Mongol
Directed by Sergei Bodrov. Kazakhstan. 2007. R. Running time: 126 min.
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"If you thought Genghis Khan was ready for a sympathetic, epic-scale biopic, you'd be — well, you'd be right, that's what. At the helm of this massive Russian-Kazakh-Mongolian co-production, director Bodrov doesn't exactly revolutionize the historical costume drama but does a bang-up job of covering the bases: A hero whose brutality is rooted in brutal circumstances, a semimystical treatment of pagan religion, an appealing love interest and numerous scenes of carnage and bloodshed, both large and small. Played as a boy by Odnyam Odsuren and then as a man by Japanese star Tadanobu Asano, the 12th century illiterate Mongol chieftain's son named Temudgin who rose from most unlikely origins to conquer half of the known world (and who was notably generous to his underlings and conquered enemies alike) becomes a plausible human being. "Mongol" ends abruptly, just as the young khan has united the Mongol tribes and set out to conquer the northern fringe of China. Perhaps Bodrov and his cast are contemplating a sequel." (Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com)
Click here to read A.O. Scott's review in the New York Times.
Click here to read Jim Ridley's review in The Village Voice.