This docu-drama tells the story of Confucius. His ideas were radical and only adopted after his death by the Emperors. His teachings were the foundation of Chinese education for 2,000 years. He taught obedience, meritocracy, and morality. Rituals and etiquette were tools to unite the people. His ideas still govern everything in China. This documentary is the story of Confucius and his legacy.
Confucius’ story was written in the Han Dynasty, 400 years after his death. After centuries of civil war, peace was finally achieved in China. It was during this time there were great achievements in China. One historian devoted his life to writing the history of China. It was this historian who wrote the first biography of Confucius. It was a mixture of fact, oral history, and imagination and was the main story of his life. This document told the struggles of Confucius and how he worked to get his ideas into real life. The biography started with Confucius’ birth. His father had daughters, a son born with a clubbed foot, and he was looking for a healthy son. At age 60 he took a young wife. They went on a journey to a sacred mountain to pray to conceive a son. According to legend, Confucius’ mother was visited by a mythical creature. This creature heralded the arrival of a great event. Eventually, Confucius was born. After his father died, Confucius was brought up in extreme poverty and political chaos. He took different jobs to support his mother. Even though he was impoverished, he was allowed an education. Eventually, he opened up a school and it was here he would gain a reputation for being a philosopher. He would teach over 2,000 students. The Analects would be developed over the years and these were Confucius’ sayings. Finally, his words were put to stone and this stone became the foundation of the Chinese education system. Amidst the chaos, Confucius looked to the past to find stability. He looked back to past rulers who took care of their nations with kindness and compassion. It was a period of peace and stability that had rituals and ceremonies. Customs and practices, Confucius believed were the glue that held society together. The ancient rulers documented these customs and rituals, so Confucius went on a journey to learn more about them. He learned about the ancient ancestral rites that were supposed to keep the world in harmony. He learned about the objects used in these rituals. Eventually, he concluded that the hands that made weapons of war could make objects of beauty. He tried to install this belief even as China devolved into war. Social harmony could be brought back and reinforced by small rituals. These rituals would develop a sense of community and care. At the age of 50, Confucius entered the government, becoming the minister of crime. It would be this position that would allow him to put his ideas into practice. He corrected people by ritual and not punishments. To continue to learn more about Confucius and his continued impact on China watch the rest of this documentary. At first, I thought this documentary was narrated by Bettany Hughes. When I realized that it was not her, I was a bit disappointed. That said, this documentary was well produced and well thought out. This documentary did a deep dive into Confucius, China, and should be shown in the classroom. It would be an excellent tool to add to a teacher’s documentary arsenal and very appropriate for high school history classes or a class biography project. If you need a filler for a sub, then allow them to show this documentary.
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The purpose of this blog is to share information on what can be used in a classroom, private school, or home school setting as well as serve as a portfolio of my personal and professional work. The reviews are my opinions and should be treated as such. I just want to provide a tool for teachers to select documentaries for their classrooms. |