:: Mongol

Genghis Khan the romantic family man? Not your average depiction of the all-conquering and blood-thirsty leader, but that is precisely what director Sergei Bodrov wants you to see in the Academy Award nominated Mongol. The film chronicles the childhood and early adult life of Khan, or Temudgin as he is known to his family, amid the backdrop of an astonishingly harsh, but beautiful, Mongolia. This was nominated for Best Foreign Language film at the 2008 Academy Awards but has only now reached Australia, and is well worth the wait.

After the death of his father, the young boy is forced into hiding from his family’s enemies. He grows up constantly fearing and fighting for his life as a fugitive. Once an adult, he is able to take his place as a leader among his people, after overcoming constant and confronting dangers. Forced into slavery, imprisonment, and with a number of escapes along the way, he eventually develops from a child into the powerful man we know today.

Much of the story is centred on relationships, especially between Temudgin and his wife, Borte. Engaged at ages 9 and 10 respectively, they face multiple hardships and are constantly on the run from a seemingly endless parade of rivals. It is the love shared between these to characters, and also the friendship and rivalry between Tumudgin and his ‘brother’ Jamukha, which really draws you into the film. Although taken advantage of and attacked on occasions, Borte is a strong feminine character who is able to hold her own in an extremely male dominated world. Her influence over her wild and unconventional husband is obvious from the get-go when it is she who chooses to marry, him not the other way around.

As the film progresses and Temudgin ages, the violence and grunting seems to increase. It can often be bloody, gruesome and ugly, especially during the battles, and Bodrov does not leave it to your imagination. Those with weak stomachs should not be discouraged, but just prepared for the occasional shutting of eyes.

While you’ve got to forget the version of Genghis Khan that they taught you in school, you cannot help but be drawn into this sympathetic and different portrayal of a man seen in Western society as a murderous tyrant. Even if its historical accuracy is questionable, the film itself is beautifully constructed and extremely engrossing.