The Last Emperor Page #2

Your salvation will lie entirely

the attitude you take!

I advise you to be frank and

sincere, otherwise things can

still go very badly for you.

After a few years, the tiny republic had

become as corrupt as the old emperor.

It fell quickly into the hands of ambitions

generals and corrupt bureaucrats.

The era of the warlords had begun. By May,

China was in turmoil.

May the new tutor present

himself!

Your lmperial Highness,

the new tutor.

Dear lmperial Highness,

Mr. Reginald Fleming Johnston.

How do you do, Mr, Johnston?

How do you do, Your Majesty?

Now we will go to school.

Your Majesty, in my country, it

would be usual to begin with

some kind of an examination.

The Emperor can't be

examined.

Well, that may have to change.

But first, Your Majesty might

like to ask me some questions.

Where are your ancestors

buried?

In Scotland, Your Majesty.

But then, where's your skirt?

In your country, men wear short skirts,

do they not?

No, Your Majesty. Scotsmen do not

wear skirts, they wear kilts.

Kilts.

Kilts. A matter of words, perhaps,

but words are important.

Why are words important?

If you can't say what you

mean, Your majesty, you will

never mean what you say.

And a gentleman should always

means what he says.

Ah yes! "a gentleman".

Are you a gentleman?

I would like to be a gentleman,

Your Majesty. I try to be.

I'm not a gentleman. I'm not

allowed to say what I mean.

They are always telling me

what to say.

Your Majesty is still very

young.

I thought he might like to see some

English and American magazines.

I have just received

them.

I know that you know that I

know that you know that,

that is a dialog between

Confucius and Chuang Tzu.

Concerning respect, Your Majesty.

Who is this "George Washington"?

A famous American, Your majesty.

A revolutionary General.

The first American President.

Ah! Like Mr, Lenin in Russia?

Not quite.

Dose he have a car?

He lived a long time ago, Your Majesty.

I want a car.

I think your mouse is trying to

escape, Your Majesty.

Please do not tell anyone about

my mouse.

The lesson is finished.

Our official taster's a brave

men.

Many of my ancestors

have been poisoned, you know.

Does Your Majesty have lunch

like this everyday?

Oh, yes! Every day!

Like theater!

I don't know why.

It has always been like that.

How do they kill emperors in

the West?

The Austrian emperor was shot, was he not?

No, but his nephew was assassinated

before the Great War.

But the Russian emperor had

been shot. He was called the Tsar.

Yes.

He took lots of our land in

Manchuria.

I'm a Manchrian. Even after the republic,

it's still country.

The-uh... secret, Your Majesty,

is emerging again.

Is something the matter, Your Majesty?

Something is happening.

What is happening,

Mr, johnston?

Uh nothing is happening...

/Quiet!

On my way here, Your Majesty,

we were held up by students

from the university.

They were protesting against the

republican government.

because it has agreed to give

away Chinese territory to Japan.

It is true, Mr, Johnston, that

many people out there have had

their heads chopped off?

It is true, Your Majesty.

Many heads have been chopped off.

It does stop them thinking.

It is time for the Emperor's rest.

The students are right to be

angry.

I am angry!

But I am not allowed

to leave the Forbidden City.

I want to go out,

Mr, Johnston!

My lord!

I want to see the City of sounds!

The Emperor awards you with

the order of the Ruby Hat Button,

and with the right to be carried in your

own chair, with four bearers.

I hope the Emperor has not

forgotten that this is the

day for his math class?

For Your Majesty!

My doctor says,

"Bicycles are bad for you".

Bad for you, nonsense!

How does it work?

Oh, it's simple.

Head up and eyes forward!

As in math!

My mother is dead, is she not?

Yes, Your Majesty.

I'm profoundly sorry!

I'm not.

She killed herself.

She swallowed the ball of opium.

I'm going to see her, and my brother.

Open the door. Open the door.

Open the door.

Fallen devil and fallen machine.

Trouble! Nothing but trouble!

Look where you lead him!

And you are an old, cruel, ignorant man.

The boy's mother is dead,

and he's not even allowed to see her!

I want to go home!!

I want to go home!!

Stop it, stay where you are!!

I want to go home!!

Stop it, stay where you are!!

You fool!! Stay there!!

Chang!

Hunchback, Bigfoot!

Sir? Give me your hand, sir.

Give me your hand, sir!

Can you not see?

Look at my left ear, please, sir.

Thank you, and my right.

Thank you.

Would you follow my finger, please, sir-

Well it's perfectly simple,

Johnson. The emperor needs spectacles.

Like Harold Lloyd!

Impossible!

An emperor does

not wear spectacles!

That can't be allowed!

Time have changed,

Your Highnesses!

If His Majesty doesn't get spectacles,

Johnston, he could lose his sight.

Your Majesty.

If the Emperor does not get

spectacles, I will resign.

Unfortunately,

our decision is final.

And unfortunately, what I have to say will be

published in every newspaper in China.

What do you have to say,

Mr, Johnston?

The Emperor has been a prisoner

in his own place since the day

that he was crowned and has remained

a prisoner since he abdicated.

But now he's growing up. He may

wonder why he is the only person in China

who may not walk out of

his own front door.

I think the Emperor is the

loneliest boy on earth.

It would be conveniently sad

if he becomes blind.

Blind, Mr, Johnston?

To the expense, Your Excellency.

To the cost of maintaining one

thousand two hundred eunuchs,

three hundred and fifty

ladies-in-waiting.

and one hundred and eight-five

cooks to buying one hundred.

and twenty sable furs a month

and three thousand chickens a

week.

To the fast that eight hundred

and forty guards and employees

of the household department,

plus one Lord Chamberlain,

care only about one thing!

Filling their own rice bowls!

You are very good at accounts,

Mr, Johnston!

The Emperor may have abdicated,

but he is still a symbol

of great importance to many people.

If I did not agree with that,

I would not be here.

And some of us believe that one day soon,

he may be more than a symbol.

The spectacles are a detail.

What do you really want,

Mr, Johnston?

Ah-Just the spectacles.

The Princess Wan Jung,

Your Majesty.

Seventeen years old.

Princess Wu Chang,

fifteen years old.

The princess De Li,

Your Majesty.

And the Princess Fung Ying.

Who is this?

Princess Wen Hsiu,

twelve years old.

She has got a funny face.

Notjust one wife. One empress

and one secondary consort.

Two wives?

But who do you choose to be

the Empress?

They chose her!

She's very old, Johnston!

She's seventeen!

That's not so old, Your Majesty.

What does she look like?

Old fashion!

I want a modern wife, Johnston,

who speaks English and French!

And who can dance the

quickstep!

Johnston!!

Sir!

I'm going to escape, Johnston.

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