Mongol by Sergei Bodrov (1997)
14 June 2008I have been dying to see this film since it came out last year, and was up for the Academy Award for best foreign film, and finally got to see it on it’s release in Los Angeles, and was blown away, even being the second Ghenghis Khan film I have seen this year (the other people the mediocre Japanese Gengis Khan to the ends of the Earth and Sea). This film is gorgeous with a fantastic cast, a good script and an amazing story. Really one of the best films of the year, my only real complaint being that Khan does rely somewhat on the will of the gods for his victories, and I don’t believe that such a great warrior would have left it to that, but the scenes do work in this film. Amazing that a Russian filmmaker made a film in Mongolian with two amazing actors, but one from Japan and one from China who did not speak the language. Wow, what dedication on so many people’s parts. The cinematography is spectacular and epic, though you should note that the battle scenes are filmed very shaky (my fiancee and her sister had to close their eyes), but it still looks fantastic. I liked the film so much I ordered a couple of books on Gengis Khan so I can learn more about his story (or at least what is known). I am hoping they do a sequel to this film, as this film doesn’t even really get up to him being Khan, and it wasn’t until after that he conquered all of China.
The film starts with the man who would become Genghis Khan, Temudjin (Asano Tadanobu) locked in a cell, and receiving word from a Chinese monk, that the old Monk who went looking for his wife died so he did not find her.
We then go back in time to Temudjin’s childhood (here he is played by Odnyam Odsuren) who goes with his father the Khan of their tribe to get him a wife at age 9. They are going to get one from an an enemy tribe, where the Khan stole his wife from many years before to heal the wound, but on the way they stop at a friends tribe who is weak, and Temudjin falls for a girl named Borte (Bayertsetseg Erdenebat) and makes the declaration to declare her his wife to be, who he will return for in 5 years. On the way back Temudjin’s father is poisoned, and dies, and when they return to the tribe, an arrogant man takes over the tribe and is going to kill Temudjin when he gets older, as he is too small now, but Temudjin manages to escape. He heads to the mountains to talk to the gods but falls in a lake, and is helped by Jamukha (Amarbold Tuvshinbayar)
and the two become sworn Blood brothers. Jamukha wants to become Khan of all Mongols. The young Temudjin has a very hard time, being captured and escaping for much of his young life.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
The now grown up Temudjin still having a hard life, and being captured and escaping goes to get his wife Borte (Khulan Chuluun who is really quite lovely looking like a cross between Chinese and Native American) who still is waiting for him, and leaves with her, but their time together is short lived, as the tribe that Temudjin’s mother was taken from returns and takes Borte in revenge. Temudjin can’t live without her, so he goes to his best friend Jamukha (Sun Honglei the famous Chinese actor) to get help taking his wife back. Jamukha agrees, but he forces Temudjin to wait, as he doesn’t want to be seen as going to war over women, but really to put Temudjin in his place. Eventually they go, and defeat the enemies, and save Borte, though she is pregnant with someone else’s child, but Temudjin does not care. Jamukha now wants Temudjin to join him as his number 2, but he does wish too. He is generous with his people, giving them all a share of the spoils, and even 2 of Jamukha’s warrior join Temudjin. Jamukha is of course furious.
Eventually Jamukha comes after Temudjin and his men with a superior army. Temudjin inspires great loyalty and he and his men buy time for their wives and families to escape, but many men die and Temudjin is taken. Jamukha sells Temudjin off into slavery, and he is bought by a Chinese who puts him in a cage (where we saw him at the beggining). The old Chinese Monk knows this is wrong, and that Temudjin will cause much havok, so he agrees to go and find Temudjin’s wife and give him his necklace, so she will know he is alive in an effort to spare the abbot.
The priest ends up dying trying to find Borte, but she and her son find him and the necklace and they go with a caravan to get to her husband. To pay for the trip she must use her only asset her body.
Borte makes it to her husband, and helps break him free, and he meets his daughter (another child who was not his own) for the first time and they head back to their lands.
Once again Temudjin gets an army of loyal followers, and he ask for help from the gods as his old friend Jamukha is attacking with a much bigger force. Temudjin’s men take out many of Jamukha’s men, but they are still outnumbered until the lightning comes in, and since all Mongol’s though the lightnight was the god being angry, they all cowered, except Temudjin, who came in and defated Jamukha, but he doesn’t kill him and lets him go as his sworn brother.
We then learn in text of Temudjin becoming Genghis Khan.
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An amazing and gorgeous film with powerful acting, stunning cinemtography and a well developed story. This is an absolute must see, and it just won’t be the same on video, so go see it in the theater!
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