Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan [Blu-ray]
by Sergei Bodrov
![Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan [Blu-ray]](/images/Mongol-The-Rise-of-Genghis-Khan-Blu-ray-B001C0JCNS-L.jpg)
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Tadanobu AsanoDirector: Sergei Bodrov
Brand: NEW Line Home Video
Blu-ray: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.40:1
Running Time: 126 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: 2008-10-14
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: New Line Home Video
Product features:
- History knows him as Genghis Khan, but before he became a warlord, he was simply a man named Temudgin. Exiled into slavery as a boy and forced into a life of struggle after his father is killed by a rival clan, the greatest military mastermind of all time survived on the strength of a single dream: to unite his people into the largest empire the world has ever known. Asano Tadanobu portrays Temudg
Movie Reviews of Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan [Blu-ray]
Movie Review: Blu-ray tour of scenic places
Summary: 5 Stars
The scenery is spectacular. We are not likely to get on a tour bus to visit these remote places, so the Blu-ray is next best for the foreseeable future. At 9.99 for the "Mongol" Blu-ray at the date of this review, and 14.99 for the dvd, there is something weird about the pricing.
This movie looks fictional to a large degree. I can believe the dates. Even with a modern almanac, the animal cycles allows one to extrapolate backwards to the exact year. No need for the "circa" when the exact year can be calculated accurately.
1196 AD: the year of the politically correct Blu-ray. The Khan's wife chooses the man and saves him from death more than a couple of times. Without his wife running the show, Genghis Khan is just another dead mongol.
Like "Alexander", this movie is short on the tactics of battle. It does not explain clearly how an numerically inferior force repeatedly defeated a superior force. I remain curious. "300", "Midway" and "Patton" clearly illustrate the tactics used.
There are sufficient battle scenes, but not enough for me. In "Braveheart", Mel Gibson's captain remarked: we did not get dressed up for nothing. In "Mongol", the hordes are dressed up and assembled. Battle scenes could have been extended and made more dramatic. What a waste of good cavalry.
"Nomad: the warrior" (Jay Hernandez) would be an apt companion to "Mongol" when released on BD. "Nomad" is produced with the full co-operation of the Khazakhstan government. "Nomad" goes a long way to restore our respect for Khazak culture after "Borat" defamed Khazakhstan. It goes to show that a movie can do a lot more for public perception than 3 page advertisements in the New York Times taken out by the Khazak government. "Mongol" likewise changed perception of Genghis Khan. "Nomad" is more entertaining than the pseudo-historical "Mongol", but "Mongol" was there first on Blu-ray.
All things considered, "Mongol" is a worthwhile addition to a BD collection. Most of it is re-watchable. Cinematography was outstanding. Breathtaking and fabulous scenery, but I still would not like to be in those remote areas in a tour bus. The locations are still in pristine medieval or 10,000 B.C. condition. But I got the BD instead.
Summary of Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan [Blu-ray]
MONGOL - Blu-Ray MovieFirst 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
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