72 of 75 people found the following review helpful:
I can't vouch for the historical accuracy...
...but considering the minimal budget (20 million dollars American) and the genuine Mongolian (some areas so isolated that new roads had to be built to get the film crews there) locations filmed, this was a fantastic movie that was well-paced for an introduction to the life of Temudjin, who would become the Genghis Khan.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
Memorable Photography Highlights Story Of 'Temudjin'
The most pleasing part of this film, I thought, was the excellent cinematography. Kudos to Roger Stoffers and Sergei Trofimov for an outstanding job photographing this movie, making the most bleak of landscapes look stunning many times and adding some wonderful closeup shots of objects and faces.
It's not a bad story, either, although not one that will keep...
...but considering the minimal budget (20 million dollars American) and the genuine Mongolian (some areas so isolated that new roads had to be built to get the film crews there) locations filmed, this was a fantastic movie that was well-paced for an introduction to the life of Temudjin, who would become the Genghis Khan.
Despite the low budget, nothing in the movie looks cheaply filmed; everything looks like that of a big budget film six times more expensive, from costumes to makeup (and the craggly dirt buildup on Temudjin during his time in captivity). I don't speak Mongolian, so I can't tell whether the accents spoken are accurately Mongolian, but for an American audience, it was great for authenticity (rather than having them speak Russian or Kazakh).
The movie excels in two particular aspects which really make this one more than just a casual ancient-world flick; the battles and the people.
While Genghis Khan is demonized in the West as a barbarous conqueror, he is seen like a hero in the East, and this movie serves to show him as both and neither, making him more than just black or white, but a fully fleshed out person with ambitions to uniting all the Mongol tribes as one beneath him. He is utterly believable as a human being, fallible, and seemingly very much driven by his love for his wife and children, whom he nevertheless must leave constantly to fulfill his dream.
There is also Jamukha, who manages to be both a piggish, slothy figure, and a noble, loyal friend to Temudjin, when their dreams conflict and they become enemies, with a very painful and realistic portrayal of just why Jamukha would betray Temudjin, and his lack of joy in facing his opponent on a field of battle.
Then there's the battles. As any Ancient/Medieval war movie to be expected, it is bloody. My only annoyances in a puritanic-historian way were the suits of armor, which seemed not to be made of much metal as they would have been in Mongolian times.
Another minor thing that becomes a little excessive, and arguably rather like a recurring joke is shots of blood, showing them being spilled in thousands of thick drops rather than in fountains or bursts of liquid.
The final battle sequence manages to both utilize the Mongolian expertise in archery and cavalry and innovate with something both insanely risky and never before seen in Medieval battle depictions. Likely seen in the trailer, as Jamukha sends the bulk of his cavalry force at Temudjin's center, he unleashes a very small number of thickly armored cavalry, armed with double curves swords, which then rush through the enemy cavalry, using the swords to slash at the enemy's sides like Scythed Chariots.
The armored cavalry is a kamikaze force, as after brutalizing the enemy cavalry, Temudjin has his archers unleash a flood of arrows on the force, killing the cavalry on both sides down to a man.
Overall a great movie, which doesn't sacrifice the macro-story of Genghis Khan and his dream of a Mongol empire for the micro-story of Temudjin's love life. Of which I wrote virtually nothing about.
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Recent Best Foreign Oscar Film nominee `Mongol' is an impressive epic. Telling the first installment of the life and times of Ghengis Khan, we get more than a history lesson, but a personal account of a fraternal feud for power. Filmed with breathtaking cinematography and a sound that should have garnered a separate nomination, the movie is a sweeping drama, complete with battles that make similar `300' scenes obvious digitalized formula.
Although the film goes ahead (mostly in chronological order) with several "One Year Later" and other useful captions, we lose ourselves in a story of one man's struggle for survival among his Khan and the love interests that shape, bind and beget tribal rivalries and aspirations. We follow the coming-of-age footsteps of Temujin (Tadanobu Asano) and his older rival Targutai (Amandu Mamadakov) who both strive for power and read the oracles of gods like Tengri, whom they beckon for help.
Some of the battles are Trojan-like in thrust. Temujin will spare no one for Borte (Khulan Chuluun), his lifelong love interest. Between his patient endurance and his love, Temujin becomes a leader who can match wills with any Mongol tribe. Going from tribal feuds to a far-reaching dynasty, the film chronicles the real human faces that made history happen.
Before becoming Khan, he must master the elements. Between the harshness of tundra to humiliation and hunger, the sharp edge of life known for bitterly cold winters, make or break the existence of people who rely on their armies, shelter, and horses to survive.
It cannot be emphasized enough how the lingering beauty of each frame is arresting enough to justify viewing this two hour and five minute film. Furthermore, the haunting audio accentuating tribal customs and battle scenes resonate with mesmerizing grandeur. Although being reserved is perhaps a cultural trait, I felt some of the scenes could have added a bit more zest to the acting, but much of the intensity is non-verbal and convincing indeed. Writer-director, Sergei Bodrov, deserves heaping praises for building such a tightly built drama and some truly exquisitely shot scenes.
Although released last year and up for 2007's Oscar jury, both the cinema and DVD releases came about this year, so it's not too late to hold 'Mongol' as one of the truly worthy epics and one of the best movies to come out all year.
A J.P.'s Pick 4.5*'s =Very Good-Exceptional HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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To say this movie is a historical documentary failure would be a shame. What it was to me was a film that was entertaining to watch, with an epic story that got you into the charactors. The cinematography was huge, with beautiful wide shots.
I went to the theater to see this flick not knowing much about it, and I looked at the audience from time to time, one gentlemen was on the edge of his seat! This movie was far better than any other movie about Khan that I've ever seen (including John Waynes). Nobody seems to care that other actors have played Ghenghis throughout the ages, which is to say that I don't know why people are upset a Japanese actor played the role. I thought he did an outstanding job.
I have recommended this film to friends, which typically I don't do and have'nt done in a long time.
I don't know if the DVD will have over-dubs, but the sub-titles were very easy to read in the theater.
I'm giving this movie 5 stars cause it's like an Asian version of Braveheart, which is'nt historically accurate but highly entertaining!
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Kudos to Bodrov! What a movie: piercing and breathtaking as an invasion of mongols itself!
Having grown up as a Russian, furthermore, in Moscow in the Arbat neighborhood literally a two lane street from Mongol Embassy (on what used to be called Voevodin Lane, across school #69), I have always been fascinated with the Mongol culture. Frankly, what Russian wasn't after the three hundred year Mongol-Tartar yoke?!
This isn't the story of conquest, but a story of love, forgiveness, and detachment from the material. Before the great Khan became the man to take away others' freedom he had to find his own. Bodrov's movie is a close up on an undeviating flight of consciousness powered by personal ethics (operating from Kohlberg's highest stage of moral development, that stage in which a mind makes its own rules, balancing on the brink of enlightenment and sociopathy). Bodrov reveals the spirituality of the motive: "never betray your khan," i.e. the spirituality of integrity (in the sense of being true to your self, with any given "khan" being nothing more than a projection of one's Self with which one later identifies).
In Bodrov's interpretation, Genghis' military success seems to owe more to the integrity of his army and secularity of leadership (that did not impose its religion but only law and taxes) than to military acumen. The Mongol conquest, unlike, say the Crusades, did not seem to attempt to rob people of their psychological sovereignty but only of the attempts to possess that which doesn't belong to anyone anyway, in a kind of bloody spiritual detoxification and re-prioritization.
Who knows?! But what a beautiful interpretation.
Cinematographically, the movie has the best of that Dovzhenkesque (a school of Soviet cinematography) slow-motion focus on detail, exemplified in such visually and metaphorically rich scenes as; falling through the ice, from the snow-white surface of the day, into the murky underwater of the unconscious; the shamanic communion with the wolf essence; Khan's brother's spin-around-and-slide-into-the-sleeves-of-an-offered-sable-coat harmony of uninterrupted physical flow of a relaxed mind; etc, etc.
The cast and characters are amazing: Temujin's psychopathic calmness, Jamukha's face-saving mannerism of throwing back his head in demonstrative acceptance of "what is," Borte's inspiring beauty and non-interference with Temujin's existential trajectory (despite her obvious romantic attachments and preferences).
Bodrov's emphasis on choice - in Brother, in Mongol - reveals an existential commitment of his own, a commitment to finding the humanity of motive behind the inhumanity of action.
Pavel Somov, Ph.D.
[...]
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This is the best movie I've seen in a long time. Gorgeous cinematography. Compelling and enthralling storyline. I put it in just to see if it looked interesting at 11:30 one night, and ended up unable to go to bed until it was over at 1:30AM. And then watched it again the next night until 12:15AM, it was that good.
The acting was great. The actors and actresses were beautiful, especially the kids. The wardrobes looked authentic to my unknowing eye. All in all I was shocked that I'd never even heard of this movie until a friend recommended it.
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Mongol opens with a young Temujin, the future Genghis Khan, travelling with his father Esugei so that he can choose a bride from a rival tribe the Merkits, from whom his father had kidnapped his mother, Oelun some years earlier. The reason why Esugei wants Temujin to choose a bride from the Merkits is so that peace could be established between the two Mongolian groups; however, before arriving at the Merkits' territory, Esugei, Temujin, and their posse stop for a rest at a smaller, weaker clan that is on friendly terms with Esugei. Their Temujin meets a headstrong girl named Borte who informs him that he should chose her to be his bride. A bit smitten with the older girl, Temujin informs his father that he wants to chose a bride from the weak clan, and with the use of a bit of subterfuge, Temujin chooses Borte to be his bride, and so, with their pact sealed, the two separate for which they believe will only be five years, but turns into a much longer duration of time.
While on the trip back home, Esugei is given some poison mare's milk by the head of a rival clan. Unwilling to besmirch Mongol traditions by having a servant taste the milk first, he drinks the milk and passes away while heading home. Once the clan learns that their Khan is dead, it splits up with most of the members pledging allegiance to an upstart called Targutai, who swears that he will kill Temujin when he comes of age. Kept as a slave and forced to endure numerous humiliations, Temujin is eventually able to escape Targutai and form a bond with his blood brother Jamukha. After finding his wife Borte, Temujin begins a quest that is filled with defeat, separation, and humiliation, but also triumph and glory, to become the man to unite the Mongols.
First off, the reason why I decided to watch Mongol was because it stars my favorite Japanese actor Asano Tadanobu (What a Japanese actor playing Genghis Khan? I'll get to that later). Asano does a remarkable job with his portrayal of Temujin. Playing a cool and quiet character, but one whom possesses a core of iron and who holds a stupendous determination, Asano is at times playful and humble in the film, but is able to turn up his ferocity at the drop of a hat. Displaying some of swordsmanship he displayed in Kitano Takeshi's remake of Zatoichi, Asano's character wields a sword as if he could take on all the Mongol hordes and the armies of the Han Emperor. Which, he pretty much does in this film which is billed as the first in a trilogy. The Chinese Sun Hong lei almost steals the show from Asano in his portrayal of the adult Jamukha, in fact, one would almost think that his boisterous nature would have made a more appealing Genghis Khan that of Asano.
One will notice that there are very few Mongolians in this film. Asano, as mentioned above, is Japanese, and most of the other "Mongolians" are played by Chinese actors. This has caused a bit of controversy in Mongolia, but I think the film is worthwhile as a whole, just be ready for some extreme displays of violence and numerous spouts of blood!
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The most pleasing part of this film, I thought, was the excellent cinematography. Kudos to Roger Stoffers and Sergei Trofimov for an outstanding job photographing this movie, making the most bleak of landscapes look stunning many times and adding some wonderful closeup shots of objects and faces.
It's not a bad story, either, although not one that will keep you riveted to the screen for the full two hours. However, I wasn't bored, either, although some of the action scenes looked too repetitive with very hokey-looking special-effects concerning blood splashing out of people in the battle scenes. It did not look real, but as if it were drawn. It's ironic in that the production values seem to be so high with a such a nicely-filmed effort, yet the action scenes are staged like a B-movie.
In a nutshell, this is the story of how "Genghis Kahn," who is "Temudjin" throughout the movie, spent his tough early life and how he became the famous warrior. We just see how many hardships the man endured to become who he was later in life. He was never referred to as Genghis Kahn which, I learned hear, is a title more than a name. That must have come later, after he had control of all the Mongol armies, which is where the film ends.
Many times, it's a not a pleasant existence for "Temudjin," who was marked man from the age of nine. We see him spend many lonely hours held captive in different places. The looks on his face are memorable. Odnyam Odsuren ad the young "Temudjin" and Tadanobu Asano as the adult "Temudjin" both had extraordinarily photographic faces.
One of the few problems I had with the movie were understanding "the rest of the story" as certain scenes ended abruptly leaving me (and I assume other viewers) wondering "what happened?" His friends, though, were fun to watch and his bride was a beautiful, kind and strong woman, as pictured in this movie. Actually, I found this just as much of a love story as a war epic, and the romance angle was far more dramatic. The devotion the lead male and female had to each other, and the faithfulness and loyalty were inspiring, to say the least.
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"Mongol" may not be the grandly epic tale of conquest that one would imagine the great Genghis Khan to have, but it takes the shell of the khan's life story and builds around it a portrait of life in the steppes. It starts with the humble origins of Genghis Khan as Temudgen, the juvenile son of a minor khan. When his father dies, he is labeled a threat by other players in the clan and is slated to die. Following a series of trying but miraculous events, Temudgen grows up and finds his betrothed Borte and takes his rightful place as khan of his clan. He sees the constant war between the clans and vows to unite all clans under a simple set of laws that would lay the foundation of the Mongol Empire.
It is no secret that "Mongol" takes many liberties with the life of Temudgen. Many characters are amalgams of multiple historical figures and certain events in the film are completely fabricated. It adds a level of drama to the film and provides an intriguing layer of suffering to Temudgen's life. If one were trying to watch an accurate historical drama, this film is not that. What it does accomplish flawlessly is the bare bones and beautiful culture of the Mongol nomads. Though it depicts a culture steeped in constant strife, "Mongol" shows the complexities of the Mongol politics and tradition. With swooping vistas and wide shots, the film's direction makes it abundantly clear how the desolate environment affects the people who live there. It gives the viewer a greater appreciation of the nomadic lifestyle.
While it fails to provide an accurate depiction of Temudgen's life or even his full personality, "Mongol" uses the legend of the greatest conqueror in the world to paint a picture of the Mongol people. Through all the battles and blood, the real story of "Mongol" is the never-ending struggle of the steppe, which is the most engaging.
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I was going to multi-task as a I usually do, watching a DVD while reading a book (Constitutional History of Secession)--that idea lasted less than 30 seconds.
From the very first visual this movie grabbed me. This was so good that I spent a third of the time standing up in front of the TV (in part to read the subtitles but in part because this is what I do when a movie really grabs me intellectually and spiritually), and a third leaning forward ffrom the sofa in the fireplace room.
The movie ENDS with battle scenes. The build-up is spectacular on all fronts--cinematography, casting, script, acting--there is not a single bit of this movie that is not five-star wake up and smell the roses GREAT.
I am sitting here thinking of what else to say, just shaking my head. At every level, from personal loyalty to personal strength to family ties to blood brothers to brave in battle to the nuances of corruption, I had a RIVETING good time with this movie. I was ABSORBED.
This first of a planned trilogy about the feared and celebrated Mongol Chingis Khan (Genghis to Westerners), Sergei Bodrov's "Mongol" covers the early life of Temudjin and his rise to Chingis, ruler of all who lived in felt tents. After his father's early death and treachery by fellow tribesmen, Temudjin must survive and rise from the dust of Mongolia's vast steppes to take back what is his. Along his path and arduous youth he has a vision of uniting all the Mongol people under one law (hint, not the law of a representative democracy).
Editing is choppy and slows the film at several points in its two-hour plus length, usually between major chapters within the main tale. The film could have ended at some of the later points, but then it moves on to one more major scene.
It is in the visuals that "Mongol" excels. One really gets a sense of what life in twelfth-century Mongolia looked like. Scenes depicting nomadic life, the rituals of inter-tribal exchanges, fur and animal-skin clothing while riding under a baking sun drinking horsemilk and eating room-temperature mutton, are clear and vivid windows to the past. To say nothing of the sweeping views of Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Russia.
The battle scenes are Hollywood but realistic enough. The final battle between Temudjin and his best friend--and now enemy--Jamukha, is a masterful recreation of the Mongol way of horse-mounted warfare. An awe-inspiring scene is when a detachment of black-armored warriors charge their enemy, each man with two swords drawn, hunched low on his steed.
Overall Sergei Bodrov's "Mongol" is historically inaccurate but a visual stunner. Tadanobu Asanu and Sun Hong-Lei shine while Khulan Chuluun is positively luminous. With "Mongol," the director has delivered in a very big way.
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