Alternate Best Actor 1990: Results

10. Jacky Cheung in Bullet in the Head - I unfortunately I found Leung progressively less convincing as the film went on. 

 

Best Scene: Arriving at the wedding.  

9. Al Pacino in The Godfather Part III - Pacino has some good scenes throughout unfortunately he's saddled with a script that doesn't do Michael justice for the most part.

 

Best Scene: Confession. 

8. Robin Williams in Awakenings - Williams gives a modest and moving portrayal of a caring doctor that better sells the sentiment of the film than anyone else. 

 

Best Scene: Discovering the first awakening.  

 

7. Danny Glover in To Sleep With Anger - Glover gives an effectively unnerving portrayal of a man who seems to only speak in poison. 

 

Best Scene: Conversation about his past.  

 

6. John Lone in Shadow of China - Lone consistently elevates his inconsistent material, convincingly playing both the cold businessman his character is and the caring revolutionary he used to be. 

 

Best Scene: Reunion.  

5. Wojciech Pszoniak in Korczak - Pszoniak offers a moving portrayal of a man who adamantly gives warmth and decency in the most cold and indecent of times.  

 

Best Scene: Long march. 

 

4. Tim Robbins in Jacob's Ladder - Robbins manages to balance the tones of his film effectively by portraying both a sense of the real horror and a genuine emotional pathos. 

 

Best Scene: The ladder.  

 

3. Nicolas Cage in Wild At Heart - Cage wonderfully goes out on a limb that quite effectively matches the eccentricity of his director. 

 

Best Scene: Injured motorist.  

2. Jason Patric - After Dark, My Sweet - Patric gives a great performance that manages to so convincingly portray the truly damaged psyche of his character in so many different compelling ways. 

 

Best Scene: Ending.  

 

1. Gabriel Byrne in Miller's Crossing -  Good prediction Brazinterma, Robert & Shaggy, Byrne gives a brilliant portrayal of every different side of his Tom, the real, the fake, and the often in-between. 

 

Best Scene:  "What heart?"

Updated Overall

 

Next: 1990 Supporting 

Alternate Best Actor 1990: John Lone in Shadow of China

John Lone did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Henry in Shadow of China.

Shadow of China follows a former revolutionary who had to flee to Hong Kong whose life is upended again as his old love from that time comes back into his life, meanwhile, China itself is going through the attempted democracy reform movement that ended in the Tienanmen Square massacre. 

John Lone plays Henry whom we first meet near the end of the end of the cultural revolution where he must flee with his seeming fellow idealist and potential romantic partner Moo-Ling (Vivian Wu). This first sequence is indicative of the rest of the film where the setting and ideas are interesting yet you always wish it would dive a bit deeper and a bit more effectively. Here we’re in a rush to separate the pair to set up the present day story without nearly enough time establishing them in their young relationship and in their time as more revolutionary sorts. Lone is good in the scene in playing the lack of confidence of a scared younger man where the fixation is on survival, something only shaken by his anguish for really the death of any hopes of revolution. Lone conveys that quickly along with just a bit of ardent, uncomplicated, sincerity in his chemistry with Wu in this sequence. Lone is good but the film doesn’t truly let him explore this version of Henry beyond a basic setup point. Lone delivers on that, makes us believe the plight for the few minutes we’re in it, but we’re gone very quickly. Lone does what he can but what he can do is only so much. 

We then flash forward to the present day where we find Henry now a powerful Hong Kong businessman. Lone of course excels with this new type of Henry, and does very much bring that powerful presence we saw earlier in Year of the Dragon. Although a key difference is the level of darkness that Lone brings here. Henry is a bit lighter overall but Lone has that dominating quality within his work. He just has that strength of presence where you sense the power innately of Henry and Lone also just controls scenes with such natural ease. Lone nicely avoids being one note as well as we briefly have a flirtatious moment with his white girlfriend where Lone pretends it’s a business call. Lone so naturally switches to a different color of still that dominating power but with just the right undercurrent of playfulness in every delivery where you can sense the flirt even as he is pretending otherwise. That is in contrast to the pure businessman moments, where we soon learn that Henry isn’t just a legitimate businessman either, where Lone brings such sharpness in his eyes of a man truly looking for essentially the killer stroke to become a more powerful man in the world. 

Henry’s ambitions are complicated when Moo-Ling comes back into his life along with her companion Akira, a Japanese journalist. Lone is great in any scene with Wu in playing so naturally the layers of Henry in this situation. As his physical manner eases up away from the calculating businessman, his eyes are a bit wider, he’s altogether more expressive and from it all you instantly are granted a sense of the old love between them. When the conversation ever turns to the changes Henry has undergone, Lone is excellent in the way you see the shield of that man quickly reestablish itself right within his delivery that goes from warm and loving to cold and exact. Lone though is so great in the way then he brings an in-between smile of Henry catching himself and trying to still be the old Henry she knew even as you see him in his mind working that tension all the same. The chemistry between the two is remarkable as you are granted such a natural sense of the connection do share but also that specific separation between Henry who has become a far more cynical man against Moo-Ling who still has those old idealistic beliefs that once brought them together and apart. 

The film’s progress is a little repetitive as we go from Henry moving in a dark path of power but broken apart with Moo-Ling’s optimism as well as her friend Akira who becomes keenly aware of the real nature of Henry’s business. Going back and forth between the two in a way that never quite goes deep enough in either. Lone however stays captivating as he can be within the limitations of the scenes he’s working with regardless. We get for example a great scene, for Lone, where he controls an auction where the power exuding off of Lone is unquestionable as there is such an incisiveness  in his eyes and every delivery has such innate yet wholly effortless force about it. Lone dominates with such ease that frankly reminded me a bit of Pacino in The Godfather Part II, unfortunately he’s not working with even half as good of a script. I found the ending in particular sloppy where spoilers Moo-Ling is killed during a gun fight between Henry and his rivals, then essentially Henry is fully reformed and gives a hopeful promise about a new revolution. It all feels a little rushed to say the least. I’ll give credit to Lone in that he conveys the initial conflict within himself with emotional nuance in their final conversation then his reaction to her death is heartbreaking enough to convey it maybe as the reason for the fairly swift reform. A reform that is at least sold well because Lone’s final firm hopeful delivery is truly great. Unfortunately the power of all it is a bit diluted because the writing makes it all so spotty. Lone delivers a very good performance that elevates everything he’s working with, I just wish he had to do a bit less elevating overall. 

Alternate Best Actor 1990

And the Nominees Were Not:

 

Jacky Cheung in Bullet in the Head

 

Danny Glover in To Sleep With Anger 

 

Al Pacino in The Godfather Part III

 

Wojciech Pszoniak in Korczak

 

Gabriel Byrne in Miller's Crossing

 

Feel Free to Predict These Five, Those Five or Both.  

 

Tim Robbins in Jacob's Ladder

 

John Lone in Shadow of China

 

Jason Patric in After Dark, My Sweet

 

Nicolas Cage in Wild At Heart

 

Robin Williams in Awakenings 

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1988: Results

5. Eric Idle in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen - Idle gives a rather amusing performance that matches the film's tone, and adds to its various delights. 

Best Actor: Split second save.

4. Pete Postlethwaite in Distant Voices, Still Lives - Postlethewaite effectively captures the various memories of a father both in moments of severe brutality and occasional warmth.

Best Scene: Unpleasant Dinner. 

3. Jacky Cheung in As Tears Go By - Cheung makes for an effective time bomb in his properly flamboyant portrayal of a wannabe gangster on a constant collision course with reality.

Best Scene: Becoming a real gangster.

2. M. Emmet Walsh in Clean and Sober - Walsh makes a striking impact in such limited screentime initially in creating the sense of a history of pain from his own life of drugs, and creating a truly empathetic figure there to help and improve another who was once like himself.

Best Scene: Waiting. 

1. John Lone in The Moderns - Lone gives a brilliant performance here creating a properly ruthless depiction of a vicious businessman, however while honestly revealing the desperation within the man which leads to his downfall. 

Best Scene: Destroying the art.

Updated Overall

Next Year: 2010 Lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1988: John Lone in The Moderns

John Lone did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, for portraying Bertram Stone in The Moderns.

The Moderns, like Choose Me the other film from Alan Rudolph that I have seen, takes a very atypical, though rather intriguing I found, approach in quietly examining its characters, their relationships and the environment they live in. This time the focus being on a group of people in Paris art scene during the mid 1920's.

John Lone's career is a particularly frustrating one to examine with his brief skirting with stardom after his early work in the eighties that culminated in his performance in the best picture winning The Last Emperor. His career continued though oddly quickly faded to smaller supporting roles to the point that he has now not appeared in any film in ten years. Where is John Lone? Does anyone know? I wish he'd come back. Anyway Lone's career loss is a true shame given his talent and notably is one of the few Asian actors to achieve a real notoriety outside of martial arts based films. With this role he even makes the important transition to playing a role without even an element related to his ethnicity, as the role of Bertram Stone was not written for an Asian actor. It just required a talented one given that it is the traditionally difficult role of the other man. This other man role is a little bit different though as though Lone's Stone's wife is Rachel (Linda Fiorentino), she is also married to our lead the artist Nick (Keith Carradine), this is unbeknownst to Stone obviously. This leads to a different type of dynamic in general since Nick isn't trying to win over the man's wife, rather he just trying to decipher if his wife is coming back to him.

Nonetheless this is a challenging role as it is easy to make this character very ridiculous very quickly, and the caricature within the characters. Thankfully that is not the case due to Lone's considerable talent. Now from the start Lone makes a notable impact through his mere presence, as Stone is initially described as a friend of Houdini's, a businessman, and possibly a murderer, I love the way Stone carries this sense of danger with him. In his eyes and his exact manner he stands out against everyone else in the French cafe. He's not of the artistic bent instead there is this innate harshness that Lone exudes, a definite almost maniacal edge needed for a ruthless businessman. There is a bit of an extra flair that only an actor like Lone would bring. He takes it a bit further by creating this sense of knowing towards Stone's knowledge that people see him in dangerous. In turn there is just this certain degree of cheekiness that it particularly effective in creating the sense of Stone's position in this role. Lone shows a man who knows he isn't like those around him, and part of him does enjoy this simply in terms of enjoying the fear they have for him. In his initial confrontations with Nick, I love the way that Lone portrays Stone as loving the way he pushes around Nick, particularly in their one sided boxing match, as a man who is aware of his power without any shame in using it.

Now that would be kind of enough, as Lone is already great as the other man as the villain, but there is more to his performance than that. Stone in the film is trying to use his acquired wealth to buy himself into the art scene. This idea is key to Lone's performance, and his motivation for this is only truly explained through Lone's performance. What we see in Lone is a man who has gotten just about everything he wants although with the wish to keep his wife. Lone in this regard creates a very subtle desperation that he attaches to Stones's attempts to join the artistic movement by buying it out. In turn Lone's performance makes this part of the man's wish to retain his wife through becoming a proper part of the world. Lone's terrific in the way he does this wholly in his own work, and in such a quiet way that slowly builds throughout the film which culminates when Stone buys some masterpieces from Nick and his art dealer friend. This is denied from him when they are said to be fakes by the art crowd, to which leads Stone to destroy the paintings. This is downright amazing scene for Lone. On when end he reveals the ruthless businessman as he goes about stabbing and burning the paintings.

There is also to the sheer venom towards the art crowd that has rejected him. Lone's outstanding as he doesn't even raise his voice yet there is such a palatable intensity in his hatred towards them. This is only part of it though as that straight hatred is important as Lone shows that he doesn't care about the art crowd, but he does care about the rejection since it also means his wife will reject him. This is found that in the viciousness of his intensity there is there is a more vulnerable desperation as Lone plays it as though the only thing holding Stone together is the hate. It's incredible as I found Lone actually rather affecting by reveal such a genuine pain within the man violent demeanor. Lone naturally leads to the final confrontation where he finally loses his front to reveal the wretched man beneath of it. Lone makes it genuine, and even offers a bit of sympathy for the fiend in his final moments mastering one of the trickiest types of roles. Now before I can end this review I do have to mention Lone's final scene that while has no relevance to his arc it is a bit of mad brilliance in Lone's physical performance. The moment consists of performing an escape trick in a strange circumstance and Lone captures through the insane glee he brings in the moment as man who is on some other plain of existence. This is a great performance by John Lone and yet another reminder why he needs to come back to us.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1988

And the Nominees Were Not:

Eric Idle in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

M. Emmet Walsh in Clean and Sober

Pete Postlethewaite in Distant Voices, Still Lives

Jacky Cheung in As Tears Go By

John Lone in The Moderns

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1985: Results

5. Ian Holm in Wetherby - Sorry about doing it again. Holm though has only a few minutes of screen time sprinkled throughout the film as one of the main character's friends. Holm does what he can in establishing a real pathos to his character's diatribes. He's good but there's almost no time for him to fully flesh out his character.

Best Scene: Stanley ponders about Thatcher. 

4. Roddy McDowall in Fright Night - McDowall gives a delightful performance as he brings just the right amount of humor as his vampire hunter actor turned vampire hunter.

Best Scene: Peter gives Jerry the vampire test.

3. John Lone in Year of the Dragon - Lone is the highlight of his film giving a complex and consistently compelling portrayal of an ambitious gangster.

Best Scene: Joey Tai meets with the soldiers.

2. Ian Holm in Dreamchild - Holm gives a downright brilliant performance as he makes his Lewis Carroll a fascinating enigma that allows for the needed interpret while never seeming vague in his portrayal either.

Best Scene: Dodgson asks Alice about marriage.

1. Daniel Day-Lewis in My Beautiful Laundrette - Day-Lewis gives a great performance as per usual, as less per usual for him here he shows off his ability to be quite charming and crafts a truly endearing and sympathetic character.

Best Scene: Johnny and Omar meet up again.

Updated Overall

Next Year: 2011 Lead

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1985: John Lone in Year of the Dragon

John Lone did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a Golden Globe, for portraying Joey Tai in Year of the Dragon.

Year of the Dragon tells the story of a police Captain Stanley White (Mickey Rourke) trying to take down the organized crime within Chinatown in New York.

Year of the Dragon does not work as a film, though it is not a standard failure. Its problems largely stem from the parts of the film focusing on our "hero" played by Rourke. The set up is already strange because it seems the character was suppose to be far older than Rourke was, judging by the grey hair they gave him. This side of the story fails, aside from a few directorial touches by Michael Cimino. This in part in its inability to tell one story, or at the very least balance its various facets well. It seems like it might be a Scarface style gangster film, then others possibly a more serious minded one. At others it seems like it might be trying to be a straight one man's revenge type thriller. It also throws in a misguided romance which could never have succeeded due to the atrocious performance by Ariane Koizumi as the Asian reporter Stanley gets involved with. It also includes in there one man dealing with his racism which seems like just a footnote put into the end of the film in an attempt to balance some of the remarks made by Stanley. There is yet another portion of the film though which is the best part of the film, which stars John Lone.

Now I wish I could say that John Lone borders on being co-lead since the film would be better if that were the case. Actually I wish I could say that John Lone merely was the sole lead to the film as it could have potentially been a great film that focused on the rise of power of this criminal in the Chinese underworld. Instead we get glimpses of this story, which more often than not seem oddly detached from the police Captain's story, yet these glimpses are still the high points of the film. John Lone plays Joey Tai who we meet early on when Stanley goes to try to intimidate those in power in Chinatown. Lone brings the needed intensity to the moment as he eyes daggers back at Stanley as he makes his accusations which the men deflect. Lone finds nuance in this moment and is very effective in the way he portrays Tai analyzing Stanley in the moment seemingly determining whether or not he will be a threat to him. Lone is terrific in this scene as he manages to give Joey Tai a definite presence this early on even before he does much of anything, but makes it clear he will have an impact as the film proceeds forward.

After that scene Lone is rarely in scenes that directly engage with the main story, which is a good thing for Lone. These scenes focus upon Tai as he attempts to ensure deals go down, as well as increase his control over Chinatown. These things theoretically could have been more simplistic as basically a villain setting up his villainy so to speak, but that's not what happens due to Lone. A lot of these scenes showcase just how good of an actor Lone is, especially in the scenes of negotiating with other criminal elements. Lone carries himself so well again because he never forces Tai to just be a standard gangster stereotype. Lone exudes the confidence needed for the role as Tai goes face to face with various other dangerous men, and the power of the man is made into a fact by Lone's assured work. Lone never defines these scenes one way such as when he speaks with the Italian mob. Lone is subtly able to give the sense of Tai considering his actions before he takes them alluding to just a hint of apprehension before going for the throat to get what he desires. Lone earns the confidence of the character by building to it in these scenes, and portraying a growth in Tai to a "better" criminal in these scenes.

Lone never wastes his screentime, I particularly love the sequence where he meets with a military group in Asia. In the scene the men try to force him to kill someone who he he shares a history with. Lone says a great deal in the silence of the moment brilliantly suggesting the past between the two men as he avoids the murder. The most remarkable element of this scene is that Lone manages to pivot in the scene to Tai revealing he had another man decapitated who was one of is competitors. Lone shows this side of Tai as the cutthroat businessman who will do what it takes to secure his interests. Lone is quite menacing through this approach in any of the scenes where Tai orders violence to be carried out. Lone does not portray it as a maniacal villain, but rather is quite chilling by presenting him as a man just meticulously removing obstacles out of his path. When Tai orders a murder, Lone does not yell the order, he calmly orders it as though it is a standard transaction. The film technically undercuts all that Lone is doing by having him just be a straight villain to be defeated by ending the film in a gunfight between Tai and Stanley. To Lone's credit he does not compromise avoiding going over the top even as he gets into a duel on a train track. Lone even goes out on a high note by finding a modicum of actual humanity in the character as Tai somberly asks Stanley for an easier way out. Lone delivers beyond the call of duty by giving a compelling portrait of an ambitious gangster, when it seems the film would have probably settled for just a one note bad guy.

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 1985

And the Nominees Were Not:

Ian Holm in Dreamchild

Ian Holm in Wetherby

Daniel Day-Lewis in My Beautiful Laundrette

Roddy McDowall in Fright Night

John Lone in Year of the Dragon

Alternate Best Actor 1987: Results

5. Mickey Rourke in Barfly- Rourke is all about his unique creation of his character of the Barfly and although unorthodox it does work quite effectively for his film.

Best Scene: Henry first goes home with Wanda

4. Bruno Ganz in Wings of Desire- Ganz is again mostly about conception and like Rourke it works wonderfully well for his film.

Best Scene: Damiel, now fallen, meets with Peter Falk.

3. Gary Oldman in Prick Up Ears- Oldman uses his chameleon abilities in a terrific fashion to giving a complex portrait of a writer whose talent, ego and appetites grow faster then his partner can take.

Best Scene: Orton becomes the dominate one in his relationship with Halliwell.

2. John Candy in Planes, Trains and Automobiles- John Candy gives a great performance that is very entertaining on the surface but also quite a heartbreaking portrait underneath.

Best Scene: "You wanna hurt me?"

1. John Lone in The Last Emperor- My favorite performance of the year belongs to John Lone's portrayal of the Last Emperor of China. Lone gives a fascinating and very moving portrayal of the journey of a ruler who did not even have power over himself.

Best Scene: The elderly Puyi visits his old home.

Overall Rank:

1. John Lone in The Last Emperor
2. Mickey Rourke in Angel Heart 
3. Jack Nicholson in Ironweed
4. John Candy in Planes, Trains and Automobiles
5. Richard E. Grant in Withnail and I
6. Albert Brooks in Broadcast News
7. William Hurt in Broadcast News 
8. Gary Oldman in Prick Up Your Ears
9. Bruno Ganz in Wings of Desire
10. Cary Elwes in The Princess Bride
11. James Woods in Best Seller
12. Steve Martin in Planes, Trains and Automobiles
13. Mickey Rourke in Barfly
14. Terry O'Quinn in The Stepfather
15. Kyle MacLachlan in The Hidden
16. Christian Bale in Empire of the Sun 
17. Martin Short in Innerspace
18. Michael Douglas in Wall Street
19. Paul McGann in Withnail and I
20. Rick Moranis in Spaceballs 
21. Klaus Kinski in Cobra Verde
22. Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights 
23. Noah Taylor in The Year My Voice Broke
24. Matthew Modine in Full Metal Jacket
25. Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon 
26. John Malkovich in The Glass Menagerie
27. Jack Nicholson in The Witches of Eastwick
28. Joe Mantegna in House of Games
29. Michael Douglas in Fatal Attraction 
30. Richard Dreyfuss in Stakeout
31. Steve Martin in Roxanne 
32. Dennis Quaid in The Big Easy
33. Chris Cooper in Matewan
34. Nicolas Cage in Raising Arizona
35. Alfred Molina in Prick Up Your Ears 
36. Chow Yun-fat in Prison on Fire
37. Dan Aykroyd in Dragnet 
38. Mickey Rourke in A Prayer for the Dying
39. Peter Weller in Robocop
40. Marcello Mastroianni in Dark Eyes 
41. Danny DeVito in Tin Men
42. Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon
43. Max von Sydow in Pelle the Conqueror
44. Robin Williams in Good Morning Vietnam 
45. Bruce Campbell in Evil Dead II
46. Richard Dreyfuss in Tin Men
47. Anthony Hopkins in 84 Charring Cross Road
48. Ed Harris in Walker
49. Sebastian Rice-Edwards in Hope And Glory
50. Keanu Reeves in River's Edge 
51. Danny DeVito in Throw Momma From The Train
52. Bob Hoskins in A Prayer for the Dying
53. Richard Dreyfuss in Nuts 
54. Hugh Grant in Maurice
55. Dennis Quaid in Innerspace
56. Michael Nouri in The Hidden
57. Adrian Pasdar in Near Dark 
58. Bob Hoskins in The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne
59. Gaspard Manesse in Au Revoir Les Enfants
60. Derek Jacobi in Little Dorrit
61. James Caan in Gardens of Stone
62. Jason Patric in The Lost Boys 
63. Brian Dennehey in Best Seller
64. James Wilby in Maurice 
65. Nicolas Cage in Moonstruck
66. Arnold Schwarzenegger in Predator
67. Bill Pullman in Spaceballs 
68. Emilio Estevez in Stakeout
69. Lou Diamond Phillips in La Bamba 
70. Tom Hanks in Dragnet 
71. Corey Haim in The Lost Boys  
72. Andrew McCarthy in Less Than Zero
73. Pelle Hvenegaard in Pelle the Conqueror
74. John Lithgow in Harry and the Hendersons
75. Kurt Russell in Overboard
76. Christopher Reeve in Superman IV 
77. Charlie Sheen in Wall Street
78. Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop 2 
79. Charlie Sheen in No Man's Land 
80. Tony Leung Ka-fai in Prison on Fire
81. Peter Falk in Happy New Year
82. Kevin Costner in No Way Out
83. Craig Wasson in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3
84. D.B. Sweeney in No Man's Land 
85. Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing
86. Kevin Kline in Cry Freedom 
87. Billy Crystal in Throw Momma From The Train
88. Sylvester Stallone in Over the Top
89. Tom Berenger in Someone to Watch Over Me
90. Christopher Reeve in Street Smart 
91. Crispin Glover in River's Edge
92. Reb Brown in Strike Commando
93. Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Running Man
94. Kevin Costner in The Untouchables
95. Jameson Parker in Prince of Darkness
96. Robert Duncan McNeill in Masters of the Universe
97. Dolph Lundgren in Masters of the Universe
98. Ryan O'Neill in Tough Guys Don't Dance 
99. David Mendenhall in Over the Top

Next Year: 1987 Supporting

Alternate Best Actor 1987: John Lone in The Last Emperor

John Lone did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite being nominated for a Golden Globe, for portraying Aisin-Gioro Puyi in The Last Emperor.

The Last Emperor is a strangely underrated best picture winner that depicts the life of the last emperor of China.

The Last Emperor despite being nominated for nine Oscars, all of which it won, it did not receive a single acting nomination. John Lone despite leading the film was ignored although perhaps it was because he is not the only actor to play Puyi in the film and there are three other actors who play the emperor before Lone takes over Puyi. Lone still undoubtedly makes the most distinct mark on the man as Puyi is portrayed before Lone takes over basically as a spoiled brat of sorts who just wants to enjoy all pleasures he is allowed by being the emperor although at times is troubled by the fact that he really is not in power and is never allowed to leave the Forbidden City.

Films that won best picture that were lead by a historical figures tended to be about people who shaped the world through their influence like George S. Patton, T.E. Lawrence and Mahatma Gandhi. Puyi is the exact opposite whose whole life is shaped by the influence of the world. The earliest chronological moment in which we meet Lone's Puyi is as he is trying to make the smallest measure to control his life in the city which amounts to no more then being able to cut his hair and trying to make it so his servants are not stealing his possessions. Lone portrays Puyi as a young man with small pride in himself and within that sense of power although only a sense of power that in all reality is actually very small.

Quickly enough though Puyi is kicked out of the forbidden city and attempts to live a life of a rich playboy. Lone is terrific in these brief scenes having such false life to him whether he is crooning a song while a minstrel band plays, or taking to the dance floor. Lone brings a bizarre style of charm an enforced charm that is perfect in representing what Puyi is trying for. Lone gives a manufactured artificial performance in this phase of Puyi when he is a manufactured artificial man. Lone fits the surroundings brilliantly and suggests how Puyi fails in this life as well by never quite having the right comfort in these scenes, and by performing the part of Puyi as a purposeful performance.

Puyi's life as the attempted playboy does not last long though as he once again attempts to be the Emperor he is said to be when the Japanese install him as a puppet ruler. Lone is very effective again by showing that Puyi is trying to fulfill some sot of role for himself that may not be himself but is something at the very moment he wants himself to be. Lone is excellent in adjusting himself to Puyi's new model he has set to himself which is the cold proper leader he thinks he should be. Lone accentuates a certain desperation in Puyi's manner as he tries very hard to be a man of power and finally an actual emperor. Lone suggests properly within his stiff posture and cold demeanor he still knows he is a puppet.

What Lone always does importantly in his performance is he is never just the surface of the man in his performance even though much of Puyi's later life is that of a superficial man. There is one absolutely outstanding moment where Puyi's wife is taken away for treatment of her opium addiction which is killing her. Lone still keeps Puyi in his position until he learns that she has been taken away without his prior knowledge. Lone is very powerful as Puyi watches his life being controlled once more. It is beautiful moment because Lone still shows Puyi as man who is truly emotionally devastated even though all he can is stand and watch as he still has his life controlled by another.

After this point Puyi is put in a reeducation camp and he forced to relieve his past by the camp officials who wish for him to admit to crimes. Lone appears and reappears in these scenes as they flashback to his earlier life. In all of these scenes Lone punctuates every one of the flashbacks through his portrayal of Puyi in his current state. Lone strikes an interesting balance in these scenes as Lone makes Puyi more truthful but a man still holding back in someway. Lone is careful though and is most truthful in the disappointment and sadness in Puyi as he is a man left as prisoner after so many attempts to try to be something more, and no longer with even the illusion of having his own power.

Lone is effective in that he shows that although honest in his sadness Puyi is not quite so in his position and responsibilities yet. It is not the overriding artificiality anymore though as Puyi without a doubt is a defeated man in heart. There still is a defensiveness that Lone properly brings but not longer to try and imagine himself as a different man anymore. The defensiveness instead Lone shows to be brought upon a bitterness, a bitterness that leaves him as a man who will try anything even in slightest way to try and not completely accept his current plight. The camp though is not the end of Puyi though as he becomes a gardener when he finally is given his first freedom in life.

Lone is absolutely perfect in these final but pivotal scenes as the elderly Puyi. Firstly in a more technical sense Lone ages very natural and he is utterly believable as the older Puyi. More importantly though Lone brings a tremendous poignancy to these scenes as he portrays Puyi's late life. Where Puyi is left is as a humble gardener but finally allowed to live not by the direct control of others. Lone portrays finally a man of contentment and happiness in a way that was not evident before. He is particularly moving in his final scene as Puyi visits the Forbidden city alone and Lone shows a man who can finally treasure his life in a way he never could while he experienced it.

Lone actually has quite the challenge in his performance in that aside from the scenes set in the communist prison camp the film moves quickly from one point to another in regards to Puyi's position and character. To Lone's great credit his work never suffers from other performances that are set in such restrictions. Lone keep Puyi as a fluid character in his performance and is able to move through his life in the efficient and effective manner. In Lone's work there is not the disconnection that is quite possible from these technical restrictions. These changes can even be quite extreme at times yet Lone still is entirely believable in every part of Puyi's story. Lone's gives a great performance which creates a remarkable portrait of an emperor who could not even control his own life.

Alternate Best Actor 1987

And The Nominees Were Not:

Bruno Ganz in Wings of Desire

John Candy in Planes, Trains and Automobiles

John Lone in The Last Emperor

Gary Oldman in Prick Up Your Ears

Mickey Rourke in Barfly