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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What else is on?

Today (Wednesday 29th November)
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21:00

On the Adamant PG
1h 49m | French w/ English subtitles
Nicolas Philibert’s empathetic documentary set in a Parisian care centre for adults with mental health issues. Winner of the Golden Bear (Best Film) at the 2023 Berlin Film Festival.

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Tomorrow (Thursday 30th November)
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12:30

Typist Artist Pirate King 12A
Parent + Baby Screening
1h 48m
Monica Dolan and Kelly Macdonald star in Carol Morley's (The Falling, Dreams of a Life) bittersweet drama based on the real-life of forgotten British artist Audrey Amiss.

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16:00

Typist Artist Pirate King 12A
1h 48m
Monica Dolan and Kelly Macdonald star in Carol Morley's (The Falling, Dreams of a Life) bittersweet drama based on the real-life of forgotten British artist Audrey Amiss.

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18:30

The Afterlight PG
+ Director Intro/Q&A
1h 22m
Existing as a sole 35mm print, Charlie Shackleton's otherworldly film essay assembles film clips from across space and time. One-off screening followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker.

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21:00

How to Have Sex 15
1h 31m
Three teenagers go to Crete on a rites-of-passage holiday full of boozing and clubbing in Molly Manning Walker's award-winning look at the joys and the horrors of a distinctly British youth culture.

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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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