Musical narratives in The Last Emperor: The power of leitmotifs and traditional Chinese instruments in storytelling

Year 2025, Volume: 13 Issue: 2, 177 - 199, 30.06.2025

Fu Yu , Soo Hwan Ahn

https://doi.org/10.12975/rastmd.20251325

Abstract

This study explores music’s narrative and emotional functions in The Last Emperor (1987), focusing on the strategic use of leitmotifs and traditional Chinese instruments. Rather than serving as a mere atmospheric accompaniment, music in the film functions as an active narrative force that shapes character development, emotional resonance, and cultural perception. Through a qualitative, interpretive framework, the research examines how recurring musical themes—leitmotifs—are dynamically altered in instrumentation, tempo, and harmony to reflect the protagonist Puyi’s psychological evolution. These motifs serve as structural and emotional anchors, guiding the audience through the film’s shifting narrative and thematic contours. Moreover, the study investigates the role of traditional Chinese instruments, particularly the erhu and konghou, in reinforcing cultural identity and emotional nuance. Their expressive timbres and integration into the Western orchestral fabric provide historical authenticity and a cross-cultural soundscape that bridges Eastern and Western musical traditions. Drawing on music semiotics and film music theory, the study employs thematic analysis, timbral examination, and audiovisual synchronization to understand how these musical elements contribute to a multisensory cinematic experience. The findings suggest that leitmotifs in The Last Emperor are not static musical tags but dynamic narrative agents that evolve alongside the characters’ emotional and cultural transformations. Traditional Chinese instruments, when merged with Western orchestration, act as cultural bridges and emotional amplifiers that heighten both historical context and viewer empathy. Together, these musical strategies construct a layered narrative experience that deepens the audience’s engagement intellectually, culturally, and emotionally. This study contributes to the discourse on cross-cultural film scoring, demonstrating music’s capacity to construct meaning, evoke emotion, and convey cultural identity in visually rich and sonically immersive narratives.

Keywords

leitmotif , traditional Chinese instruments , film music narrative , cross-cultural scoring , emotional resonance

Ethical Statement

This study did not involve any human participants, animals, or personally identifiable data, and, therefore, did not require formal ethical approval according to institutional and journal guidelines. Nevertheless, the authors maintained high ethical standards by ensuring proper attribution of all cited materials, securing appropriate permissions for audiovisual content used for academic purposes, and presenting the methodology and interpretations transparently. All musical examples and visual stills were selected with scholarly intent and used within the bounds of educational fair use. This ethical stance was taken to uphold academic integrity and ensure the responsible treatment of creative and cultural content throughout the study.

Supporting Institution

No fund

Thanks

The authors would like to express their sincere appreciation to the editors and anonymous reviewers of Rast Musicology Journal for their valuable comments and constructive suggestions, which significantly improved the quality of this article. Their insights helped refine the manuscript and contributed to the development of its final form.

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