Last night, we went to see Sergei Bodrov's epic film, Mongol.
No matter what we've read in history books about Genghis Khan of the Great Steppe, this film presents to us a "multidimensional portrait" of Temudgin, the little boy whose courage, strength, and passion were unabated by the difficulties that shaped him into the fearless, unrelenting Khan. I appreciated the director's creativity in presenting a richer, more complex narrative about this man. The film lifts up the deep complexity embroidering human lives and human narratives, and I am reminded of often I am led to simply believe the image of the "evil brute of hoary stereotype." Bodrov's film reminds us all, I hope, that in the snapshot of the evil, fear-inspiring killer who ravaged kingdoms, there is also room for a visionary leader, for a loving, extraordinary man.
The movie was beautifully created, with sweeping cinematography and spare dialogue that highlighted -- instead of eclipsing -- the progression of the narrative. The actors masterfully presented the depths and hollows of their characters, from each movement of the hand to the watchful gaze of the eyes. I was impressed by how much we could deduce from the easy glint in eyes seen through unbraided hair.
The landscapes of the shooting locations were stunning. The music was also special -- most noteworthy were the sections contributed by Altan Urag, the folk-rock band. The love theme made you sense immediately in your guts of that deep, abiding love unphased and unfaded by time which we all aspire to. I would love to get the score to this film.
Actors of note were Odnyam Odsuren who played Young Temudjin, Tadanobu Asano as Temudjin, and Khulan Chuluun as Borte. Borte represented the kind of beautiful, strong woman who takes and makes her own destiny. She is the first to greet Temudjin when they first meet and she chose him as her husband long before he even thought of her as his bride. She takes matters into her own hands and frees herself from her captor, and is unafraid of taking risks to free her husband from his cage. She stands her ground and faces armed guards without flinching. She shows compassion, foresight, clear-headedness, and patience. Borte is, as we see her in this film, the quintessential woman.
One concern that I have about this movie is the length. Historical epic that it is, the film dragged a little at the end and I grew weary of waiting for the "conclusion" to Bodrov's segment of this narrative. Or, perhaps I already knew of Temudjin's end and did not want to see further...
Regardless, I recommend that you go see it. Now.
No comments:
Post a Comment