I apologise, we feel bad, but there's no trailer available. ~Ed.
A bio-pic centuries in the making, Mongol tells the story of warlord extraordinaire Genghis Khan. You may have heard of him, he's the bloodthirsty barbarian who took over half the known world at the peak of his powers. Well, you'll want to leave those preconceptions, and probably any fondness for historical accuracy, at the door when you check this out.
The narrative of the film presents him not as history's most famous savage, but instead as a plucky underdog and passionate warrior who united the Mongolian race. There are times during the film when it appears his character arc is going to resemble a Shakespearian tragic hero, with forgiveness and the capacity for love as his tragic human flaw in a brutal, survivalist environment. At other times, it seems like a story charting his descent into the pinnacle of violence in the middle ages. Ultimately though, it ends up as something of a revisionist piece that attempts to re-evaluate him as a hero. There are times when his moral superiority comes off positively Christ like. Unfortunately, that makes it a less complex, compelling journey than the other possible outcomes it seemed to be foreshadowing.
Tadanobu Asano plays Khan and the nature of his role limits a fantastic actor. I was hoping for an acting showcase from the Japanese Johnny Depp, but the stoic warrior hero elements of the character force him to internalise his emotion and tone his performance down. The aspect that does get the showcase treatment is the locations. The vast, barren landscapes, allied with classy cinematography, are gorgeous' creating an epic atmosphere that dwarfs the characters, thus making their relationship with the viewer strangely intimate. Of course there is a healthy dose of battle scenes, each a great action set piece in its own right and featuring some of the coolest swords ever committed to celluloid.
For all its fantastic visual qualities and tasteful blood and gore, Mongol is arguably less of a hit than it is a miss. I have fewer problems than most with filmmakers rewriting history to heighten the impact of a movie, but the reworking here doesn't really achieve that. It's enjoyable, but I can't shake the feeling it had the potential to be so much more.
Reviewed by Andreas Heinemann
Enjoyed this but, like the Mongolian steppes, the movie goes on forever without really firing. So I hope there is a sequel to show the conqueror of the world. Rewrites history to make someone like a Jesus with swords: - ill-treated but forgives friends, enemies, wife, everybody - takes a 10% tithe of the spoils - creates his "10 commandments"
quite dramatic in others, yet quite brutal as well. Unsure about the historical accuracy though.
It seems like an age since I saw a Russian epic... I have fond memories of the "Gypsy Camp Vanishes into the Blue " (odd title - amazing cinema) and "King Lear" - the best film treatment of that play I have seen with the possible exception of Kurosawa's "Ran"... All good medieval stuff; which brings me to Mongol. And it is, as hoped for, stunning to watch with an almost psychotic attention to detail. The costume department must have been working round the clock. This is what Millar's "300" should have been. The sense of grimy reality is palpable to the point where one can almost taste it. The acting is credible in a nauralistic way, but no real depth of character is revealed - the characters are at the mercy of the vast landscapes and history. But then sometimes attempting too much characterisation in an epic muddies the waters. As the term implies, epic is all about the big picture. And Mongol is certainly a big picture. No rapid fire editing here, no sudden scene changes, just a slow unwinding that allows one to sink deeper into it. My only gripe is the changes of time in the young Khan's life. Whole chunks seem to be missing. Possibly because no-one knows what he got up to, anyway. But the change from harried outcast to mighty warlord was left largely unexplained, which caused me some confusion. What exactly was his turning point? Or will more be revealed if they ever get round to the next installment? But for all that I might gripe over details I still give this a 5-star rating, if only because it bucks the current CGI trend in Hollywood. It's good to see all those extras charging about on the steppes!
Great storytelling, good actors, music and breathtaking scenery. Enjoyed every minute of it. Story about survival, willpower, leadership and vision - happens in Mongolia in XII century, but can be transpired to any society and time period. This is movie is a true art. Breath of fresh air from the Mongolian steppe after all these commercial run-of-the-mill type movies that we saw lately in our cinemas. Hope they make a sequel as they promised!
As a visual spectacle, it is all but overwhelming, putting to shame some of the recent historical epics from Hollywood. If it has a flaw, and it does, it is expressed succinctly by the wife of its hero: "All Mongols do is kill and steal."
With its breathtaking landscapes, bloody battles, bitter betrayals and an aching love story, Mongol is a sumptuously crafted epic.
1/2 Inert, inept epic.
Sergei Bodrov's Mongol relates the story of Genghis Khan's early years in a plodding, uninspired fashion that doesn't bode well for the next two entries in a planned trilogy.
Full of stunning views of China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan and showing an unexpected side of Genghis Kahn, Mongol feels like an old-fashioned epic.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 25th Sep 2008.
Release date: September 25th 2008.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
