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

Book tickets

Sunday 4 June

 1.30pmBook tickets

What else is on?

Today (Friday 2nd June)
Find out more

15:30

Plan 75 15
1h 53m | Japanese w/ English subtitles
Dystopian sci-fi set in a near-future Japan where the government introduces a measure to combat the burden of an ageing population – encouraging its senior citizens to be voluntarily euthanised.

Book here

Find out more

18:00

Are You There God? It's Me, Marg PG
1h 46m
Based on Judy Blume’s classic novel from 1970, a humourous and empathetic coming-of-age comedy following the tumultuous adolescence of a teenage girl growing up in New Jersey.

Book here

Find out more

20:30

The Eight Mountains 12A
2h 27m | Italian w/ English subtitles
Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch's beautifully shot, decade-spanning epic following the lives of two Italian boys growing up together in a secluded alpine village.

Book here


Tomorrow (Saturday 3rd June)
Find out more

15:15

A Clever Woman 15
Director Q&A
1h 28m
Beguiling chamber drama in which two sisters return to their family home and face up to the ghosts of their past. Join us on Saturday 3 June for a special post-screening Q&A with director Jon Sanders.

Book here

Find out more

18:00

Plan 75 15
1h 53m | Japanese w/ English subtitles
Dystopian sci-fi set in a near-future Japan where the government introduces a measure to combat the burden of an ageing population – encouraging its senior citizens to be voluntarily euthanised.

Book here

Find out more

20:30

Are You There God? It's Me, Marg PG
1h 46m
Based on Judy Blume’s classic novel from 1970, a humourous and empathetic coming-of-age comedy following the tumultuous adolescence of a teenage girl growing up in New Jersey.

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 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!

Find out more