Watch This: Behind the Scenes of THE LAST EMPEROR

A rare 35mm print of THE LAST EMPEROR will be presented by AFS at the Paramount Theater on Thursday, February 2. This screening will be hosted by AFS founder and Artistic Director Richard Linklater. Tickets are available.

THE LAST EMPEROR, which is 30 years ago this year, is a fascinating film. It is perhaps the last of the true international epics, in the mold of Davis Lean’s works. It’s a film that pays as much attention to small details of character as it does to mass movements of people. The film swept the Academy Awards, winning in every category in which it was nominated, including Best Picture, Best Direction and Best Cinematography.

The following clip shows Bernardo Bertolucci directing a large scene with a lot of actors. Then we hear a bit from Peter O’Toole – no stranger to epic filmmaker, and finally we observe Bertolucci’s approach to close detail work as he strategizes his closeups.