Pu Yi (John Lone) is the final ruler of a dynasty that ruled China. He was only three when he was proclaimed ruler and was raised in isolation inside the Forbidden City. But as he matures, he chooses to leave the ruling of the country and explore a decadent lifestyle with all the wealth he possesses. Not understanding the dangers of the world with the protection of his position as ruler, makes Yi vulnerable. Not understanding the political landscape, he make friends with the Japanese. This affords him his freedom but leads to the demise of his country and his own affluence. His deterioration into a common man struggling to subsist parallels the Japanese takeover of China, occupying it for many years in the twentieth century.