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Mongol: The Early Years of Genghis Khan

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This incredible movie places one of history's most crucial lives against a spectacular series of landscapes. Taken only for their visual grandeur, the deserts, mountains, river valleys, and forests of western Asia and and eastern Europe create a backdrop of unexcelled beauty.

Unexcelled beauty also describes Börte (played by Khulan Chuluun), the Khan's wife. This movie is filled with beautiful people, but she stands out even among that crowd.

None of that detracts from the story of Temudjin, who history knows as Ghengis Khan. It follows him from young childhood, through his unification of all Mongolia. The story traces his many setbacks - late bloomers of every sort, here's a guy you can relate to. It also describes his wife and his marriage; suffice it to say that a man as powerful and driven as him deserves an equal. An additional thread in the story, his lifelong friend and enemy Jamukha creates a complex and shifting complement to Temudgin.

I can't vouch for it's historical accuracy; I'm sure many liberties were taken with the literal truth. That hardly matters. Ghengis Khan's rise to power deserves an epic telling on a stage as wide as all of Asia. It gets that telling in this magnificent movie.

-- wiredweird, reviewing the theatrical release

There's a fine line between depictions of war and needless graphic violence, and thankfully, "Mongol" doesn't cross it. Yes, moments of this film are brutal and bloody, but they don't overcrowd the film. More than enough room is left for a compelling human drama, a story of love, commitment, and strength in twelfth-century Mongolia. The ads imply that "Mongol" is the story of Genghis Khan, but that isn't really the case; this is the story of Temudjin, the boy who would grow up to become Genghis Khan and conquer half the known world. It's about the person, not the myth, and that above all made this a worthwhile experience. Filmed in 2007 but just now getting an American theatrical release, Sergei Bodrov's film is sweeping in its visual and emotional beauty, with cinematography that borders on the sublime and a simple yet significant story.

It's the year 1172 at the start of the story proper, and at that point, Temudjin is just nine years old (Odnyam Odsuren). He and his father, a Khan named Esugei (Ba Sen), are traveling from the Steppes of Mongolia to a distant clan because the time has come for Temudjin to choose a wife. When they stop and meet with a different clan, Temudjin meets a ten-year-old girl named Borte (Bayertsetseg Erdenebat); they immediately take a liking to each other, so much so that, by the time he leaves, he chooses her to be his wife. The plan is for Temudjin to return in five years time, at which point the union can be made official. But things take a tragic turn--a rival clan poisons Esugei, and Temudjin and his clan are left at the mercy of a treacherous lieutenant named Targutai (Amadu Mamadakov). Now enslaved and with his father's property forcefully taken, Temudjin vows to someday avenge his father and murder Tergutai.

At around this time, a young boy named Jamukha (Amarbold Tuvshinbayar) rescues Temudjin from the desolate cold of the mountains. The two decide to become blood brothers, and right away you can sense the inherent tension in such a union; the cutting of flesh and the spilling of blood is a painful yet deep commitment to someone. Watching the boys drink bowls of milk laced with each other's blood, I sensed something more sinister was lurking on the horizon. You can tell this is true when Jamukha says that someday he'll be Khan and Temudjin will be his Second in Command. Even at a young age, Jamukha sees this union not in terms of loyalty and respect, but in terms of power. What's really interesting is that Temudjin was most likely seduced by the same lust, considering his transformation into Genghis Khan. Consider the moment he goes to the Sacred Mountain to pray to Tengri, the God of the Blue Sky: a lone gray wolf appears, symbolic not only of Tengri, but also of destructive power.

The story eventually flashes forward to the year 1186, at which point a grown Temudjin (Tadanobu Asano) escapes enslavement and reunites with Borte (Khulan Chuluun), who has been longing for his return ever since the day they met. Despite the fact that they love each other deeply, they're constantly driven apart by battle--sometimes Borte is kidnapped while at other times Temudjin is forced to leave her so that he can fight. The theme of loyalty comes into its own at this stage of the story: while Temudjin and Borte remain devoted to each other, Temudjin and Jamukha (Honglei Sun) have now divided themselves. The idea of friends becoming enemies is certainly not new, especially in stories of civil war and bloodshed. There is, however, a subtlety to their downfall that I greatly appreciated, a slow and steady unraveling that made it all the more believable. I won't delve too deeply into this, but I will say that Temudjin's belief that generous leaders gain a larger following is a wise one. This is something Jamukha doesn't seem to understand.

Some viewers might be disappointed that Temudjin doesn't actually become Genghis Khan by the end of this movie; it's not about his reign, but about his rise to power. There's a reason for this: "Mongol" is the first part of an epic trilogy. There's really no way of knowing how accurate this story is, seeing as Genghis Khan has generally been remembered as a ruthless warrior. "His history was written by his enemies," Sergei Bodrov said when interviewed, and I have no doubt that this is true. Many elements of the screenplay seemed to come straight out of a fable: a man who comes from nothing but gains everything; a woman who often finds herself in distress; a friendship that turns into a rivalry. It's hard to imagine something so formulaic being drawn from the pages of history.

This isn't to say that "Mongol" ever goes in the wrong direction. You watch this movie feeling utterly captivated by the story, the characters, and the look, all of which mutually benefit each other. Even the bloodstained battle scenes have a beauty of their own, albeit not in the conventional sense; slow motion shots of swords flying and blood spurting are expertly captured, pretty much to the point of seeming graceful. But at its core, "Mongol" is about the characters and how they love, hate, honor, and betray one another. As bland as that sounds, it actually helps a great deal because it allows today's audiences to relate to it, to understand why certain things happen. It's a shame virtually no one in the United States got to see this film a year ago, before it nominated for Best Foreign Language Film. It would have been wonderful to praise it along with the Academy.

An intricate examination of the life of Temudjin and his journey to becoming Genghis Khan, Sergei Bodrov's Mongol awes with gorgeous imagery, visceral battles, and powerful storytelling. As epic as the film feels though, it leaves you with the desire for more - both in the jumps in the Khan's ascent to ruler and in his reshaping of a kingdom once such power is attained.

While many have heard of the historic conquests of Genghis Khan, few probably know the story of his rise to power. In fact, no one probably knows the real story, as historical records of his early life are scarce and often conflicting. But here a grand tale is told, with enough embellishments and creative liberties to portray an honorable leader and the events that shaped his eventual quest to unite a people. Whether any of it is true or not, the hardships, betrayals, vengeance, and warring that Mongol inflicts upon Temudjin makes for entertaining storytelling. The culture and customs of the Mongolian people remain genuine, and such traditions and presentation create the authenticity required to believe in the noble leader and his perilous undertaking.

Though marketed primarily as an action epic, Mongol focuses heavily on the love story that envelopes much of Temudjin's young adulthood and the tumultuous relationships with other Khans that lead to many of the major conflicts he faces. Continually separated from each other, Temudjin and his wife Borte must alternatingly rescue each other from dire situations, and the film suggests that his wife's strong character played an important role in the Khan's decisions. Temudjin's mission to rescue Borte brings him in contact with Jamukha and through ensuing misunderstandings and backstabbing tactics they eventually become bitter enemies. Though their warring again leaves him apart from Borte, their love transcends anything that might distance them. Revenge and betrayal also play heavily into Temudjin's tortured childhood and his numerous enemies constantly seek to destroy all that he has accomplished.

While bloody warfare and intense battles are certainly a highlight, the film's strongest feature lies in exceptional acting by a diverse group of talent. Tadanobu Asano gives a solemn, commanding performance as the Khan plagued by ever more harrowing obstacles and creates a heroic character both intriguing and compelling. His unfaltering wife Borte is played with compassion and power by the understated Khulan Chuluun, and the scene-stealing Honglei Sun provides a villain with intelligence, malevolence, and bouts of crazed lunacy.

Reminiscent of the progression of Kingdom of Heaven, Mongol depicts the wondrous events that lead up to an even more monumental feat, and we're left with only our preconceived notions and a brief written epilogue that informs us that this is only the beginning. The early life of Genghis Khan that Bodrov has envisioned is fascinating enough that we want to see what happens next, and we might as rumors of a trilogy surface, but for now an epic beginning will have to suffice.

- The Massie Twins

Mongol (Sergei Bodrov, 2007)

Despite the fact that Tadanobu Asano is a superstar across the Pacific, I never thought I'd get the chance to see an Asano movie on the big screen here in America. So before I do anything else, I have to thank-- profusely-- Picturehouse, Mongol's American distributor, and say that I hope against hope that this is the beginning of a beautiful partnership. America needs more Asano on the big screen. I am even happier to say that, while this isn't Asano's best work, the movie itself is quite strong, and there are a lot of other actors who turn in performances almost as, or just as, good as Asano's to make this into a quite enjoyable moviegoing experience.

Asano plays Temudjin (as an adult), the man who became Genghis Khan. The movie opens with us seeing Asano's face, crusted with grime, staring out through the bars of a cage. What in the world...?, you may ask. I mean, this is the guy who conquered the entire known world, right? Well, it does eventually make sense. Much of the movie is told in flashback, and much of it centers around Temudjin's relationship with his wife Borte (Khulan Chuluun), whom he first meets at the age of nine, and who sticks with him from that point despite that fact that, well, he's not really around much, since he's off conquering and warring and all that stuff. And yes, there's a good deal of that to be found here, despite that fact that this deals with the years before Temudjin became Genghis Khan; before he united them, the Mongols liked to fight amongst themselves a great deal, and Temudjin himself was often the spoils over which the wars were being fought. (Explaining why would take too long; trust me, he spends a lot of time as a prisoner for a while there.) Eventually, he makes friends with another young chap named Jamukha (played as an adult by Honglei Sun), and the two of them together start the long, tedious grind of fight, assimilate, fight, assimilate-- except that something goes horribly wrong. And now we're well into spoiler territory, so I'll stop there.

Make no mistake, Mongol is an action movie, but in saying that, I should also say that structurally, it reminds me more of epic westerns than it does conventional action pictures-- movies like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly or Tombstone where there are relatively few moments of action punctuating a tale that's more intrigue than blood flow. Movies like this have a propensity to fall on their faces if the intrigue isn't properly paced. Mongol, which was nominated for the Best Foreign Film Academy Award (losing to Stefan Ruzowitzky-- no shame there) and which swept six Nika Awards (Russia's version of the Oscars), every category in which it was nominated, is pretty obviously one of those movies that doesn't fall on its face in this regard. Bodrov (Nomad) has quite a head for this sort of thing, it would seem.

It should also be noted that some of the history is fudged, and a great deal is oversimplified, but you have to expect that. It is a movie, after all.

Even if you're not an obsessive Tadanobu Asano fan, I strongly suggest catching this one on the big screen while you still have the time; it's the kind of cast-of-thousands epic that can't help but lose something in translation. A very, very good film. ****

Mongul tells the story of Temudjin, the boy who grows up and eventually becomes Genghis Khan. At the age of nine, Temudjin's father(Esugei), the khan at the time, shows him how to pick a wife. After doing so, the plan is for them to get married in five years. After Esugei is poisoned however, he dies and the Mongols he was travelling with take matters into their own hands. Pillaging and doing whatever they see fit. Temudjin becomes a slave and sets out to find his brother, Jamukha, who he feels is the only one who can help him. A few years pass. Temudjin, now a man, sets off to claim his wife. He winds up going through a lot of hardships in the process, but what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger. It is said that all Mongols are afraid of thunder, but what if they don't have a place to hide? They become one of the greatest Mongols in history and greatness comes to those who take it.

This movie is shot beautifully. Every shot is filled with vibrant colors and seems to be shot in a unique way. There are quite a few first person perspectives during battle sequences that are quite stunning. Seeing the blood splatter all over the camera is always a plus, in my eyes. The battle scenes are where the film truly shines. The way they're shot make you feel like you're in the middle of it all. The perspective on a lot of the angles during not only the battle sequences, but in the movie as a whole, are impressive in their own right. The music also lends a helping hand in making this movie incredible. While some of it wasn't to my liking, the majority of it fit the film like a glove and only enhanced what was going on in the film and what the characters were going through.

The main reason I checked out this movie was because of Tadanobu Asano. I've mentioned my admiration of his acting in the past, but I had heard that this was possibly the most physical role he ever had. That peaked my interest. Well that and the fact that he was headlining the film. He definitely doesn't disappoint in this and he only seems to impress me more with each film I see that he's involved with.

Mongol may not be as action packed as the trailer leads you to believe. There are a handful of really impressive action scenes, but there's a lot of character development in this as well. The acting is top notch and as I mentioned, the visuals will have your eyes glued to the screen the entire time. I think the last twenty minutes or so make this film worth seeing alone. While it isn't action packed for two hours straight, I like to think that if you're a fan of movies like 300 then you'll probably enjoy this. This is just a bit more story driven.

Rating: 8/10

I saw this film in Tokyo last week. There were Japanese subtitles and the dialogue was in either Kazakh or Mongol, but I generally knew the story. The setting and scenery was very authentic. The portrayal of Mongol life and warfare was the best I ever saw.

The special effects were impressive. The storms were something to remember. This was especially true about the climatic battle scene at the end of the movie. The battle scene was as good as those in "Alexander" just a few years ago.

Please bring this film, and its sequels to the US.