The Mongols weren't exactly the types to write stuff down. They were far too busy killing each other in a convoluted attempt to unite their tribes. But after Ghengis Khan's death, an unknown scribe took the time to write down their "secret" history, retelling the life of the great warlord from beginning to end. The film, Mongol, is a brutal epic of defiance and death. If it were an American film it'd be akin to something like Braveheart, equal parts romantic and terrifying in it's simple presentation of war as a way of everyday life.
Young Temudgin screws up pretty early on in his life. His father, Esugei, is leader of the one Mongolia's most powerful clans. The clans are all at war, and in an attempt to bring unity, Temudgin is to choose a bride from a rival clan. Instead, he chooses a bride, named Borte, from a weaker tribe. On the way home, Esugei is poisoned by one of his rivals, and Temudgin finds himself the target of both his father's enemies and his former friends looking to capitalize on the power vaccum. Temudgin escapes, vowing vengeance against those who killed his father and threatened his own life.
Temudgin's life is full of betrayals and war. His blood brother, Jamukha, who saved him from death years before turns his back on him. His wife, Borte, is kidnapped and made another man's wife. Temudgin uses these wrongs to fuel his quest for bloody vengeance.
Mongol's simple is refreshingly straight forward. Director Sergei Bodrov, crafted a masterful tale of violent retribution, based mostly on the few writings that remain of the famous leader's life. There are some serious liberties taken, as he often paints Khan with the typical heroic brush. He's a devoted, loyal family man. Strong when he must be. Soft and vulnerable when with his wife. The truth is that Khan had many wives, and was far more brutal than this film ever lets on. Still, those are minor details that don't detract from the film. Mongol lives and breathes by it's fictional flourishes, it is both a biopic and a mythological tale.
Mongol is the first installment of a proposed trilogy. The second film, titled The Great Khan, is due out some time next year. As a springboard, Mongol sets a high bar for the subsequent films to reach. Too many of these sorts of films fail to attain the scope necessary to match the greatness of their subject matter. Mongol is a sprawling, giant of a tale, exactly what Ghengis Khan deserves.
8/10
Next on the Queue: 2008's Phoebe in Wonderland
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment