Mongol: The Rise of Ghengis Khan
| Synopsis |
First entry in a proposed trilogy, Mongol vividly captures the beauty and brutality of ancient Mongolia. Beginning in 1172 and ending in 1206, Sergei Bodrov’s Oscar-nominated epic presents future conqueror Ghengis Khan as more lover—and fighter—than diplomat. Against his father Esegui’s wishes, nine-year-old Temudjin chooses his own bride, whom he marries in the years to come. Hopes for the future, however, turns to thoughts of vengeance when the clan forsakes the boy upon Esegui’s death. While Temudjin (now played by Zatoichi’s Tadanobu Asano, a quietly commanding presence) makes his way in a cruel world, turncoat Targutai (Amadu Mamadakov) becomes the new khan. When an opposing clan kidnaps Temudjin’s wife, Börte (Khulan Chuluun), he eventually retrieves her, but betrays blood brother Jamukha (Sun Honglei, Seven Swords) in the process, leading to further enslavement and more Kurasawa-style slicing and dicing. Throughout his travails, Temudjin comes to believe that Mongols must unite to share the same language, culture, and set of values. Sustained by his faith in the god Tengri and the devotion of Börte, Temudjin sets out to wrest control of Mongolia from Jamukha and his women and children-killing hordes. Except for an over-reliance on CGI during the climactic battle sequence, Mongol equals the scope and grandeur of historical predecessors, like Braveheart and Hero. If much of the cast is Chinese and Japanese, Bodrov, who directed Prisoner of the Mountains, conjures up authenticity through detailed costumes, Mongolian dialogue, and remote Central Asian locations. —Kathleen C. Fennessy (Amazon.com)
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| Year Released |
2007
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| Running Time |
126 min.
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| Publisher |
New Line Home Video
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| Rating |
Reviews
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Gregory N. Thomas
World History I
9th Grade
Central Catholic High School
Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan is about the trials and tribulations of Temudgin before he became Genghis Khan. I would not use this film in a normal classroom for several reasons: (1.) It is rated R, which comes from very bloody fight scenes and also a "sex scene" that is not graphic but Temudgin and his wife's shadows are visible and there is loud moaning - this alone would just not work for 9th graders. Informing parents and then having them sign off on a permission slip for 9th graders is likewise not worth the hassle. (2.) It has a run time of 125 minutes, and so showing it in class would take the better part of a week, and showing it in such choppy segments detracts from the experience. (3.) It is in Mongolian with English subtitles, which would probably take more involvement than what students are willing to devote to watching a film.
However, it does give a great depiction of 12th Century Mongolia, what life was like for the nomadic Mongols, how their lifestyle revolved around fighting to gain territory, the clothing, the weaponry they used, and it exposes students to a foreign language film with native actors, giving a more realistic feel than non-native actors using accents to which students might be desensitized. And it is after all an Academy-Award nominated movie, which also speaks to how well-done of a film it is. I would use clips of this movie in class to demonstrate certain aspects of Mongol culture, but I would only after clearly explaining to students that it is a film depiction and not a documentary.
Beyond that, I _would_ use it as an after school extra credit movie viewing opportunity which had a review assignment component. That way the entire movie could be shown in one sitting, it would be optional to come and see it, and ideally only interested students would be present.
