6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Excellent
Date of Review: Nov 21, 2000
This movie was excellent. It is a bit slow, but worth every minute. The historical context is amazingly well done, if slightly inaccurate. The cinematography is awesome. In fact, it won many Academy Awards (back when Academy Awards meant something), in categories such as cinematography, costumes, writing, etc. So few of us learn very much about Asian history, even if it seems to be from a Chinese perspective.It is the story of a child emperor, and the oppressive restrictions that he must endure because of his importance to the country. It is the story of his growing up, and learning to adapt to less sheltered situations. And it is the story of national politics in any given country (grooming from birth, pressure from national officials, becoming a puppet).This is an absolutely amazing movie.