Mongol

Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven

Opening this Friday is a film by the award winning Russian director Sergei Bodrov and Picturehouse with the life history of Genghis Khan in “Mongol”.

This film tells the life story of Temudgin, the young ruler born in 1162. By 1172 the nine-year-old future khan and his father Esugei (Ba Sen) are riding across the lands to visit a tribe and find Temudgin a wife.

While camped with another tribe, Temudgin meets Borte, an untraditional but spirited Mongol girl. It is within moments he knows he has seen his future. Temudgin had promised to take a wife from the neighboring Merkit tribe but his father stands by the young man’s determination to do what is right for himself.

Before leaving his future wife, Temudgin gives Borte a wishbone and promises to return. On the trip home Temudgin’s life begins to change in ways he could never have imagined. He loses his father, his people and his freedom to Targutai (Amadu Mamadokov), a greedy young warrior who will do anything to become Khan of the tribe.

Running for his very life, Temudgin meets Jamukha (Amarbold Tuvshinbayar), a smiling tribal prince that takes Temudgin into his family with a blood oath. But he cannot stay with this new family for fear Targutai will hunt them as well.

In 1186, the year of the Fire Horse, Temudgin (Asano Tadanobu) is now a man still running from Targutai as a fugitive and trying to find Borte (Khulan Chuluun). He escapes capture and finds his wife, his family and for a brief time has the freedom and peace he longed for.  

It is not to last, as Borte is kidnapped and he must turn to his blood brother for help. After a victory, a misunderstanding turns brother against brother. Temudgin must now run from two enemies who want to destroy his warrior spirit.

But Temudgin is patient, captured again and this time in prison he once again waits for the right moment to strike at the heart of those who have taken so much from him. He becomes the hunter with his eye on Targutai, Jamukha and any other Mongol who stands in his way.

Temudgin is a different khan; focused with the single minded pursuit of Borte and the generous treatment of his people bring him the title of Genghis Khan, of the Great Steppe. He would conqueror more lands than anyone before him, or anyone since.

FINAL WORD: The locations of this movie are absolutely stunning. Some locations were so remote that the crews had to build roads to gain access and it was worth the labor. Using such isolated but the beautiful landscape of Mongolia added depth and realism to the story Bodrov is telling.

Tadanobu as Temudgin portrays the warrior with warmth when called for without taking away from the warrior Khan. Chuluun as Borte is not only lovely, but strong portraying a woman who does what she must for her husband.

This is an amazing screenplay done by Arif Aliyev and Bodrov who read about Khan as a child in school in Russia. “Russians lives under Mongolian rule for almost 200 years and he was always portrayed as a monster”, says the director, “I wanted to know how he became Genghis Khan.”

The end result is visually stunning humanistic perspective, and a time in history worth telling. This film traces the life of an ordinary man created by extraordinary circumstances.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give “Mongol” four tubs of popcorn out of five. There are subtitles but it does not distract from the film. There are heavy battles but quick. The film leans more toward the life of a future Khan.

Coming in at two hours, Bodrov took his time to follow a life we know so little about. ‘Greatness comes to those who take it’ and “Mongol” does exactly that.