Confucius - DVD

Film: China about 500 BC: The empire is far from united, but divided into many individual regions. Again and again there are tensions and warlike conflicts between the individual kingdoms. As an advisor at the court of King Lu Dinggong, the scholar Kong Qiu, better known as Confucius (Chow Yun Fat) has so far always avoided solving conflicts with violence. He even knows how to prevent a major coup d'état with an ingenious ruse. Through a political ambush, Confucius is driven from the court. Without his family, accompanied only by his most loyal companions, the scholar roams the country and uses his studies of ancient writings to revise ancient teachings and pass them on to the people of China. But this is only one step toward the legend that Confucius has become.

Confucius recounts the life of one of the most famous philosophers in world history. The scholar is portrayed in a very level-headed manner by superstar Chow Yun Fat (Tiger and Dragon), who for once gets to showcase a slightly wider range of his acting skills. Immersed in indulgent imagery that thrives on the beautiful costumes and great set design. A well-staged battle scenes, which also make use of quite decent computer effects here and there, also ensure that the show value of the film is increased.

But against this are some dramaturgical weaknesses. While the first hour deals in great detail with the events that led to Confucius having to leave the court of King Lu Dinggong, the second hour rushes through the next few years in the philosopher's life a little too much. Again, some scenes are told at an almost epic slowness, while other moments are only briefly touched upon. This creates a somewhat unbalanced picture that makes the film seem a bit superficial on balance.

So this epic from director Hu Mei simply lacks that certain something that could make Confucius stand out from masses of similar Asian historical epics. The whole thing is worth seeing, for that the visual realization alone is successful enough. And also the acting performance of Chow Yun Fat makes this DVD premiere worth seeing. But the final kick that would have made something special out of good entertainment is missing. But if you liked movies like Red Cliff or Warlords, you will definitely get your money's worth here. Worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: Since only a data-reduced press sample was available for the test, no rating can be given here about the final picture and sound quality.

Extras: Also the bonus material of the double DVD could not be sighted. Announced are a making of, an image gallery and the trailer.

Conclusion:Confucius is a visually stunning historical drama that can convince with a great set and spectacular battle scenes. With a great Chow Yun Fat in the title role, the film adaptation of the life story of the great philosopher lacks only the final kick that makes Confucius stand out from masses of similar Asian historical epics. Exciting entertainment with high visual aesthetics offers this home cinema premiere but all the same. Worth seeing

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp