Mongol

Sergei Bodrov, Kazakhstan, 2007, 126 minutes

Mongol charges onto the screen from the beautifully desolate steppes, leaving clouds of dust, severed limbs and burning yurts in its wake. Reminiscent of Gladiator (a tale of loss, hardship and revenge), this is the story of the man who spearheaded a violent conquest of Asia and ruled the largest empire in human history, Genghis Khan.

Mongol focuses on the formative years of Temüjin (his birth name). Opening with a scene where he chooses his future wife, followed by his endured periods of slavery and ultimate vagrancy after his clan is betrayed. The film culminates with the last great battle between the Mongolian tribes - a unifying conflict that paved the way for Khan’s everlasting infamy.

Mongol straddles the line between dry historical biopic and gung-ho hack-and-slash epic. The battles are filmed as grainy montages which, while compelling, are essentially sporadic. Tadanobu Asano is grubbily convincing as Temüjin, giving real weight to the decay of his friendship with Jamukha (Honglei Sun), and the development of his relationship with Börte (Khulan Chuluun) – his loving wife and trusted counsel. The film is shot in breathtaking fashion, relying on natural colours and the sheer scale of the landscape to enrapture the audience - and it does so brilliantly. After the barrage of fantastical colours in Zhang Yimou’s Hero it's refreshing to see a more subtle palette in play without artistic merit being sacrificed. The film is reinforced with a suitably stirring soundtrack that blends an orchestral score with elements of traditional Mongolian throat singing to good effect.

However, it's worth stressing that those expecting an accurate portrayal may be disappointed, as the film avoids ambiguous issues and paints Khan as a man driven by honour above all else. Naturally slight alternations to history have been applied to bolster the story’s romanticism, making the protagonist seem rather more honest than you may expect. In reality he apparently murdered one of his brethren at thirteen and was occasionally partial to massacring ‘innocents’. However artistic license is acceptable as the updated material adds depth, turning the bloodthirsty leader into a far more complete character, whose wicked cunning and fierce determination wrote him into legend. Mongol is a gripping adventure with excellent production design, an exotic slice of escapism that envelops us with its captivating performances.

Review by Henry's Cat
Written for EUFS Programme Autumn 2007