Chow Yun-Fat is better known as a flying kung fu master in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as the king in the latest movie ofThe King and Ior as a Hong Kong gangster in any number of films. Now he faces a cinematic challenge of a very different order: to bring Confucius to the silver screen.

China’s decision to make a film of the life of its greatest philosopher is the latest step in the rehabilitation of the thinker vilified during the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution. For that decade, and for years afterwards, his name was associated with all that was feudal and opposed to the revolution, and his descendants were ostracised.

Now Confucius is back in fashion. The ancient words of the philosopher who tried – and generally failed – to convince the country’s rulers of the soundness of his ideas are very much in favour with the 21st-century communist regime. His espousal of the concept of harmony has supplied the leadership with its favourite slogan: the phrase “harmonious society” is everywhere, as part of a campaign to paper over differences created by a yawning gap between rich and poor.

The Confucian classics now enjoy a higher status at universities in China, and even prisons are teaching his philosophy to inmates. Since 2004 the Government has started setting up Confucius Institutes abroad to promote Chinese language and culture. A professor’s book of reflections on the classic Confucian text Analects became the most-read volume in China. Some communist officials are evaluated based on the Confucian virtues of filial piety and family responsibility.

The decision to ask the Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-Fat to swap his famed long trenchcoat and pistols for scholarly robes and scrolls is something of a surprise, but it makes perfect box office sense for the Beijing-based Dadi Cinema and state-run China Film Group to pick one of China’s most adored stars for the lead in the £10 million biopic.

Richard Hung is a 78th-generation descendant of Confucius. His father guards the family flame, presides each year at birthday ceremonies at the Confucius mansion and is compiling a huge family tree that already numbers nearly four million living descendants. Mr Hung told The Times: “If this film is just commercial then Chow Yun-Fat will have to answer to his four million descendants.”

He had a word of counsel for the film star, quoting his famous ancestor: “To be able under all circumstances to practise five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness.”

Mr Hung said that he had seen the first draft of the script of the film, to be directed by Hu Mei, famed for television dramatisations of the lives of Chinese emperors. “It focused too much on Confucius as a politician and military man when in fact he was a great teacher and philosopher,” he said.

Philosophy of conflict

“Why do hot dogs come in packages of ten, but hot dog buns only come in packages of just eight?” Chow Yun-Fat in Bulletproof Monk
“With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bent arm for a pillow – I have still joy” Confucius
Captain Ed Lee: “I told you not to go in alone!” Inspector “Tequila” Yuen: “I didn’t . . . (takes out two guns) Brought my two friends” Chow Yun-Fat in Stranglehold
“Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves” Confucius
“Do it wrong . . . and I bury you” Chow Yun-Fat in The Corruptor
“Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them into crimes” Confucius

Sources: imdb.com; quotationspage.com

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