Despite Kuang Hsu's enthronement as the last reigning Emperor of China, his ability to rule effectively is overshadowed by the ever-present power of the Dowager Empress. When his attempts to reform the Imperial system are thwarted by the Dowager Empress, he attempts to curb her power. His efforts are not successful, and this failure leads directly to his own death and the end of Imperial rule in China. The Dowager Empress, though, ends her days comfortably and in peace.
Reviews
This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.
To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.
This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.