Mongol (2007)

Director:

Sergei Bodrov

Writers:

Arif Aliyev (writer)
Sergei Bodrov (writer)

Release Date:

20 September 2007 (Russia)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

Greatness comes to those who take it.

Plot:

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. |

Plot Keywords:

Genghis Khan | 13th Century | Historical | Asia | Mongol

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 9 wins

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Aliya	...	Oelun
Tegen Ao	...	Charkhu
Tadanobu Asano	...	Temudjin
Ying Bai	...	Merchant with golden ring
Khulan Chuluun	...	Börte
Bao Di	...	Todoen
Bayertsetseg Erdenebat	...	Young Borte
Deng Ba Te Er	...	Daritai
You Er	...	Sorgan-Shira
Sai Xing Ga	...	Chiledu
Ba Yin Qi Qi Ge	...	Temulun
Ba De Rong Gui	...	Young Taichar
Sun Ben Hon	...	Monk
Zhang Jiong	...	Tangut Garrison Chief
Amadu Mamadakov	...	Targutai
Odnyam Odsuren	...	Young Temudjin
He Qi	...	Dai-Sechen
Li Jia Qi	...	Mungun
Bu Ren	...	Taichar
Su Ya La Su Rong	...	Girkhai
Ba Sen	...	Esugei
Honglei Sun	...	Jamukha
Ba Te	...	Khasar
Ba Ti	...	Dzhuchi
Ba Tu	...	Altan
Ji Ri Mu Tu	...	Boorchu
Tunga	...	Sochikhel
Amarbold Tuvshinbayar	...	Young Jamukha

Also Known As:

Монгол (Russia)
Mongol: The Rise to Power of Genghis Khan (UK)
Mongole, Der (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for sequences of bloody warfare.

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

Germany | Kazakhstan | Russia

Language:

Mongolian

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Italy:T | Ireland:15A | Australia:MA | UK:15 | Germany:12 | Canada:14A | USA:R

Filming Locations:

China

Company:

Andreevsky Flag Film Company

Trivia:

A battle scene required 1500 horses and riders. These had to be imported from Kazakhstan to China. The riders, not being professional actors, needed 2 months of training.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008) (TV)

An epic vision that works better as a work of fiction

Sergei Bodrov's Mongol provides something of a biography of the early years of Genghis Khan, at this point known as Temudjin. The film is destined to be historically flawed as there is little known about his life; this being said, Bodrov takes large handfuls of creative license. Bodrov's Mongol attempts to capture a man's rise to power in just two hours without making a rushed film; this impossible feat is Mongol's only true shortcoming.

Mongol is very much a "based off a true story" kind of movie. We certainly aren't seeing the true Genghis Khan. The film is riddled with historical inaccuracies, he is captured three times during the film, in reality he was only captured once. However, historical accuracy is not Bodrov's intent. Sergei Bodrov, grew up in the Soviet Union, a place where Genghis Khan is painted as a vicious killing machine. Mongol attempts to humanize him. This is the film's strongest point.

Mongol is just a good love story. Temudjin picks a bride at age nine named Börte and is set to wed her in five years. Soon after his father, a Khan, is killed. Betrayed by those his father used to command, Temudjin is left with nothing and swears to take it all back. This is the basic premise of Mongol. The relationship between Temudjin and Börte is portrayed as beautifully simple love. The film uses this connection to move the plot rather than bloody violence. Mongol does, however, contain several spectacular battles. Bodrov seems to have taken a page out of 300 and we're given a splattering of death sequences that while all together different feel and are shot similarly.

The largest flaw of the film is it's continuity. Bodrov, in order to condense the story under 120 minutes constantly cuts scenes in half. He will start a conflict and cut to it being over, leaving the audience to infer what happened. This is a double edged sword, on one hand it frees up time for necessary character development, on the other it makes the film feel choppy. Mongol is one of the few films that should be 15 minutes longer.

In the end, Sergei Bodrov's Mongol is an epic war film that succeeds not only on that level, but as a beautiful love story. The breathtaking landscapes of Mongolia provide an awe inspiring backdrop for the action on the screen. Mongol is a film of proportions not usually seen in Russian or Asian cinema. It delivers on a level that rivals if not surpasses many Hollywood blockbusters while keeping surprising heart evident throughout the film. Mongol truly is an inspiring film not only for the eyes.