- The theatrical version runs 163 minutes. A 218 minute version was released in the US in 1998 under the mistaken title of the "Director's Cut". It was known by this erroneous title until the 2008 Criterion DVD and Blu-ray Disc came out. Bertolucci and DP Vittorio Storaro made it clear while working on the DVD and BD that the shorter theatrical version is without doubt the director's cut. The 218 minute version was an early cut meant only to be aired as a four-part television mini-series by the Italian television network that funded the film.
- The Criterion Collection DVD and Blu-ray releases are re-framed in director of photography Vittorio Storaro's preferred Univisium 2.00:1 format. This was the intended ratio for the film, despite it being commonly projected in 2.39:1 during its theatrical release.
- In the USA and Europe, the 163 minutes theatrical cut was shown. However, in Asia, the 218 minutes extended version (including an intermission) was shown in theatres. The VHS releases, however, were the 163 minutes version.
- In Japan, the theatrical release was originally cut by about 5 minutes, omitting the scene where actual footage of the results of the areas in China that were affected by the Japanese invasion (including Japanese atrocities) was shown to the prisoners, and Pu-Yi standing up saying to himself "I'm totally responsible." After a public outcry by China, this scene was restored and shown fully uncut at 218 minutes.
- When first released on VHS in the US, the 218 minute cut was mistakenly used (on 2 VHS tapes). It was immediately pulled and original copies of this are extremely rare and highly collectible. It was replaced by the 163 minute theatrical cut on a single VHS tape. It wasn't until 1998 that the 218 minute cut was finally released on VHS (as a 2-tape set).
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