Film: Confucius
Release date: 24th September 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 110 mins
Director: Mei Hu
Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Zhou Xun, Chen Jianbin, Yao Lu, Zhang Xingzhe
Genre: Action/Biography/Drama/History/War
Studio: Cine Asia
Format: Cinema
Country: China
Confucius is set during China’s renowned ‘Spring and Autumn Period’, and tells the story of the most loved and respected figure in Chinese history. It has caused much controversy in its homeland, before and after its release, and has even led to the threat of a law suit by one of Confucius’ descendents. Hong Kong legend Chow Yun-Fat plays the title role.
It’s 500 B.C., and China has yet to be unified. The country is a mélange of feudal kingdoms and warring states, each competing for domination.
A commoner by the name of Confucius (Chow Yun-Fat) is given recognition for his supreme knowledge and wisdom by being made Minister of Law in the Kingdom of Lu. He soon proves invaluable to the ruler (Chen Jianbin) for his understanding of leadership, and becomes a great influence on the leader’s decision making.
The ruler of Lu’s increased power and growing respect from the people aggravates the aggressive leader of the neighbouring state Qi, who aims to destroy the Kingdom of Lu. In desperation, Confucius is called upon to lead the Lu army to fight against the mighty Qi. Victory is won and peace is restored to the Kingdom of Lu.
But victory has come at a price for Confucius; his skills in leadership and winning battles is seen as a threat among an envious aristocracy who now see him as a rival to the ruler of the Kingdom of Lu. He is forced into exile and, accompanied by some of his students, he wanders throughout the land hoping to share his ideas with local rulers who might appoint him for his political ideas. However, he is rejected by one after another.
Confucius and his students battle the elements and face horrendous conditions of poverty and starvation as their political ideas and moral views are put to the test…
Without a doubt, Confucius is a visually pleasing film, but with giants like director of photography Peter Pau (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and costume designer Yee Chung-Man (Curse Of The Golden Flower) weaving their magic within the film world, audiences have come to expect nothing less from such talent. However, the script, to what could have been a major epic and important film, has been tampered with so much, and with four writers, including Hu, putting their monies worth in, it really is a case of too many cooks. The end result has the appeal of nothing more than a made-for-television film. This is hardly surprising when one realises that the aforementioned medium is where Hu Mei has excelled as a director. Perhaps it’s a case of Mei having bitten off more than she could chew. It’s quite preposterous to think that a film depicting the greatness of an influential giant like Confucius could be condensed into just 110 minutes. Its failings are many, including its aim to please so many people yet evidently pleasing no-one.
But in all fairness, Mei should receive our sympathy to some extent, as she was stuck between a rock and a hard place when having to make difficult decisions, such as removing controversial scenes between Confucius and Nanzi, which ultimately led to Xun having less than ten minutes of screen time - a great shame considering her portrayal as Nanzi is one of the most memorable things about the film. Perhaps Mei’s lack of experience as a cinematic director was the reason she decided not to go with her gut instinct.
Chow Yun-Fat’s depiction of Confucius also deserves a worthy mention; he plays the charismatic teacher with much honesty and integrity, although, his good looks are a far cry from the reality that Confucius was, apparently, rather ugly with a crown-shaped head, and at 6-foot tall, his stature in ancient China would have been deemed quite odd.
The film would have fared much better had it tried to reveal a little about Confucius’ upbringing and how his mother was to be the biggest influence on his life. The fact that Confucius had faced hardship throughout his early life and yet still excelled as a scholar is a true testament to his character - unfortunately, this wasn’t touched upon in the film.
History shows that Confucius failed in his pursuit of a political career but he exceeded triumphantly as a teacher and educator. His teachings are held in high esteem and are still being taught today, which has led to a legacy that is worldwide. Unfortunately, the film struggles to infuse any interest for those who know little about this great man and his teachings, and fails to make them want to learn more about him. And for those who are already familiar with his life and work, they will gain nothing new. SLP
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