The Last Supper (2012) - Review by Alissa Averink

History of Film:

The Last Supper (2012) directed by Lui Chaun, is a historical drama dealing with the fall of the Qin dynasty and the rise of the Han dynasty. This period was a particularly bloody time for the Ancient Chinese civilization. Lui Chaun’s goal through the film was to shed light on the long history China has of tyrannical dictators who let their power get to their head and ultimately corrupted them. This film was set to be released in July 2012; however, this was the same time when Chairman Mao’s power was purged, and the Chinese board of film reviewers thought this film was too close to the story of Chairman Mao. Ironically, this was exactly what Lui Chaun was trying to prove through his film. Thankfully, the film was granted release in November of 2012. The film was received well by both Chinese and international film critics. The film runs long and can become tiring because a lot is going on. One reviewer summed the film up with, “Spectacularly beautiful and achingly poetic, Lu Chuan’s The Last Supper describes the bloody birth of the Han dynasty in the 3rd century BCE with the skill of an expressionist painter and the curiosity of a historian.”

Historical Analysis of Film:

The purpose of this film was to shed light on a prominent aspect of Chinese history – dictators who usurped their power for their own gain. Because the emphasis of this film was to educate rather than entertain, the film is very historically accurate. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Lu Chuan said, “I wanted to make something different that examined the humanity of Chinese political rulers throughout history.” The purpose of this film was to get away from the many Chinese historical films where the emphasis is on the characters’ appearance and less so on the underlying message. Lui Bang is a significant historical leader and it is estimated that twenty percent of the world’s population identifies as a predecessor of the Han dynasty. Having such a prominent name in Chinese history, Lui Bang’s story of his struggle to power is an important one for present Chinese people and for the international audience. This film focuses on the history rather than the presentation.