I finished watching Bernardo Bertolucci's film, The Last Emperor, only to find myself emotionally distraught. Of course the film is highly dramatized and surely has it's own political twists, but as a medium portraying the general history of Pu Yi and the last "rule", it does a good job.

However i do feel sympathy towards Pu Yi, i felt the most heartbroken over the Empress's deteriorating life. She became an opium addict at an early age and eventually died from massive withdraw symptoms and malnutrition (in jail). The Emperor's secondary consort, Wen Xiu, Wan Rong's only friend, left the Emperor hence leaving the Empress without a friend. In the movie Wan Rong blames herself for the consort's "divorce". The Empress' only daughter was killed at birth by the Japanese and in the film Wen Rong was taken to a clinic only to return as a hateful basket case (again, the dramatization). The film portrays one depressing event after another, and to me, her story was the most depressing.

How the Royal family had been totally demoralized as the ruling house and deteriorated in such a way is upsetting. I not even Manchu, let alone not being Asian, I still feel great sympathy for how it ended.

I have done some research and have found little information on Empress Gobulo Wan Rong. Wikipedia seems to be the best source so far, but would like to hear what you all think of either the film or The Empress. Any information would be very useful.