Confucius (2010)

Touches You

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Review: Although this movie is full of fast subtitles, I really enjoyed this epic biopic about a man who stuck to his morals to the end. The acting is superb from Chow Yun Fat and the authentic scenery was brilliant. The only problem that I really found with the movie is that I lost the plot after a while. I didn't really know who was who and what they were fighting for. With that aside, I did get caught up with the emotional side of the movie and the relationships that Confucius had with his trusty disciples. Personally, I didn't know anything about Confucius before seeing this movie, so I was intrigued with his epic journey, from his early 50's until his death at 73 years old. The whole political side of the film, went way over my head but I was still able to enjoy the emotional journey. The director brought different elements to the project which will give you mixed emotions throughout the movie, so it definitely gets the thumbs up from me. Enjoyable!Round-Up: This is the first international movie, written and directed by Mei Hu and she really did pick the ultimate legend to portray. As Confucius isn't worldwide known, this movie did go under the radar but Chow Yun Fat's popular name pulled in audiences. Its definitely a movie that I would watch again but I would need a dubbed version, so I wouldn't have to concentrate on the fast subtitles.Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $18.6millionI recommend this movie to people who are into their biography/drama/history movies starring Chow Yun-Fat, Xun Zhou, Jianbin Chen and Quan Ren. 6/10

So how much do you know about the life of Confucius? Probably next to nothing, so any decent film on the topic will have lots to teach you. This one has excellent production values, lots of lavish sets, period costumes, battles, cgi eye-candy. Because it was made in China, with the Chinese government involved, we can be assume that no great liberties were taken with the historical record and that clothes, customs, furniture and such are accurate. This is enough to recommend seeing it.On the level of entertainment, it has several drawbacks. For viewers who do not know their ancient Chinese history, it sometimes becomes confusing trying to keep track of the various kingdoms at war or in alliance with each other, and of some of the ranks of civil servants in order to understand who is supposed to obey whom. When a face appeared on screen, I might have known that I had seen him before, but I was not always sure which kingdom he belonged to and what authority he held.While I would not have wanted some trumped-up romantic interest added to the film, I did miss seeing and hearing from the women of the time.I wonder if a mistake wasn't in trying to cover the entire life of Confucius? I suppose that's what a biopic is supposed to do, but I couldn't help thinking of how Shakespeare built his dramas around one major incident in the life of his protagonists. It keeps the story tighter and more intense, and easier to follow.I was quite surprised at how little we learned of the teachings of Confucius. That was what he lived for, that is why his name has come down through the centuries to us. Several comments are made about his wanting to see "civility" in public life, and one or two aphorism are given, but it would have been much more satisfying to have been given an overview of his essential teachings.

Chow Yun Fat gives a great performance as the sage adviser to his kingdom. Confuciusism, is based upon the teachings of Confucius himself with his literal way of explaining peace through politics, and philosophy as well as many forms of poetry and mathematics. Yet he was exiled out of Lu, because of his idealism of tearing down three major walls which house both nobles and commoners became a dangerous reality. His own king realized the implications of leaving themselves vulnerable to enemies which in turn got Confucius exiled to wander for years in the vast open lands. Leaving behind his wife and family at least to keep them from the dangers of the plains. Yet in the frustrations back home in Lu, the king then comes to his own realization that sending his only true adviser was a mistake. So, he sends out many patrols and reconnaissance teams to bring back Confucius to the turbulent times. I like this movie for its brilliant history about the only man other than Ghandi to stop the killing without using violence. Although Confucius himself accepted the invitation to come back home, he did however refuse to be involved in any politics what so ever. His teachings became a mainstay to future students who believe that pacifism is more powerful than using brute chaos. The old adage is, the pen is mightier than the sword. Chow Yun Fat gives his most powerful performance to date with this film, and I would like to see him in another of such great leaders, and scholars of the times. The music was top notch, as well as the CGI battle scenes using thousands of soldiers which engaged in battle. Forgivness is the breath of life, and seeing two friends make up is worth more to see it rather than reading it. Excellent movie. I highly recommend this to anyone who still believes that peace is the ultimate winner.

Confucius, the story of the greatest educator of all time, is a beautifully shot, poetically told, spectacular historical epic biography that stands shoulder to shoulder with great movies such as The Ten Commandments or Ghandi. It is not Braveheart or Patton, since it is not filled with thrills and spills, but you don't watch The Last Emporor of Kundun for the action: you watch them for the splendor and the drama, and splendid drama Confucius certainly delivers. Chow Yun Fat achieves a command performance as the gentle commoner who uses his wit and wisdom to quickly rise up in political ranks only to be exiled for his outsider ideology. Chow Yun Fat has come a long way since his two fisted gunslinging John Woo days, and his decision to sacrifice another opportunity that would have made him part of a more popular project, in order to participate in this rich cinematic experience, demonstrates his high integrity and his love for his heritage. Like Spartacus or Ben Hur, this movie is colorful, gorgeous, engaging and huge. The costumes are as awe inspiring as those of Cleopatra, and the only thing it is missing is a thick font "Technicolor" at the end, because this film is so reminiscent of the great days of biopic film making. Yet some of the music and camera-work reminds of the history of low budget Chinese films as well, which adds to the nostalgia of Confucius and makes it a more fun to watch. Confucius is grand. If you love epic dramas, you won't want to miss it.