Greatness comes to those who take it.
The story recounts the early life of Genghis Khan who was a slave before going on to conquer half the world including Russia in 1206.
Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Romance, War
Runtime: 126 minutes
Rating: 7.4/10 (13,038 votes)
Release Date: 10 August 2007
Country: Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia, Germany
Languages: Mongolian, Mandarin
Company: Andreevsky Flag Film Company
Sound: Dolby Digital
MPAA: Rated R for sequences of bloody warfare.
Director(s): Sergei Bodrov
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Producer(s):
Stefan Arndt - co-producer
Bob Berney - executive producer
Sergei Bodrov - producer
Bulat Galimgereyev - executive producer
Marcos Kantis - line producer: Germany
Anton Melnik - producer
Ulli Neumann - line producer: Germany
Alec Schulmann - executive producer
Sergei Selyanov - producer
Manuela Stehr - co-producer
Max Wang - line producer: China
Writer(s):
Arif Aliyev - (writer) &
Sergei Bodrov - (writer)
Cast:
Tadanobu Asano - Temudjin
Honglei Sun - Jamukha
Khulan Chuluun - Börte
Aliya - Oelun - Temudjin's Mother
Ba Sen - Esugei - Temudjin's Father
Amadu Mamadakov - Targutai
He Qi - Dai-Sechen
Ben Hon Sun - Monk
Ji Ri Mu Tu - Boorchu
You Er - Sorgan-Shira (as A You Er)
Music: Tuomas Kantelinen
Stefan Arndt - co-producer
Bob Berney - executive producer
Sergei Bodrov - producer
Bulat Galimgereyev - executive producer
Marcos Kantis - line producer: Germany
Anton Melnik - producer
Ulli Neumann - line producer: Germany
Alec Schulmann - executive producer
Sergei Selyanov - producer
Manuela Stehr - co-producer
Max Wang - line producer: China
Writer(s):
Arif Aliyev - (writer) &
Sergei Bodrov - (writer)
Cast:
Tadanobu Asano - Temudjin
Honglei Sun - Jamukha
Khulan Chuluun - Börte
Aliya - Oelun - Temudjin's Mother
Ba Sen - Esugei - Temudjin's Father
Amadu Mamadakov - Targutai
He Qi - Dai-Sechen
Ben Hon Sun - Monk
Ji Ri Mu Tu - Boorchu
You Er - Sorgan-Shira (as A You Er)
Music: Tuomas Kantelinen
Posted on: June 16, 2008
April 28th, 2009
Strong, if somewhat long-winding and clearly highly (well rather thatthen sneakingly) dramatised take on the rise of Genghis Khan.
A often fascination look inside a different, sometimes almost alienculture, but maybe somewhat shallow in this respect. It was certainlyhinted at in scenes where the main-characters considered to leave theirfamily's behind for the enemies, in order for some to survive. The filmfares better as a action flick, witch the cover certainly hints at.
Its incredible easy on the eye, well placed camera positions combinedwith beautiful landscapes results in a amazing looking film.
While the main character was put in a lot of tight spots,he seemed toget out of them a little "easy", often aided by external factors,without earning it himself. Over time this robbed the film of itstension.
I also think different characters reached different position, seeminglyvery easily. One moment a character was a totally outcast, the nextmoment he was the leader over a huge gang of robbers and so on. Felt abit left out here and there. I wonder if some bits and pieces were lefton the cutting floor that shouldn't have been.
The actors were good, but you could tell that some of them weren'treally mongolian, the main character was obviously either Japanese orKorean (Japanese as it turned out). This is at most a minor annoyancethough.
Still, this film certainly proves that they can make quality cinema inKhazakstan. And those barbarians with animal masks made excellent andchilling villains. Its a fine film. But i wanted to like it more.
May 5th, 2009
I think the common misconception about Mongol, the sprawling 2007 Kazakepic as directed by Sergei Bodrov and funded by all sorts of companies,is that surely any two hour plus Kazak film focusing on a very specificperson at a very specific period of history is going to offer mostly anenriching or even spiritual experience a lot of the mainstream may wellreject. Surprise, surprise, Mongol, at least for its early part, isactually rather akin to a good old fashioned revenge film; the sortthat leaves its bloodied and in bad shape lead at the lowest of lows asthey are forced to climb the emotional hierarchy that claws them evernearer to that denouement of revenge. Along the way, our lead willundergo changes of heart and mind; make friends, make enemies and trackdown that ever elusive, due to circumstance, first love. This is notthe sort of film that focuses on trees blowing calmly in the fields forabout ten minutes as it pretends to deconstruct its lead's feelings orwhatever.
I suppose Mongol should be labelled somewhat as a tragedy. There arenot many occasions in which the lead suffers a parental loss; spendsyears away from one's bride; makes best friends, looses best friendsthrough one reason or another on top of spending most of one's timelocked away in captivity, and doesn't get labelled a tragedy of somesort. Being a Khan is such stressful work, it would seem. I think mostof the reasoning behind all this is the lead character's lack ofemotion throughout; a professional and very spiritual attitude thatsoaks up all the tragedy and loss and despair before unleashing it in afury of brainy battlefield tactics and sheer power once the sword is inhand.
Tadanobu Asano plays Temudjin, the would-be Khan once the true Khan(Temudjin's father) is murdered very early on when Temudjin is stillonly nine years old. Asano plays his character with a degree of anger,pride and patience really rather well, and it really gets across thisbrooding force located within the mind of this constantly knocked down,suffering character. What is interesting is how the film is told mostlyin flashback format, a regrettable tone underlying the doing-so and aglum, regrettable expression on the man's face as he begins to speak ofhow he was forced into choosing a bride at such an early age thussetting a precursor for what's to come. What the film is, apart frombeing the supposed first of a trilogy, is a coming of age story toldthrough both the desolate and brutal rural plains and battlefields thatturned the title Genghis Khan into something we may have heard of atsome point in our lives.
The film's chief emotional studies are linked to dedication and honour.Temudjin's lost soul wandering through the barren rural places heventures forth from act as helpless and empty locations as his enemieslie in wait, so close to him and the things he so dearly craves lie sofar away and unbeknownst. The establishing of a man fit to be a soldieris slyly executed when he manages to escape from numerous wooden stocksat the hands of the enemy – his ruthlessness and professionalismembedded as he smashes a captor's head upon a breakout. As a boy, hemust suffer his father's death at the hands of deceptive rival tribaltactics and learn to develop a sharp tongue plus a reply to just abouteverything as he attempts to assume control over most scenarios. As anadult, he must come to learn to respect the notion of tactics and knowhow and when to use them against a larger force. He must be patient andidentify when relationships are breaking down with those it seeminglycannot happen with.
Director Bodrov does not hold back. He tries to encompass just abouteverything he can in a man's bitter journey from parental death at ayoung age to imprisonment at the hands of his enemies. I read thatMongol history is so sketchy, that it proved difficult for productionon this feature to spotlessly go ahead. As a result, Bodrov compensatesby just including everything: death; love; loss; friendship;concentrated acts of brutal violence and vast battle scenes between twosides covering expansive rural locales. What is essentially a biopicbranches out for romance, revenge and war at well observed intervalsdue to the fact the found ideas for the biopic is so sketchy in thefirst place.
I'm tempted to say Bodrov does too much in Mongol. For what it is, it'srather impressive and I feel will force people to refrain from comingaway from it purely remembering the action sequences as they gush aboutthe sweeping scenes of blood and guts when talking about it. It's abouthuman emotion; it's a study of suffering, learning and then coming outon top just when the world demands you're not supposed to be able to.But where do you go from here? The film is, rather bizarrely, neatlyrounded off just when you expect it to remain open for the next twofilms. I just hope the filmmakers haven't used up all their ammunitionin one, epic swoop of two hours that is: Sergei Bodrov's 'Mongol'.
May 6th, 2009
History buffs will know that there is much humanity in the great worldconqueror Genghis Khan. This film about the rise of Temudjin as GenghisKhan shows his upbringing, his passion and compassion, his loyalty andhis world view. Like him or loathe him, one just can't underestimatehis achievements. Shot on the dramatic landscapes of Central Asia, thefilm boasts gorgeous breathtaking photography. Although i am not onewho enjoys watching violence and gore, the battle scenes here are asight to behold. The characters are well fleshed-out, but the storytakes its time to unfold. My patience was however rewarded with adignified rendering of the tale. Best seen on a big screen forfirst-time viewers.
May 8th, 2009
This movie was terrific in the detail of which it gave the story ofGenghis Khan. It had beautiful scenery to go along with the dramaticjourney. It also contains a wonderful and slightly tragic love story tobalance out the adventure and action parts of the story. People talk ofit leaving out big battle sequences and thus the film being ruined. Butthis is not the big action packed Genghis Khan story. That is surely tocome with the subsequent films in the trilogy. This is an intimatestory, in a massive landscape, of love, brotherhood and betrayal.Expect a good and original film here, don't expect a Braveheart clone.On a last note, the acting is brilliant. You get a real insight fromthe actors portrayals, especially that of Borte, Temudgin and Jamukha.This is a movie that you look forward to the sequel of.
May 18th, 2009
Although it is not the worst movie out there, I would say Mongol is theworst foreign epic of the decade. After Seeing 'Crouching Tiger HiddenDragon', and 'Curse of the Golden Flower', it is almost impossible tosee greatness in this mediocre, not-so-epic epic.
Mongol as the title may suggest is the life story of Ghengis Khan, thegreat Mongolian conquerer. The film chronicles his life from youth topower, but it does it in a very unengaging way. The first half movestoo quickly, and is laden with silly dialog (or at least the Englishtranslation is silly). Character interaction is weak and has littleemotional element to it. The movie starts to feel and look more epic inthe second half, but again it fails to deliver to the best of it'sabilities. There is no real sense of adventure to anything thathappens. The battle scenes in particular are short, confusing, andbadly edited.
The only part of the movie which I consider great art is the music,which is eerie, and hypnotic like a Buddhist chant. The cinematography,sets and costumes are all competent, but then again, they always are inthese movies.
The ending is anti-climactic, but you may not mind that, because if youfind Mongol as boring as I did, you will find your self anxiouslywaiting for the movie to end, if you don't walk out on it first.
I was certainly tempted.