MONGOL

Kazakhstan, 2007, 120 minutes, Colour.
Tadanobu Asano, Honglei Sun, Khulan Chuluun, Odnyam Odsuren.
Directed by Sergei Bodrov.

The official Kazakhstan entry for the 2007 Oscars for Best Foreign Language films and, in fact, one of the five finalists.

This is the story of Genghis Khan’s early years. It is a sweeping drama, filmed on location in Mongolia and China with a Japanese actor as Temudjin who became the khan, and a Chinese actor as his friend, then enemy, Jurmukha. The rest of the cast is Mongolian. However, to show international co-operation, director Sergei Bodrov is Russian.

This film opens with the boy Temudjin, aged nine, going to pick his wife. Encountering a little girl just a bit older than he, he chooses her for his wife instead of a wife from a rival tribe. Almost immediately his father is poisoned but the boy is not because of a code that vengeance is wreaked only on adults. Temudjin escapes capture though he will experience being taken twice more before the film is over. In the next capture, he is able to go free and his strong-minded wife stays behind so that he can escape. This means an expedition to rescue her with the help of his friend and blood brother, Jumurkha. But Temudjin’s battle skills and his dividing spoils equally amongst his men leads to a clash with Jumurkah, a further grand battle (Braveheart style) and his being captured again and enslaved by Jumurkah.

The climax of the film is his confrontation with Jumurkah and defeating him with an enormous army (suddenly, and from where?) and his being ready to conquer the world. This film is said to be the first in a trilogy about Genghis Khan.

The location photography is quite spectacular. The effects for the battles provide for immense attacks and fights. Khan himself emerges as a just leader according to his lights, devoted to his wife who is a good adviser to him. Historians may consider that he is presented in too favourable a light. However, he has been played in the past on screen by John Wayne (The Conqueror) and Omar Shariff (Genghis Khan). This one seems a bit more authentic!

1.The impact of the film, its quality as cinema, the Oscar nomination?

2.The international collaboration, the Russian director, Kazakhstan finance, Mongolian cast, Mongolian and Chinese settings?

3.Audience information about Genghis Khan, history, his role as a leader, as a tyrant? Audience being presented with the history – and not knowing whether the history was accurate or not? Genghis Khan as a hero? In Mongolia, his life, the traditions, his army, his conquest of half the world, the influence of his wife?

4.The location photography, the vistas, the beauty, rugged? The storms and the lightning? The special effects, the battles and the thousands of warriors? The musical score?

5.The opening, the 12th century in Mongolia, the focus on Temudjin at nine, going to choose a bride, the advice of his father, the travels, going to the tribe, ignoring the investigation to go to the Merkits? The importance of relationship between father and son, the father’s experience in taking his bride from the Merkits? The negotiations? The ruler of the tribe, his hostility towards Temudjin’s father, the drink, its being poisoned? The father’s death?

6.Themes of vengeance, codes? The not killing Temudjin because he was a child? Its being a valid action later?

7.Temudjin, his age, his capture, his escape with the board around his neck? His meeting Jamukha, their friendship, seeing themselves as brothers? Blood brothers and the ceremony? The bonds between the two?

8.Temudjin growing up, meeting his bride? Borte and her assertiveness when she was young, choosing Temudjin? The line-up and her putting herself forward for his choice? Her coming to meet him, her advice? The pursuit, her allowing herself to be captured so that Temudjin would be free? The long years away, her pregnancy, the birth of the daughter, Temudjin’s accepting the daughter? The build-up to the plan for the rescue and her return?

9.His going to Jamukha? The plea, the combined armies? The battles and the victory? Jamukha and his men taking the spoils? Temudjin’s diplomacy, giving equal reward to each of the soldiers? The dividing of the spoils?

10.The build-up of the rivalry between Temudjin and Jamukha? Their clash? Temudjin and his army, the officers leaving Jamukha – and his executing them for their betrayal? The importance of loyalty to death?

11.The campaigns between the two, the small group, Temudjin and his strategies? The defeat, his capture, being Jamukha’s slave?

12.The escape, the build-up to the confrontation, Temudjin and his huge army? Borte and her support? Jamukha, the battles, his death?

13.The end of this part of the film’s study of Temudjin, seeing his origins? The future and his conquest of Asia?