Rating: 8.5/10
The story of Genghis Khan as we know from history lessons in school, is a bloody one. He conquered and amassed the largest empire in history. Clearly, such a feat could not have been achieved if he had not been a ruthless man. Sergei Bodrov’s Mongol is a historical epic about the rise to power of Genghis Khan. Bodrov’s Khan is a romantic and affable hero who started a war to win back a woman he loved. And in the long tradition of historical epics before it, Mongol chooses to focus more on the mythology around it’s protagonist over dry and often contradictory history. The film succeeds by balancing both the historic and the legendary aspects of a hero that clearly requires an epic film to tell his story.
The film begins in midas res with Genghis Khan in a cage. The narrative then becomes a flashback about his younger days – with young Temudjin (Genghis Khan’s name) being led by his father Esugei Khan to choose a bride for himself from one of the stronger tribes in the region. Esugei tells his son that a good wife has powerful legs and narrow eyes. Temudjin selects Borte, who is 10 years old, and 1 year his elder. She is from a weaker tribe. Though initially reluctant, Esugei accepts his son’s decision because it is evident by this point that 9 year old Mongolian boys of the Steppes are almost as mature as the men. Esugei is poisoned on his way back, and Temudjin is proclaimed the new Khan.
Upon returning home, he finds his father’s men looting his family assets – sheep, horses, leather skins etc., because the Khan is dead, leaving a weak young boy as the ruler in his stead. In a fit of rage, Temudjin’s mother screams at the looters saying that her son would grow up to avenge this atrocity. Temudjin becomes a hunted boy after that. As he runs away from home, he befriends his future rival Jamukha, who helps him to escape his pursuers. Temudjin grows up as a vagabond, and returns home to claim his wife and his rightful place as the Khan of his tribe. He eventually becomes the Khan of all of Mongolia.
The flashback narrative is driven by a powerful voice-over by Tadanobu Asano, detailing the childhood of Genghis Khan. Odnyam Odsuren gives a very understated and mature performance as young Temudjin. Asano’s depiction of Genghis Khan as a romantic warrior madly in love with Borte is convincing and believable, though the love story becomes a bit plodding at times. Khulan Chuluun as Borte is both a fragile lover, as well as a fiercely independent and resourceful woman.
Other than a few instances of deus ex machina, the film is flawless. The plot is engaging, the characters are well etched, and the surroundings are well rendered. The film is driven by it’s rich, vibrant and meticulous photography. Tonally, the colors are saturated perfectly to provide an even contrast between the lush and sparse Mongolian landscape. Bodrov’s use of wide angle lenses – inevitable in epic films – is actually quite inventive. The film is well paced – mixing brutal battle sequences with evocative meditations on Mongolian lifestyles in the Steppes, providing a subtle and richly layered character study of a ruthless warrior.
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