GENGHIS KHAN
US, 1965, 128 minutes, Colour.
Omar Sharif, Stephen Boyd, James Mason, Eli Wallach, Francoise Dorleac, Robert Morley, Telly Savalas, Yvonne Mitchell, Michael Hordern, Woody Strode.
An enjoyable costume historic melodrama, always popular material. A previous version of Genghis Khan was The Conqueror directed by Dick Powell and starring John Wayne and Susan Hayward.
This is a large-scale international project, filmed in Yugoslavia and photographed by Geoffrey Unsworth. Omar Shariff, very young, is good in the central role and is matched by Stephen Boyd in another villainous role (like his Marsala in Ben Hur). Robert Morley does his usual comic turn as the Emperor of China but James Mason is more convincingly Chinese as Kam Ling. Telly Savalas and others are in the supporting cast. Direction is by Henry Levin, a director of many domestic comedies and of Jules Verne's Journey to the Centre of the Earth. The film did not receive good reviews at the time - perhaps unjustly because it stands up as an enjoyable melodrama, above the average of matinee material.
1. The appeal of historical costume drama, another age, another way of life, comparisons with the present?
2. The large-scale presentation of the film: the international cast, the location photography, the sets for China, special effects especially for gunpowder, battles? The atmosphere of the 13th century? The rousing score? The universal appeal of these effects?
3. Genghis Khan and his reputation - from the East, Mongol leader, barbarian? The legends of his greatness? His empire? how much historical truth in the film, legend? Information about him and his times, a feel for the Mongol movement and its success?
4. The narrative and the illustration of his story, judgments made about his career? The framework of the screenplay showing him from a child, his captivity, career, success, the fulfilment of his goals and his death?
5. The impact of the opening and the conquering by Jamuga? His humiliation of Temujin? The yoke? The Mongols and their divisions, the subjects and their independence? Jamuga's motives? The background of Geen and Katke and their looking after Temujin? His growing up and the effect of his captivity and humiliation on him?
6. His training, the yoke and his escape? Geen following him and Genghis Khan protecting him, the loyalty of Sengal? Being chased by Jamuga and eluding him - the pattern of his life? The build-up to an inevitable confrontation?
7. His nomadic way of life, the encounter with Shan and the other slaves, his freeing them? The captureand importance of having Bortei as his wife? Jamuga's re-taking her and the conception of her child? Her hatred of him? His rules for the wandering nomads, the aims of uniting the Mongols, the territory wandered through?
8. The encounter with Kam Ling and its importance? Helping him, the invitation to China, curiosity? The Mongols' being trapped but growing and living there, training, Bortei and the children? Being a mercenary for the Emperor of China? The defeat of Jamuga? The importance of this experience for the fulfilment of his aims? The title of The Genghis Khan?
9. Robert Morley's style as Emperor - pompous, humorous sayings, shrewdness yet fear? Kam Ling and his friendship with Temujin? The betrayal to Jamuga and Temujin's revenge? The confrontation with the Emperor, the build-up to the fireworks, the escape? The death of the Emperor? Kam Ling escaping with the Mongols?
10. The background of training, the learning of gunpowder? The illustration of this? Battles and the uniting of the Mongols?
11. The build-up to the clash between Jamuga and Temujin, fighting and diplomacy, fear?
12. The alliance between Jamuga and the Shah? Their diplomacy, plans, Kham Ling as hostage? The attack in the battle? The death of Kham Ling? The inevitability of the fight? The strategy of Temujin learnt in the Chinese empire? The Shah and his flight and being killed? The inevitability of the final individual confrontation?
13. Temujin's own death, the heritage of his sons and empire? The narrative explaining the expansion of the Mongol empire? his wife and her grief and tears?
14. Themes of national unity, patriotism? How seriously was this biography of Genghis Khan taken - matinee material, a portrait of a famous warrior? How satisfying as action adventure material?
