the Trojan War, confronting vengeful gods and monstrous trials along the way. Christopher Nolan adapts Homer's epic, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, alongside Tom Holland, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson.

Book here


Saturday 8th August
Find out more

14:00

The Wizard of Oz U
1h 42m
American Odysseys
Swept from Kansas by a tornado, Dorothy and Toto land in the magical world of Oz, gathering the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion to outwit the Wicked Witch and reach the Emerald City. This pioneering Technicolor classic remain a magical masterpiece.

Book here

Find out more

16:30

The Odyssey 15
2h 52m
Odysseus, King of Ithaca, journeys home after the Trojan War, confronting vengeful gods and monstrous trials along the way. Christopher Nolan adapts Homer's epic, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, alongside Tom Holland, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson.

Book here

Find out more

20:00

Interstellar 12A
2h 47m
As Earth becomes uninhabitable, a NASA physicist sends a former pilot and a team of researchers through a wormhole to find humanity a new home among three distant planets. Christopher Nolan's mind-bending, heartbreaking sci-fi epic stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Michael Caine.

Book here


See all upcoming films

Plan your visit

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 only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!

Find out more