Mongol [Blu-ray]

Mongol is the first part of a trilogy of films on the life of Genghis Khan by Russian director Sergei Bodrov. With that in mind, you shouldn't be surprised when the film ends suddenly with Genghis' rise to power, as two more films are expected in the next few years.It is also a wise decision on behalf of Bodrov to make a trilogy considering that other attempts at condensing the Khan's life into a two or three hour slot have failed so miserably in the past (Howard Hughes/John Wayne's 1956 film the Conqueror being the most notable).This first half starts with Genghis as a nine-year-old boy, then called Temujin (spelt Temudgin in the film's subtitles) as he sets off with his father to choose a bride from a rival tribe, the Merkits. Along the way he makes an unexpected choice by selecting a girl called Borte, receiving a luxurious black sable coat in return as a dowry.This choice will have a huge effect on Temujin's life, as it sets in motion a series of events that will see his father assassinated, his right as tribal leader usurped, his bride abducted, and himself captured, humiliated, and enslaved.Defying the odds, and with almost supernatural support from the Mongols' chief deity, Temujin strikes back against his betrayers in a final gigantic battle against the assembled tribes of Mongolia. With his enemies defeated, Temujin rises to become the Great King, Genghis Khan, of all the Mongols.The film does follow the basic outline of Genghis' early life, but it mostly plays fast and loose with the facts. Sometimes this works to the film's benefit, but at other times it doesn't. For instance, much of the story is simplified, as the constant struggles between the various tribes would have been to confusing for the viewer. At other times, the choices seem to be confusing. According to most sources Genghis was captured only once in his life, but several scenes in this film consist of Genghis being captured and later escaping only to be re-captured and enslaved again. This repetitive storyline does begin to grate at times, considering it isn't really necessary to further the plot or character development, and it's a strange addition considering most of these events never took place.Worst of all it seems that much of the interesting events of the Khan's rise to power are omitted so that more of these chase and capture scenes can be included. It gets to be so frequent that at times it feels like you are watching a medieval version of Prison Break.The ending also feels rushed in my opinion, as Temujin with the help of Borte, escapes from a Tangut prison, only to rush off in anger when he hears that the tribes of Mongolia have fallen into anarchy and lawlessness. The next time we see him, he has assembled a large army. No back-story is given to how he has achieved this, or how he's gone from penniless outlaw to powerful Warlord. This is the film's biggest failure in my opinion, as this should have been the back-story of the film.That said, the film makes up for this with its great acting, its bloody battles and its wonderful cinematography. Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano (famous for his samurai roles in films like Zatoichi) makes a convincing Khan. He's good at portraying the ruthless warlord who executes and carves his way through his enemies, but he also shows the human side to the man, including his deep love for Borte and his illegitimate children.Honglei Sun also throws in a brilliant performance as Jamukha, a drink sodden warrior and Genghis's blood brother.Bodrov also does a good job of portraying the Mongolian landscape, with its vast and empty steppe, his rolling hills and its flowing lakes and rivers.Overall this is a good film that has a few flaws in its storyline. It might not be completely accurate, but it does have plenty of entertaining scenes. It's also a nice change from the recent flow of Hollywood epics with their emphasis on ancient European history. Medieval Mongolia has never been so brilliantly re-created on screen before, and fans of these types of movies will enjoy it. This film isn't for everybody, and war and action fans might be disappointed if they expect nothing but bloody battles from start to finish, but there's plenty here to fascinate movie fans if they give it a chance.DVD Features:No. of disks - 1.Region: 2.Rating: 15 for strong battle violence.Sound: Mongolian language in 5.1 and 2.0.Subtitles: English only.Picture: 2:35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen.Running time: 2 hours approx.Special features: Making of Mongol Documentary (Russian with English subtitles) plus Mongol trailer. Running time 38 Mins approx.

Mongol is Russian director Sergei Bodrov's take on the early life of Genghis Khan (born as Temudgin), one of the greatest, and most bloodthirsty, conquerors in history. At age 9 Temudgin selects the girl who will be his first wife, looses his father to poison and is exiled from the tribe. The film then follows his trials through exile, capture and slavery until he wins the final battle to unite the Mongol tribes and becomes the Great Khan.Some have suggested that the film sticks relatively close to know facts, but that does not mean it is reliable history. Great conquerors frequently reinvent their early years (Alexander the Great being a prime example), and indeed the film runs better as myth than history. As history there are too many gaps, too many dots not joined; for example, one moment Temudgin is riding alone into the grass lands, the next he has a massive army. But as myth it works fine; his miraculous escapes from captivity, his deliverance from a fall through the ice, his communion with the thunder god Tengri. And myths are supposed to be epic, and here the film is totally successful.The film throughout has an epic quality. It looks beautiful and sounds beautiful. From tiny riders on the distant grass lands, to autumn colours, deserts, snow covered hills or ice lakes the various landscapes of central Asia are stunning and the film is a continual feast for the eyes. The opening reveal of the town of Tangut sets the scene for realism that never drops throughout the two hour running time. The music supports the visuals well without being strident. Yet, at its heart, Mongol is an intimate story that concentrates on three people; Temudgin, his wife Borte, and his blood brother and later enemy Jamukha and it is this which gives the film its heart amid the grandeur of its visuals. As Temudgin, Japanese actor Asano Tadanobu is simply superb. He is dignified, calculating, determined and not above using friends to achieve his ends. Yet his constant love for Borte and devotion to her children mean that we see Temudgin as a man, not a conqueror. As the strong willed and loyal Borte, Khulan Chuluun has a luminescent beauty that supports the story although Sun Honglei as Jamukha, clean shaven and sporting a mohawk amid the long hair and beards of the rest of the cast, could be in an another film entirely.Mongol is old fashioned filmmaking. It is a sweeping epic which mainly rejects CGI effects to concentrate on believable character and the landscapes of Central Asia. It may not be history, but as a myth it works beautifully.The Blu-ray does not disappoint. It does the incredible landscapes full justice showing off the widescreen photography in clean and detailed visuals. Skin tones are accurate, blacks solid, the range of colours throughout the seasons realistic. The subtitles are clear and contain no obvious spelling or grammatical errors. They are in white text, except for snow scenes when they are shown within a black background. The audio is Mongolian DTS-HD 5.1 (with a stereo 2.0 option). It is an excellent audio track that enhances the viewing experience, encompassing and immersive with clear dialogue. Extras include a reasonably interesting "making of" that runs just over 25 minutes and includes interviews with Sergei Bodrov, Asano Tadanobu and Khulan Chuluun plus some trailers.Mongol is apparently the first of three films about Genghis Khan. It was nominated for best foreign film at the 2007 Academy Awards but lost out to The Counterfeiters. But if you like old fashioned epic filmmaking, presented on an excellent Blu-ray, this comes highly recommended.