Product Details

• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: A&E Home Video
• DVD Release Date: December 27, 2005
• Run Time: 50 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000BF0CRK
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,958 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

In an age of intrigue and vice, he was a voice of morality and virtue. Twenty-five hundred years after his death, he is revered as one of the greatest teachers in history, even credited as galvanizing East Asia's current "economic miracle." Confucius's name is synonymous with ageless wisdom. BIOGRAPHY® journeys back into China's troubled feudal era to uncover his dramatic story, from his childhood poverty and long road to enlightenment to his years as a celebrated teacher. Leading scholars reveal why his message of "five virtues" was not always accepted by the period's leaders and interviews with a direct descendant provide a personal glimpse into Confucius's legend. CONFUCIUS: WORDS OF WISDOM explores the life and legacy of the ancient sage whose timeless message remains deeply influential to this day. DVD Features: Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good introduction to the life of this ancient philosopher, February 13, 2006

By 

Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Biography - Confucius: Words of Wisdom (DVD)

When I think of Confucius, I think of some wise old philosopher sitting atop a mountain somewhere dispensing wisdom to his followers, and I conjure up the words "Confucius say" in a horrible Chinese accent, but I could not really tell you what he said. Obviously, I basically knew nothing about this ancient wise man, his life or his teachings. Thus, this video was of immense instructional value to me. Confucius was no mythical being; he was very much a man, one who knew hardship and sorrows but devoted his life to improving the lot of those around him. I cannot say I now have a good understanding of Confucianist thought, however, and my mind questions how so many details can be known about the life of a man born over five centuries before the time of Christ. If you want to study the teachings of Confucius, this video may not be a very useful place to start; if you just want an idea of who this man was, however, it is certainly worthy of a look.

Confucius had a hard life, and he had intimate knowledge of the sufferings of his people. He lived in an era that saw constant warfare between competing warlords and the casting of shadows upon the impressive Chinese civilization that came before. Confucius wanted above all else to change Chinese society of his time and to rescue his nation and her people from the suffering and misery that stalked the land at that time. He was the son of an elderly great warrior and his concubine, and he apparently inherited the unbecoming looks of his father. After his father's death, he and his mother were rejected by the family, but great poverty did not stop Confucius from constantly seeking to learn and grow. In time, he started a school and welcomed students of all means, from the sons of leaders to the sons of penniless workers, teaching the importance of hard work, education for all, and a disregard for class and wealth in the measure of a man. He dreamed of finding a leader who would take him on as his advisor and, in this manner, bring about the great changes to society which he sought. For a time, he served as the governor of his home province and, for a few short years, put his teachings into practice with much success. He attracted enemies, though, and soon found himself wandering the countryside in exile. He kept seeking a leader who could save China, but Confucius' truth did not appeal to those capable of instituting change in society. He died thinking his great mission was a failure, never knowing just how immense an influence he would have on future generations of men and women, particularly those in Asia.

Confucius had his flaws, but he never deviated from the values and beliefs he cultivated throughout his entire life. I would not dare say I have a good handle on the ideas of Confucius' thought after watching this video, but I do feel as if I have some appreciation for the man and for his accomplishments in life. His words of wisdom are timeless, and this video does indeed show him to be a man whose teachings are valid and worthy of attention by everyone, including those of us in the West who, for the most part, know next to nothing about the man dubbed China's greatest philosopher and thinker.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cunfucius in better terms., October 25, 2009

By 

H. Anderson "Bootsie" (Minnetonka, MN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Biography - Confucius: Words of Wisdom (DVD)

The video, A&E Biography's, Confucius: Words of Wisdom contains a lot of very interesting information as well as useful information, however, it is very dry and lacks the bouncy, colorful format of more recently produced video's. For classroom usage, it may be better used in small bits, rather trying to show it all at once.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Waste of Money - [Confucius: Words of Wisdom], March 28, 2011

By 

MW "Pittwater563" (Planet Earth) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Biography - Confucius: Words of Wisdom (DVD)

Extremely cheap budget and weak depictions leaves a poor impression of A&E biographies. We were expecting a little more depth and some references to Confucius' analects, but only a couple or so were mentioned. The documentary makers couldn't even use the correct era pictures. A painting of Ching dynasty (Manchu) officials was used to illustrate Confucius at court, but someone should tell these nincompoops there's a 2000 years timeline issue. Apart from the telling of a poor ugly man having troubles finding influential people to warm to his philosophies, the filmmakers had no passion for this man's work and ideals. If you're planning to be educated on Confucianism, you'll be disappointed. At the end, it sank into attacks on the modern day Chinese government. Another embarrassing political propaganda vehicle. So, this DVD ended up in our trash because it's not even good enough to give away. Don't waste your money like it did mine.