Star rating: *** Dir: Sergei Bodrov With: Tadanobu Asano, Khulan Chuluun, Honglei Sun Loving husband, generous friend and kind to animals - meet the Genghis Khan of Sergei Bodrov's stunning epic, the first instalment of a three-part biopic of the man forever to be described as to the left of every right-wing politician and over enthusiastic traffic warden who ever lived. With a rep like that, you'd need a forgiving director too.
Bodrov begins his story of the warrior king at the tail end of the 12th century. The young Temudjin - the Khan title he would have to earn - is choosing a bride. Among the advice given to the child is to pick one with sturdy legs. No sooner is he betrothed than Temudjin has to deal with the loss of his father to an enemy. Love, war, revenge, the grab for power - the facts of life are being set out early for him.
Other directors have tried and failed to separate Genghis the man from the myth. This Russian/Kazakh production, with dialogue in Mongolian, gets the balance right by mixing arthouse sensibilities with auditorium-rattling blockbuster action. There are many quiet moments as gorgeously rendered landscapes fill the spaces between political intrigue, tribal feuding, and the story of Temudjin (Tadanobu Asano) and Borte's love. Meanwhile, enough blood is spilled in the fight scenes to satisfy the real GK. The closing battle sequence is a belter. Bodrov demonstrates Khan's strategic brilliance to superb effect by shooting the clash from the air.
Mongol was in the running for the best foreign film Oscar, but lost out to The Counterfeiters. With the meatiest parts of the story to come, Bodrov's name should be a safe bet to feature among the nominations again.
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