Hey there guys. Thanks for checking out our Mongol review from the SXSW film festival. This is a film that Doug has been looking forward to seeing for a while now. Did it measure up to his expectations? Yeah… it sure did.
The General Idea
Plot outline from IMDB: The story recounts the early life of Genghis Khan who was a slave before going on to conquer half the world including Russia in 1206
The Good
The Mongolian steppes are open grasslands untouched by the filthy hands of humans, and they are breathtaking. The wide open plain gives the illusion that the sky is within your reach. There is something incredibly freeing about seeing so much space, as inspiring as it was on film – I can only imagine how overwhelming it would be in real life. When I was 17, I had the chance to live and eat with a Mongolian and he would often tell me tales about his land and his love for goat meat. He missed his home more than most; and it is easy to see why. Most everywhere else seems like a chicken cage in comparison. The landscapes were used to great effect in this film and the ancient lands served as narrators with much to tell.
The horse warfare of the Mongols is legendary. From shooting a bow while riding, to the use of long reaching, curved slashing blades – enemies were decimated with speed and strategy from the centaur-like mongol warrior. In this film we see the evolution of the Khan’s strategy one encounter at a time; and it delighted me. Strategy
When doing a biopic you are hard pressed to find a better subject than Genghis Khan. Much of his history has been passed on via oral tradition; and often the lines between fact and fiction can get a bit shady – but even if 1/100 of the stories are true – this man is still among the greatest who have ever lived. I was overjoyed to see a film recount his tale on the silver screen. Sergei Bodrov did an outstanding job and delivered an epic movie that showcases the journey of this man from boy to legend.
The Bad
In the vast myth of Genghis Khan it may be possible that he was captured 3 times in his life, but to show them all in one movie may have been a mistake. The film dragged the most when Genghis was captured and by the third time I was staring to whisper “not again” to myself. I would have preferred if they slimmed down the amount of “capture time” from the film. That being said this is a fairly minor complaint.
Overall
This was a legendary epic that paid tribute to a man that conquered and plundered using strategy, charisma and force of will. I was delighted throughout this film and consider it my favorite of the SXSW film festival. Whenever you get a chance to see this film – please do so. Out of 10, I give Mongol a 9.
