About Mongol (2007) 
History knows him as Genghis Khan, but before he became a warlord, he was simply a man named Temudgin. Exiled into slavery as a boy and forced into a life of struggle after his father is killed by a rival clan, the greatest military mastermind of all time survived on the strength of a single dream: to unite his people into the largest empire the world has ever known. Asano Tadanobu portrays Temudgin in director Sergei Bodrov’s sweeping, Academy Award nominated epic full of breathtaking landscapes and bloody battles that follows the Mongol warrior as he escapes the shackles of bondage, finds love and rises to become the general who would create history’s most powerful empire.
Starring: Tadanobu Asano, Khulan Chuluun, Ji Ri Mu Tu, Amarbold Tuvshinbayar, Aliya (II)
Directed by: Sergey Bodrov
Runtime: 126 minutes
Studio: New Line Home Video
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Review: Mongol
Genghis Khan is arguably the greatest conqueror that has ever lived with his Mongol empire four times that of Alexander the Great’s and twice that of the Roman Empire. By his death in 1227 Genghis’ descendants were on the doorstep of Europe, quite a journey from Mongolia! Sergey Bodrov’s Mongol was initially intended as the first in a trilogy of films about Genghis Khan but any sequels have yet to emerge. Mongol deals with the early life of Genghis Khan when he was known as Temujin.
The film opens with a grown up Temujin (Tadanobu Asano) imprisoned and recounting his early life beginning with his childhood, his first meeting with his wife Borte (Khulan Chulunn) and his rise from obscurity to eventual power over all the tribes in Mongolia. This is very much the early days for Temujin and we don’t bear witness to any of his actions outside Mongolia. This film is very much the life of Temujin from a child to his ordainment as Genghis Khan or the Great Khan.
Bodrov’s film begins with the origins of Temujin (Odnyam Odsuren), riding through the plains with his father Yesugei (Ba Sen) in search of a bride. Yesugei wishes for Temujin to find a wife from the same tribe he abducted his son’s mother from. Yesugei is eager to make peace for his offensive deed many years before but stopping off at a small village, Temujin meets a young Borte (Bayertsetseg Erdenebat) who insists Temujin should choose her. He does! Heading home, Yesugei is poisoned by a rival tribe and hands his position as Khan over to Temujin. The young boy’s fate is not so kind on his eventual return home though. Targutai (Amadu Mamadakov), formerly loyal to Yesugei, claims power and leaves Temujin’s family destitute. He only spares Temujin because he is still a child, though once grown up he becomes a target. While still a boy Temujin is rescued by another boy Jamukha (Amarbold Tuvshinbayar) and the two become close friends and blood brothers. Temujin has to start from the bottom of society but with Jamukha’s friendship and marriage to Borte things seem to be improving.
The film depicts events that are considered to be factual for the young Temujin. His wife was abducted by a rival tribe and Temujin turned to his old friend Jamukha, now a Khan and head of a vast tribe, for help. However, by the time Temujin and Jamukha were able to rescue Borte she was heavily pregnant as a result of being raped. Though Temujin embraced the child as his own son problems would occur many years later when it came to rivalries amongst his successors. Temujin is indebted to Jamukha for liberating Borte and decimating the Merkit tribe that abducted her but divisions appear immediately amongst the men. Jamukha’s policy is for any loot from enemy camps to be entirely at his mercy. He takes as much as he pleases and the rest of his army is left with scraps. Temujin’s approach is to divide the loot equally amongst every man, a token gesture for their bravery and support. Temujin and Jamukha go their separate ways and some of Jamukha’s men flock to Temujin’s banner. War between the friends is inevitable and it is clear that Mongolia is not big enough for both of them. One will have to give way for the other.
Bodrov’s film barely puts a foot wrong. The early life of Temujin and the struggles he endured is fascinating viewing and seeing him at times as a slave and gravely wounded you’ll find it astonishing what he managed to achieve by the time of his death. Asano is brilliant in the lead role and his varying appearances dependent on his many plights are hard-hitting. Temujin’s love story with Borte is a moving one and she is certainly not a damsel in distress as she may initially appear. Borte is cunning and willing to sacrifice anything for her husband as she proves in the latter stages of the film. The battles are fabulous and we have two major exchanges between Temujin and Jamukha to enjoy. My only grievances now are my impatience for the second and third instalments to be released. There is no confirmation that there will be any more films at this stage which is a crying shame.
Mongol is an excellent insight into the early life of Genghis Khan, which should help audiences understand why he felt the need to be brutal once he had assumed power. Mongolia at the time of Temujin was uncompromising and dangerous, ruthlessness was the only way to survive and Temujin learned the hard way how to make it through to the end of each day. Bodorov’s film is an absolute must and let’s hope he gets to work on those sequels very soon.
Verdict: 5/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
Film Review: Mongol | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave
