About the movie
Mongol
Rating: 
Cast:
Amarbold Tuvshinbayar; Amadu Mamadakov; Khulan Chuluun; Odnyam Odsuren; Tadanobu Asano; Channing Tatum
Directed by:
Sergei Bodrov
On the web:
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Genghis Khan, the early years: Part 1 of a fierce, fun epic
Vast grasslands, jagged ravines, snow-covered steppes, and above it all an endless canopy of cloud and sky. . . . In Mongol, Russian director Sergei Bodrov shoots the amazing landscapes of Inner Mongolia and Kazakhstan the way John Ford turned Monument Valley into a stage for some of moviedom's most magnificent westerns.
Contact movie critic Steven Rea at 215-854-5629 or srea@phillynews.com. Read his blog, "On Movies Online," at http://go.philly.com/onmovies.
An Eastern western, and a historical epic of epic proportions, Mongol traces the rise of Genghis Khan from nomadic boy prince to warrior leader. Rife with bloody battles, galloping steeds, and the beautiful faces of a cast of professional and novice actors hailing from Central Asia, China and Japan, the film - set between 1172 and 1206 - is a wide-screen wonder that is, not surprisingly, fierce and violent.
More surprising, though, are its moments of whimsy, magic and romance, even. And accurately or not, Bodrov presents his hero not as a brutal vanquisher, a tyrant bent on domination, but as an intelligent, resilient fighter, thoughtful of his minions, and destined to rule. It is fate more than megalomania that drives him to unite the tribal territories of Mongolia and take on the world.
And as portrayed by Odnyam Odsuren (as a boy) and Japanese pop star Asano Tadanobu (as a man), he's even sort of a nice guy.
Mongol begins with a flashback to our hero, Temudgin, as a preternaturally watchful 9-year-old traveling the steppes with his father, Esugei, a tribal leader. They stop at a Merkit encampment - there is history here between Temudgin's father and the Merkit elders, and peace to be brokered. As a way to fix the rift, Esugei has brought his son to choose a wife among the Merkits, and so the boy inspects a lineup of the tribe's girls, stopping at Borte (Bayartsetseg Erdenebat), a mischievous-looking 10-year-old.
It's a rich scene, this kid sizing up the (often taller) young ladies assembled for his perusal. And then he locks eyes with Borte. Right then and there, they decide to marry - wedding date in five years.
There's no going back to boyhood fun, though, for Temudgin. In short order, his father is poisoned, his mother is in tears, the camp where they lived is looted, run asunder.
Mongol tracks Temudgin's adventures, and hardships - his imprisonment, his solitary years, his bond of friendship with a tribal prince, his reunion with the beautiful Borte (now played by Khulan Chuluun), his enslavement, his freedom.
The first part of what director Bodrov promises to be a trilogy tracing the life of the historic conqueror, Mongol is great cinema, great fun.
Mongol ***1/2 (out of four stars)
Directed by Sergei Bodrov. With Asano Tadanobu, Khulan Chuluun, Honglei Sun and Odnyam Odsuren. Distributed by Picturehouse Entertainment. In Mongolian with subtitles.
Running time: 2 hours, 4 mins.
Parent's guide: R (violence, adult themes)
Playing at: Ritz East
Contact movie critic Steven Rea at 215-854-5629 or srea@phillynews.com. Read his blog, "On Movies Online," at http://go.philly.com/onmovies.
