Award-winning Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov (Prisoner of the Mountains) has fashioned a compelling drama about the forces and circumstances that shaped the life of legendary warrior Genghis Khan. Shot on locations in Kazakhstan and the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia, the story conveys the eerie beauty and the chilling terror of the steppes that nomadic communities roamed during the 12th century. Feuding clans fought each other, and revenge was the accepted dish of the day. Into this milieu comes Temudgin, a nine-year-old boy who travels with his father to choose a bride from another tribe. The child is taken aback when Borte, a pretty little girl, initiates a conversation with him. Although his father would prefer he make a strategic marriage, taking a bride from a group they have had difficulty with, she wins his affection. He gives her a wishbone and promises to come back for her when he is old enough to marry.
On their way home, his father is fatally poisoned and an upstart seizes the family property. Temudgin becomes a fugitive in the wilderness. A tribal prince named Jamukha saves his life, and the two become blood brothers. On his own again, Temudgin is captured and then escapes to a Sacred Mountain where he prays to the God of the Blue Sky. As a young man, he becomes a warrior who is well acquainted with suffering and the futility of warring tribes. He will use this learning to forge his unique vision of leadership.
Bodrov has chosen three formidable actors for the lead roles: Japanese actor Asan Tadanobu as Temudgin, Chinese actor Honglei Sun as his blood brother,and newcomer Khulan Chulun as Borte. They impressively convey the strong personalities of these central characters.
Temudgin is unorthodox in his actions. It is unheard of that men should fight to save a woman and yet that is what this warrior convinces his friend to do after Borte is kidnapped. When he conquers in battle, Temudgin gives most of his loot to those who fought alongside him. All the years of solitude have made him unattached to things. This serves him well during a long stretch of time when he languishes in prison as a slave. The man who will become Genghis Khan is rescued by Borte and defines himself in a fierce struggle against Jamukha.
Mongol is an old-fashioned epic drama of a legendary warrior that transports us to an ancient period of history in an exotic place.
