Confucius Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Confucius Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 13, 2010

Hu Mei's "Confucius" (2010) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Mei Ah Entertainment. The only supplemental features on the disc are a music video for the title song from the film and a gallery of stills. With optional English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

"To lead uninstructed people to war is to throw them away" - Confucius

Hu Mei’s Confucius is a strange hybrid of a film. On the surface, it looks like a period film exploring the life and legacy of the great Chinese philosopher Confucius. Director Mei and his crew lead us through the most important stages of Confucius’ life, pointing out why and how his writings became so influential. Underneath all the period details and next to the numerous references to many of Confucius’ writings, however, there are many, extremely awkward statements about the might of modern-day communist China. Some are carefully planted during key scenes, others openly draw specific references.

The film is formally divided into two parts, each broken into uneven small episodes. The first part follows Confucius’ (Chow Yun-Fat, The Replacement Killers) rise in the kingdom of Lu from a mayor of Zhongdu to a powerful politician and military tactician. Thanks to his vision and diplomatic skills, the kingdom of Lu manages to regain control over territories that had previously been ruled by their unfriendly neighbors and form new and powerful alliances. When Confucius attempts to unite three of the biggest families in the kingdom of Lu, however, who are slowly pushing it towards chaos, he is immediately forced into exile.

The second part of the film follows Confucius and his disciples as they wander through vast and often unfriendly lands of the kingdoms. The men endure great hardship but remain loyal to each other and Confucius’ teachings. Eventually, after surviving a series of bloody clashes between the different kingdoms, Confucius is invited back to the kingdom of Lu. He returns home where he eventually dies at the age of 73.

Confucius is undoubtedly a lot more satisfying than the majority of period films China has produced in recent years. International superstar Chow Yun-Fat delivers a wonderfully nuanced performance that sets the tone for the entire film - despite the epic nature of the narrative, there is hardly anything that feels overdramatized or unrealistic. It has to be said, however, that Confucius assumes that its potential viewers are at least partially familiar with the famous philosopher and his legacy. Confucius’ childhood, for example, is practically unaddressed as are some key events from his life after his return to the kingdom of Lu.

Generally speaking, Confucius is free of the excessive melodrama other recent Chinese period films, such as Red Cliff and Mulan, have suffered from. Despite its unusual chronological sequencing, the narrative is convincing, never feeling dull or heavy. Even the mandatory epic battle scenes in it, which these types of films usually boast, are well paced.

A major setback with Confucius that could have been avoided - or I am mistaken, and this was something that simply could not have been addressed by the creators of the film - is the awkward praising of certain values, social responsibility and loyalty that is directly linked to present-day communist China. Some of the references are extremely subtle, others not so much. Still, viewers interested in the film's subject matter would likely be satisfied with the emphasis on detail, the solid production values, as well as director Mei’s genuine desire to be as accurate in his depiction of key historic events as possible.

In Confucius, cinematographer Peter Pau, who won an Oscar for his work on Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, is again at his very best. Costume designer Yee Chung-Man's contribution is also outstanding. Finally, Su Cong's original music score enhances the epic atmosphere in the film exceptionally well.

Confucius Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Hu Mei's Confucius arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Mei Ah Entertainment.

This is a very impressive high-definition transfer. Fine object detail is excellent, clarity very convincing and contrast levels consistent throughout the entire film. Many of the close-ups, convey outstanding depth. On the other hand, the large panoramic vistas look absolutely stunning (the massive Wei attack, in particular, is very impressive). The color-scheme is solid. Blues, greens, reds, yellows, browns and blacks are lush and well saturated. I noticed some extremely mild edge-enhancement creeping in during a couple of scenes, but I do not believe that its presence would affect negatively your viewing experience, if at all. Macroblcoking is not a serious issue of concern. There are no serious stability issues to report in this review either. Blown through a digital projector, Confucius looks very strong; the image is tight to the frame and devoid of background flicker. Last but not least, I did not detect any disturbing scratches, debris, cuts, or stains while viewing the film. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Confucius Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Mandarin LPCM 7.1, Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 and Mandarin Dolby TrueHD 7.1. For the record, Mei Ah Entertainment have provided optional English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

The Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is outstanding. The bass is strong and punchy, the rear channels used proficiently and the high-frequencies not overdone. The overall dynamic amplitude is excellent; the battle scenes in Confucius are not as elaborate as those seen in other recent Chinese period films, but are indeed terrifically executed. The dialog is crisp, exceptionally clean and very easy to follow. Finally, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks or hissings to report in this review.

I tested random scenes with the Mandarin LPCM 7.1 and Mandarin Dolby TrueHD 7.1 tracks. As expected, I did not hear a substantial difference in quality. Perhaps the dialog is slightly less exposed on the Mandarin Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track, but the basic dynamic characteristics on all three audio tracks are identical.

Confucius Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Music video - the title song from the film. Unfortunately, I am unsure who the Chinese performer is. (5 min, 480/60i).

Photo gallery - a selection of stills from the film.

Confucius Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I have mixed feelings about Hu Mei's Confucius. I liked the fact that this wasn't yet another period Chinese film marred by melodrama and filled with extravagant and pointless battle scenes. On the other hand, I disliked the fact that next to the careful observations about Confucius and his legacy there were plenty of very carefully written pro-communist propaganda statements. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Mei Ah Entertainment, looks and sounds excellent. Also, it is English-friendly and Region-Free. RECOMMENDED (but not for history buffs).