Confucius [Blu-ray] [2010]

This biopic of China's legendary philosopher is another example of the high quality films coming out of Asia today. Beautifully directed, with superb cinenatograhpy & classic battle action this is a film that will entertain. While all of these were important to me, it was Chow Yun Fat's grand portrayal of the great Confucius that surprised me. Normally stuck with ganster-type roles, this excellent actor shines here - he IS Confucius! He seems totally at home in this role, neither overplaying or underplaying the part. And while he seems at times confused by the actions of those around him, it is clear that he misses nothing, & the experiences of his life & the wisdom derived from them, are the basis of his remarkably insightful beliefs & tenets. I must confess to being a great admirer of Asian cinema, and as there is a proliferation of fine films like "Confucius", that admiration will only groww more & more.

If you want to know about the 'historical Confucius' and what he taught then you'd be better off reading a book, however, if you're looking for an accessible introduction to the man and legends/ myth/ historical narratives surrounding him then this is surely the place to start. You may gain more, though, after reading up on Confucius, his disciples and times. As a film it is well paced, beuatifully shot and fantastically put together. All in all, an excellent product. Whether you agree with Confucius' philosophy and ideas or not he is clearly one of the great figures of world history and a tremednous influence not just in China but across much of the Far East and this film will fill you in on a contemporary understanding of him from that context.

Although I was aware of the film, it had gone under my radar as it was not one of my top priorities to see.but when purchasing other films of a similar nature, it sprung forth and I am quite an admirer of Chow Yun -Fat as an actor...Crouching Tiger etc...so I thought it might be worth watching and Confucius seemed a more meaty role ,so I was intrigued to see how they portrayed him and whether it could be considered an epic.The film commences with his rise to Justice minister in the Kingdom of Lu, a reward for diverting the assassination of the King and preventing the Kingdom been seized by the King of Qi..jealousy from other ministers forces Confucius ( or Kong Qiu as he is known in the film ) into exile, so he and his disciples wonder the land teaching and looking for shelter and a place to settle..Confucius and his disciples end up destitute and struggling to survive. However, the very person who forced his exile, the Prime Minister of Lu is dying, and they face attack from their neighbours. Confucius agrees to return home, but on the condition he is not sought for advise on politics or military strategy and that he can be left to his books and teaching and so the film ends with him sitting in this library surrounded by all his works..and you look and think wow.So was this film epic? Well there were large battle scenes between the neighbouring kingdoms and the production sets looked grand ...though not on the scale of hero...and that for me is where it ends. I don't know any of the previous films by the director Mei Hu, apparently this film did pick up an award,For me this was a watered down sanitised more biographical account ,which left me with no lasting impression and made reviewing it very difficult. Yes Chow Yun -Fat looked convincing as Confucius but that is the extent ( for me anyway) as to the depth of this great man of history...not the fault of the actor but the script which he was handed.An opportunity to show the world a lasting and memorable portrait of probably one of the greatest philosophers of all time wasted.Too much emphasis was placed on the waring kingdoms, and very little on the teachings of this great man, yes there were token saying laced in the script..but at the end of the film, I was left disappointed..This should have been a film of magnitude, that could have gone down in cinematic history..I had hoped that I would learn more about the man ,his teaching...I wanted to see more inter action between him and his disciples....this film should have given me a thirst for knowledge, and understanding..it should have engaged my mind and been thought provoking ..It should have educated me and helped make me wiser..that for me is true entertainment.What a shame that one of Chen Kaige, , Ang Lee or Wong Kar-Wai had not directed , I can't help feel we would then have been left with a master piece and a film of great merit and Chow Yun Fat's portrayal as Confucius would have been hailed as one of the best performances.Subtitles both Mandarin and English got confusing at times and the print went very small..which made film hard to follow at times.

I bought this DVD having recently returned from a training (tai chi/qigong) and cultural month in China during which I visited the "Confucius Village", his tomb, garden etc. I was keen to see and learn more about this revered man and his teachings and was not disappointed. Depending on what you are looking for, this DVD would certainly give all-round entertainment (a good watch on any level) and instruct being based on fact. I recommend it for its strong acting, good action sequences and food for thought!

chow yun fat dose it again good acting and a good action movie

Recently got around to watching this film and was amazed with the whole production. I knew little of the man called Confucius other than he was a scholar that to some extent became a religious figure. I was wrong on the religous figure part after watching the film but was amazed to learn a bit about the life of this great scholar and thinker. Overall it was a fabulous film about a man who tried to better the world around him and in essence the whole world itself through education. I am sure there are many things left out in this film just because it is very hard to capture a person's entire life in just 2 hours or so. If you like historic films (in this case historically based and set, not sure of entire accuracy due to the feeling that there is some much missing in the story) you will enjoy this. During my entire viewing of the film not once did I feel it drag out in any place, just wish there was more story to the man's life. Maybe BBC will do a multi-part sereis covering the entire life of Confucius.

I purchased this movie because I was interested in learning more about Confucius. I did and it was wonderful. You must keep in mind, watching the movie, that Confucius lived in 450 BC..BC, The civility of the people, though it is a feudal and war-torn time, is amazing. I knew of the formality and codes of that period, but you truly grasp the effect of them in the movie. They were much more advanced than peoples in the rest of the world and considered manners and philosophy a way of life- again-B.C. and were comparative to Greece. Cast acting and direction very good. But the focal point is the man, his journey and the progressive impact he had on his society. Villified and betrayed, he was true to his teaching of honor, compassion, loyalty and human striving for the good of all. He was a remarkable man. The movie is profound, beautiful and sad. If you appreciate these things, you will treasure this film.

Légende intéressante mais une reproduction pas tout à fait correspondante à sa vie semble-t-il. Toutefois j'ai regretté que ses écrits n'aient pas été réellement relevés et c'est pour ceci que je parle de légende.Ce philosophe chinois est un précurseur de la morale et de la politique. Ses oeuvres ont donné naissance au confucianisme et ses pensées sont souvent citées encore à notre époque. J'ai aimé le thème et 'est un film que je reverrai en respectant lamise en scène.

I LOVE historically accurate movies that show someones life from several angles, and not just the well known areas.Historical simulation movies like this will make you think of Red Cliff, Nobunaga, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Ip Man, and SO many more.The Chinese have a remarkable and unique vision to bring their history to light, and to show the world that these were actual people and books BASED on real people), who lived and breathed as we do, yet just did something outstanding and noteworthy in their time.