Like Socrates, who was a near contemporary, Kongzi (Confucius) died without committing his own thought to writing - at least any that survived. It must be gleaned from the "Analects", which was probably put together within a century after his death and contains sayings of his, as his disciples remembered them. But the "Analects" often says nothing about their context. When and why were each of these aphorisms spoken? The film "Confucius" was conceived as an answer to this question.
"Confucius" is essentially a string of episodes that follow the chronological sequence of known events in the career of Confucius, which was certainly less than spectacular or successful on the surface. Each vignette is punctuated with certain aphorisms, and climaxes with one deemed particularly important. Some if not most of the episodes are purely products of the imagination (for example, the initial one that has Confucius harboring a human sacrifice fugitive, though the sage was said to be opposed to the practice). I didn't buy the context for the aphorism about the dearth of men who would rather pursue virtue than women, which was spoken in a somewhat diffident reply to the tempting consort of the king of Wei (played deliciously by the fetching Zhou Xun) and delivered with undue seriousness. I would have preferred to see it treated as a humorous yet thought-provoking one-liner, as it could also be rendered: "I never met a man who liked virtue as much as sex."
In the process of telling its story, the film tries to impart the basics of the sage's philosophy, which almost invariably ends up appearing insipid or ceremony-bound in textbooks. A good example is the key concepts of "li" and "ren", which are touched upon in the film. "Li" is usually translated "ceremony" or "etiquette", and "ren", something along the lines of "love of man", but both evade a firm grasp by the modern mind even with commentaries. In my understanding, Confucius devised nothing less than a social technology. He came to the conclusion that people and countries could prosper if they figured out how to manage every relationship properly. "Li" could be viewed as the codification of proper behavior in relationships - man & wife, ruler & subject, teacher & student, parent & child, etc. etc. And "ren", the infusion of "real feeling" that prevents "li" from devolving into stale and empty formality (as Confucianism as a whole eventually did). But such expositions are not amenable to the film medium in the first place, and the movie is not going to help out those who know nothing of the big C in this department.
Sprinkled into the blend now and then are spectacle-type interludes with CG works and warfare. I found these merely distracting. They serve to convey the troubled, war-torn times, I suppose, but that is thin grounds indeed for their admixture. I doubt the crowd hankering to see action is going to put "Confucius" on its must-see list anyway.
Despite the flaws, "Confucius" is a gallant attempt. It surely cannot be easy to make a flick about a philosopher or thinker in any culture - as opposed to Biblical characters whose wonder-working and fiery prophesies lend their stories to cinematic treatment. Confucius, in contrast, simply espoused a creed that was human-centered (for its time), divinity-free, non- violent, and low-key. Not much material for cinematizing there. Chow Yun-Fat absolutely carries the movie, and it is a real pleasure to watch the whole spectrum of emotions that cross his face over the course of the roughly two hours. I also liked the touches of ancient life - the music of zithers and bronze chimes, the costumes of nobles and commoners, the pottery, the oxcarts and chariots. Could have been even slower and more thought-focused as far as I am concerned. I came away regretting that director Hu Mei had not ventured a context for some of the more enigmatic sayings. I guess that means I was left wanting more - and that is saying something, too.
"Confucius" is essentially a string of episodes that follow the chronological sequence of known events in the career of Confucius, which was certainly less than spectacular or successful on the surface. Each vignette is punctuated with certain aphorisms, and climaxes with one deemed particularly important. Some if not most of the episodes are purely products of the imagination (for example, the initial one that has Confucius harboring a human sacrifice fugitive, though the sage was said to be opposed to the practice). I didn't buy the context for the aphorism about the dearth of men who would rather pursue virtue than women, which was spoken in a somewhat diffident reply to the tempting consort of the king of Wei (played deliciously by the fetching Zhou Xun) and delivered with undue seriousness. I would have preferred to see it treated as a humorous yet thought-provoking one-liner, as it could also be rendered: "I never met a man who liked virtue as much as sex."
In the process of telling its story, the film tries to impart the basics of the sage's philosophy, which almost invariably ends up appearing insipid or ceremony-bound in textbooks. A good example is the key concepts of "li" and "ren", which are touched upon in the film. "Li" is usually translated "ceremony" or "etiquette", and "ren", something along the lines of "love of man", but both evade a firm grasp by the modern mind even with commentaries. In my understanding, Confucius devised nothing less than a social technology. He came to the conclusion that people and countries could prosper if they figured out how to manage every relationship properly. "Li" could be viewed as the codification of proper behavior in relationships - man & wife, ruler & subject, teacher & student, parent & child, etc. etc. And "ren", the infusion of "real feeling" that prevents "li" from devolving into stale and empty formality (as Confucianism as a whole eventually did). But such expositions are not amenable to the film medium in the first place, and the movie is not going to help out those who know nothing of the big C in this department.
Sprinkled into the blend now and then are spectacle-type interludes with CG works and warfare. I found these merely distracting. They serve to convey the troubled, war-torn times, I suppose, but that is thin grounds indeed for their admixture. I doubt the crowd hankering to see action is going to put "Confucius" on its must-see list anyway.
Despite the flaws, "Confucius" is a gallant attempt. It surely cannot be easy to make a flick about a philosopher or thinker in any culture - as opposed to Biblical characters whose wonder-working and fiery prophesies lend their stories to cinematic treatment. Confucius, in contrast, simply espoused a creed that was human-centered (for its time), divinity-free, non- violent, and low-key. Not much material for cinematizing there. Chow Yun-Fat absolutely carries the movie, and it is a real pleasure to watch the whole spectrum of emotions that cross his face over the course of the roughly two hours. I also liked the touches of ancient life - the music of zithers and bronze chimes, the costumes of nobles and commoners, the pottery, the oxcarts and chariots. Could have been even slower and more thought-focused as far as I am concerned. I came away regretting that director Hu Mei had not ventured a context for some of the more enigmatic sayings. I guess that means I was left wanting more - and that is saying something, too.