image © Universal Pictures
When we first meet the great warrior he is a mere tiger cub, a powerless pawn in the bloody battle between rival Mongol tribesmen. Two hours and a whole bucket of bloodletting later, Genghis straps on his armour, vows to conquer the world... and the film comes to a crashing stop, just as we were getting to the interesting bit.
That disappointment aside, Mongol is pretty much what one would expect from the subject matter: a chunky, satisfying widescreen diorama, packed with big, furry men in big, furry hats slashing each other to ribbons and riding full-pelt through the gloriously bleak and empty landscape.
The Greatest Epics In History!
In Bodrov’s version of events, young Genghis (Asano) has an extremely difficult childhood. His father is poisoned, he is repeatedly captured, tormented and clapped in irons, his sweetheart Borte (Chuluun) is kidnapped and his best mate Jamukha (Sun) teams up with his worst enemy. No wonder he turned out so grumpy.
image © Universal Pictures
Mongol smartly undercuts the traditional image of Genghis Khan as a barbarian ravager of continents, portraying him instead as committed family man and loving husband. He does ravage the occasional continent, but for the first hour at least, Temudgin (as he is then known) is a lover, not a fighter. Mongolia circa 1162 is not exactly a hotbed of feminism - “You need a horse more than a woman,” Temudgin is advised - but Mrs Khan is nonetheless a firebrand character, half sexpot, half PR consultant, and it’s clear that our hero would be lost without her.
Tadanobu Asano makes a still and soulful Ghengis, conveying both the legend and human being beneath with barely a flick of his wonderfully expressive eyes. It is fascinating to watch him play against Tuvshinbayar, a far showier but equally entertaining actor. His warlord Jamukha is a dynamo of ticks and twitches, belly laughs and throat singing. He’s terrific fun.
Bodrov tells his story in the easily accessible style of a fantasy blockbuster, with plenty of vertiginous aerial shots, and gives us three thrilling battles. Swords flash in the sun, beards fly in the breeze and geysers of blood spatter the screen. As a director he has the rare knack of staging action sequences that are both clear and stylishly kinetic.
It’s a shame that this clarity doesn’t extend to the film as a whole. The storyline has a number of baffling lapses and unresolved cliffhangers that suggest serious problems at the editing stage, and the pace lags badly in the second half as Temudgin languishes in jail.
However, Mongol is the first in a proposed trilogy of films, so perhaps we will get to see Genghis conquering the world after all, in a future instalment. As a singular entity the film doesn’t quite hold together, but it certainly makes for a stirring opening chapter, powered by classy performances, expert cinematography and a stunning soundtrack. Roll on Mongol II: The Wrath of Khan.
Sets a broad and suitably epic platform for what might just be a magnificent series.
