Su CongIf you think your friends know more about Chinese culture than you do, stump them with this one: name the only Chinese citizen ever to win an Academy Award.

In 1987, Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci undertook the production of “The Last Emperor,” an adaptation of two books, Sir Reginald Fleming Johnston’s “Twilight in the Forbidden City,” an account of his time as an imperial tutor; and Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi’s autobiography, “From Emperor to Citizen,” which told the story of his transition from China’s last emperor, to a puppet ruler under Japanese control during World War II, and final his rehabilitation and life as an average citizen after Liberation.

That year was the first for significant collaborations between Hollywood and China. “The Last Emperor” filmed in Beijing and other areas. In Shanghai, director Steven Spielberg adapted J.G. Ballard’s novel “Empire of the Sun” into a film of the same name. That production starred a young actor that is now a household Hollywood name: Christian Bale, along with Miranda Richardson and John Malkovich.

Although both were popular with movie-goers overseas, who were getting their first glimpse of Chinese landmarks and landscapes on the big screen, it was “The Last Emperor” that received the greatest acclaim. Bertolucci made full use of the scenery of the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, and saturated his color palette to compare Pu Yi’s life as emperor with his muted, gray struggles in exile, in prison, but then returns to greens and blues in the end as the former monarch finds serenity as a gardener.

“The Last Emperor” received nine Academy Award nominations that year. Missing from the nods were Hong Kong-born actor John Lone, who played Pu Yi as an adult, and Shanghai-born actress Joan Chen, who played the former empress. Despite beign overlooked for their performances, the two presented Oscars at the awards ceremony.

In the end, it was a big night for a big film. “The Last Emperor” won all nine awards for which it was nominated, including Best Picture, Best Director for Bertolucci and Best Cinematography for Vittorio Storaro.

It also won for Best Music, Original Score, an Oscar shared by three distinguished musicians. The award was accepted by David Byrne, best known as the former front man for alternative rock group The Talking Heads. The other two winners did not attend the Oscar ceremony. Ryuichi Sakamoto was perhaps better known at that time for soundtracking the 1984 Olympics, also held in Los Angeles. The other was Tianjin-born composer Su Cong (苏聪).

Although the work of other Chinese filmmakers such as Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige have been nominated for Academy Awards, it is only Su who has so far brought the film industry’s most coveted trophy home to China. In fact, Su and his “Last Emperor” work won a sort of treble: Along with the Oscar, he, Byrne and Sakamoto also won a Golden Globe and a Grammy Award.

Want to hear more of Su’s work? Listen to the soundtrack of “Confucius,” now playing at cinemas throughout China, starring Chow Yun-fat and Zhou Xun.

Further reading on Su Cong:
• Su Cong’s website
• IMDB: Su Cong
• Wikipedia: Su Cong
• Last.fm: Su Cong