Dec 05, 2010
<i>"Mongols need laws. I will make them obey... even if I have to kill half of them."</i><p>
After reading many positive reviews of <i>Mongol</i>, and finding out it was nominated for an Oscar, I decided to give it a go. I was expecting quite a lot in fact. Truth is, I was disapointed after I finished it. This is far from bad, but I don't think it's a masterpiece as many have claimed it is.
<u>SUMMARY:</u><p>
In 12th Century Mongolia, 9-year-old Temudjin (Odnyam Odsuren) is being taken by his father, the leader, or Khan, of a clan, to marry a girl from the Merkit tribe but on the way he meets 10-year-old Borte (Bayartsetseg Erdenabat) and decides he wants to marry her instead when they're old enough. After his father is treacherously poisoned, the usurper Targutai (Amadu Mamadakov) takes control of the clan and vows to kill Temudjin when he comes of age. Temudjin (now played by Tadanobu Asano) grows up and claims his bride Borte (now played by Khulan Chuluun), but she is kidnapped by the Merkits soon afterwards and Temjudjin seeks the help of his blood brother Jamukha (Sun Honglei) to defeat them and to get her back. They are successful, but eventually, Jamukha betrays Temjudjin.
<u>REVIEW:</u><p>
<i>Mongol</i> tells the story of the great Genghis Khan, who is Temudgin. Not knowing much about this historical figure, I found so much of this story to be amazingly fascinating. It's a very intriguing story, which takes you to all sorts of places, and even teaches you about the culture of the Mongols. We learn about their god, fear of thunder, and customs. However, I was so convinced that all of the events of the film were actually true. This is based on a true story, and from time to time, the script felt very unconvincing. In terms of character, <i>Mongol</i> features many interesting characters, most notably, Temudgin himself. Comparing him to many of the other mongols of the film, he is much more honourable, and a likeable hero. His relationship with Borte wasn't convincing though, and the character of Borte herself was much too shallow. Another element that felt rushed was the bond between Temudgin and Jamukha - that wasn't convincing as well. If the screen-writers actually showed us, in depth, how these people developed bonds, the script would've been a lot more convincing, but with so many of these errors, it just doesn't feel like a true story.
Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano is impeccable as Temudgin. He's brilliant with his role, and though he isn't Mongolian, he speaks the language really well. I didn't know he was Japanese until after - I actually thought he was Mongolian. Sun Honglei is terrific as Jamukha, but I absolutely hated Khulan Chuluun as Borte. She had nothing to make her performance good. There wasn't a single moment of the film where she actually acted convincingly, and that ruined the chemistry between her and Asano, which creates a very shaky love between Temudgin and Borte.
Visually, <i>Mongol</i> is splendid. The beautiful locations are all perfect, and the cinematography is gorgeous. The costumes feel very authentic, as well as all the amazing props and sets. <i>Mongol</i> also features a number of spectacular battle scenes. Director Sergei Bodrov stages them excitingly, and they're all so entertaining, you can be sure of that. There's clever use of gore, and the final battle of the film is superbly epic. There are ups and downs with score. It features a number of traditional Mongolian songs which are great, but the modern style of music really turns it down.
<i>Mongol</i> is epic and very fascinating - it's a more than competent spectacle of a great historical figure. It's just a shame that there are many elements that let it down. It could've been a lot better. But, the film is definitely worth seeing, without a doubt.
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Verified