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.

I found this to be a great movie. From the start, it evokes the ancient times of constant warfare and the philosophical problems of endless social conflict he aimed at solving. The sets are perfect and the humanity and humor of the Chinese people comes through. Forget the foul caricature of the "Christian missionaries" that made him into some sort of a clown. He was a serious, courageous, suffering philosopher and political adviser. More then entertainment, it seems like a history lesson as well. Just as today, leaders didn't want to hear it. It's conflicts are adult, realistic and spiritual but there are also battle scenes. Watch it in English with English subtitles and savor the dialogue.

I am not sure I would rank this film with Spartacus or The Ten Commandments, but it is a very good movie, well filmed, with many aesthetically pleasing scenes. I cannot really speak about the historical accuracy of the film. The last book I read on Confucius was in college many years ago written by Herrlee Creel (Confucius and the Chinese Way). Though my Chinese history professor thought it was the best book Creel ever wrote, I am sure it is dated by now. The more current biography by Ann-ping Chin, The Authentic Confucius: A Life of Thought and Politics, has received good reviews and may provide more insights into Confucius' life.Unfortunately, I do not understand Chinese, so like the other reviewers, I am reduced to reading subtitles. There are "double subtitles," too. Some subtitles are incorporated into the film that provide historical background, another set of subtitles provide dialogue translations at the very bottom of the screen, and, yes, they move a bit quickly and can appear simultaneously, so you might miss things the first time through. Fortunately, the film is worthy of multiple viewings, so don't worry about this too much. The two scenes that impressed me the most were a dialogue between Lao Tzu and Confucius, probably inspired by the Chuang Tzu, shot as a dream sequence, as the two of them probably never met and the actual existence of Lao Tzu still a subject of debate, and the death of Yan Hui, one of Confucius' favorite disciples, who loses his life trying to save books from a lake. Both scenes have beautiful color and use light with great effect, especially Yan Hui's death scene in which the action is slowed down. You don't have to be a book lover to appreciate his courage and nobility in trying to rescue the things of greatest importance to Confucius and his disciples.Chow-yun Fat's performance is very human. Confucius is portrayed not as an icon, but as a multi-dimensional and somewhat complicated character who maintains his principles despite adversity. However,I would have liked to have seen more in the way of relationship building between Confucius and his students. The film portrays Confucius' interaction with his students in wide bipolar swings, either aloof and restrained or deeply emotional and attached, depending on the narrative's needs. Developing the student-teacher relationships would have provided a venue for revealing more of Confucius' philosophy, which, I am sad to say, is a little weak in its presentation. While there is much mention of "humanity" and "propriety," important Confucian themes, discussion of the "Five Great Relationships," the character of human nature, or "filial" obligations seems slight and indirect. Though these themes are well incorporated into the plot, they somewhat suffer from it, as the plot can become complicated and hard to follow demanding careful attention from the viewer. Confucian philosophy can become secondary and obscured by the narrative. Notably, in first half of the film, when a political triangulation and court intrigue undermine Confucius' authority and sends him into exile. Confucian ritual is portrayed, but I think its significance is lost to the Western viewer. Consequently, Confucius, though very human, lacks intellectual depth, and a shallow sage he was not.

Great acting, cinematography and storyline. This movie enhanced my respect for the wisdom and devotion to principle that Confucius represented.

This is a must for all Chinese movie fans. To see the life of The Great Teacher, was wonderful. Chow You Fat played him magnificently. I watched it with English subtitles and I was able to follow along and watch the drama, the action and the emotion that this movie brings forth. With No problem. My only quirk with the film is that whenever they introduced a new character or location in the film, the small script on screen describing the event that was not part of the subtitles was VERY small and VERY hard to read and sometimes it went by very fast. Aside from that Everyone who wants to know more about The Great Teacher should watch this film.

This movie was great, wonderful. I learned a lot about Confucius and his teaching. For the ones who criticize the language, translations, etc. you guys did not get it. Just paying close attention and seeing the film a couple of times made me understand the whole thing. I absolutely loved it, to the point of crying. What a great performance, acting, etc. Too bad this movie is not even known here in the US.I am not Chinese but I love Chinese history, epics, etc. I am so happy I purchased this movie. Thanks Amazon for offering such a great selection of movies of this kind.

j apprends le chinois je peux donc le visionner seule avec la traduction francaise et le regarder avec mon mari en francais

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.

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.

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.