Does Confucius now have the Chinese Government seal of approval?

Confucius film

A recent announcement that Chow Yun-fat (*) is to star as Confucius in a $25m budget film backed by the Chinese government begs the question as to whether this constitutes the final step in the philosopher’s rehabilitation by the communist regime.

Confucianism was banned under Chairman Mao and steps were taken to eradicate all evidence of his existence during the Cultural Revolution – including the destruction of his family home. There was a certain inevitability that a philosophy based on family values and respect for social hierarchies should fall foul of a political ideology which looked to progress through conflict. Given the depth of antipathy it is somewhat surprising that his reintegration into the Chinese mainstream should have been so rapid.

Perhaps the key reason for this stems from the Beijing Olympics and the Chinese desire to re-engage with the world. Around the time of the opening ceremony the People’s daily claimed “Confucius is not only being celebrated at the Olympic Games. The great philosopher and educator who lived from 551 to 479 BC, is enjoying renewed popularity in the China of the 21st century..” Perhaps to inject a cautionary note about going overboard the same article did also point out that the philosopher had been “repudiated for decades as representative of the feudal system”

Whatever the reason for the turnaround, interest in Confucius appears to have grown rapidly. Professor Yu Dan’s book providing notes on the Analects proved to be the second-best selling book in China in recent times. A TV series about the life of the sage is in production along with a hundred part animated series on his teachings. The Chinese Government is also backing institutes around the world which promote Confucius’s teachings and it is even rumoured that classes are also underway in Chinese prisons.

One note of caution however concerns the mantra that appears to have emerged from official Chinese circles regarding the need to bring Confucianism up to date. Even Hui Mei, who has been chosen to direct the multi-million dollar film talks of the need to “portray a great person’s soul on film from a contemporary perspective”. Given that her father and grandfather were victims of the Cultural Revolution it is to be hoped that the philosopher’s soul is in safe hands and his teachings will not be subjected to too much revision.

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(*) Chow Yun-fat is best known for his role in the Oscar-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and for gangster movies such as Hard Boiled and A Better Tomorrow. Perhaps the fact that he won the part, over more acclaimed Chinese actors, results from his appeal to more western audiences and the Chinese desire for greater international engagement.

Was Chow Yun-fat the correct choice to play Confucius? – let us know what you think.