Irregular but notable. The "irregular" comes from Peter O'Toole. I found that the film really comes into its own when his character becomes Pu Yi's teacher, and I loved the interactions between the two characters. But of course the film has to tell different stories, so eventually Peter O'Toole is gone and what we are left with, although interesting, it's not enough. It feels sumptuous but empty.
However, the story is accurate historically with Pu Yi's character softened for the film (with Chinese government approval). Pu Yi's delusion is apparent, he is dishonest. It's about rebirth ultimately.