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?

Today (Thursday 27th August)
Find out more

17:45

The Summer Book PG
1h 35m
Eight-year-old Sophia spends the summer with her father and grandmother on their family island in Finland's Gulf, all three grieving her mother's recent death. Directed by Charlie McDowell and starring Glenn Close, this quiet drama adapts Tove Jansson's novel.

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


Tomorrow (Friday 28th August)
Find out more

15:30

On the Sea 15
1h 51m
In rural North Wales, mussel harvester Jack has been married to Maggie for over half his life, troubled by a son who rejects the family trade. When he meets Daniel, an itinerant deckhand, attraction creates an impossible dilemma. Directed by Helen Walsh.

Book here

Find out more

18:15

Tony 15
1h 46m
In a chaotic restaurant kitchen during the summer of 1975, Tony stumbles into a job that will shape his life. Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers) stars as chef Anthony Bourdain in this biographical drama, directed by Matt Johnson (Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie).

Book here

Find out more

20:45

Thief 18
+ Introduction
1h 59m
Bank Robbery Weekend
Professional safecracker Frank wants one last big score before he walks away from crime for good, but the underworld won't let him go easily. Starring James Caan, Michael Mann's directorial debut is a tightly controlled, hyper-real crime thriller.

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