Mongol (film)
Encyclopedia
Mongol is a 2007 semi-historical film directed by Sergei Bodrov
. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Bodrov and Arif Aliev. Producers for the film comprised Bodrov, Sergei Selyanov and Anton Melnik. The film is based on the early life of Temüjin, who later came to be known as Genghis Khan
. Actors Tadanobu Asano
, Sun Honglei
and Khulan Chuluun star in principal roles. It is the first motion picture in a trilogy
based on his rule over the Mongol Empire. The first premiere of the film took place on July 31, 2007. Mongol explores abduction, kinship and the repercussions of war.
The film was an intergovernmental co-production between companies in Germany, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia. Filming took place, for the most part, in the People's Republic of China
, principally Inner Mongolia
(the Mongol
autonomous region), and in Kazakhstan. Shooting began in September 2005, and was completed in November 2006. It was commercially distributed by Picturehouse Entertainment theatrically, and by Universal Studios Home Entertainment
for home media. Following its release in theaters, the film was nominated for the 2007 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
as a submission from Kazakhstan
. On July 29, 2008, the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released by the Varese Sarabande
label. The film score was composed by musician Tuomas Kantelinen
.
Mongol premiered in theaters in wide release in Russia on September 20, 2007. It opened in the United States in limited release on June 6, 2008 grossing $5,705,761 in domestic ticket sales. It earned $20,821,749 in business through international release to top out at a combined $26,527,510 in gross revenue. The film was technically considered a minor financial success after its theatrical run, and was generally met with positive critical reviews before its initial screening in cinemas. The second installment of the trilogy, provisionally titled The Great Khan, entered pre-production in 2008 and was planned for a cinematic release in 2010.
) as a prisoner in the Tangut kingdom
, conveys his memories about his earlier life through a series of flashbacks.
Embarking on an expedition as a young boy, Temüjin (Odnyam Odsuren) is accompanied by his father Yesügei
(Ba Sen) to select a girl as his future wife. Temüjin meets and chooses Börte
(Bayertsetseg Erdenebat), although his father wishes him to choose a mate from the Merkit tribe. Temüjin convinces his father to allow him to choose Börte. He promises to return after five years to marry her. On their way home, Temüjin's father is poisoned by an enemy tribe. As he lies dying, he tells Temüjin that he is now Khan
. However, one of his father's warriors, Targutai (Amadu Mamadakov), orders the other tribesmen to loot the dead Khan's camp. Targutai spares Temüjin's life, declaring a Mongol does not kill children. After falling through the ice of a frozen lake, Temüjin is found lying down in the snow by a young boy called Jamukha (Amarbold Tuvshinbayar). The two quickly become friends and perform a traditional ceremony declaring themselves blood brothers. Targutai later captures Temüjin, holding him in captivity. Temüjin however, escapes late one night and roams the countryside. Temüjin is later seen again as a young man (Tadanobu Asano) in 1186. He once again is apprehended by Targutai, who wishes to kill him now that he is grown. Temüjin escapes a second time finding Börte (Khulan Chuluun), and brings her back to his family. Later that night, they are attacked by the Merkit tribe led by Chiledu (Sai Xing Ga), since Temüjin's father had years before stolen his wife from one of their tribesmen. While being chased on horseback, Temüjin is shot with an arrow. Börte whips the horse which Temüjin is on, telling it to go home. Börte is captured by the Merkit leader, as Temüjin returns safely to his family.
Temüjin goes to his childhood friend Jamukha (Sun Honglei
), who is now a Khan himself. Jamukha agrees to help him get his wife back and attack the Merkit tribe, though only after a year passes. The attack on the Merkit tribe is a success, and Temüjin finds Börte alive and Chiledu dead. However, just as he feared, Bortë has already been raped and left pregnant with Chiledu's son, who Temüjin takes as his own. Temüjin and his men leave early the next morning, and two of Jamukha's soldiers choose to join Temüjin because he distributes more plunder to his warriors than Jamukha. Jamukha chases down Temüjin, but Temüjin refuses to send back Jamukha's combatants and horses because he explains a Mongol warrior is free to choose his leader. Jamukha warns him that his actions will lead to future conflict. Taichar (Bu Ren), Jamukha's brother, is later killed while attempting to steal back Jamukha's horses; Jamukha and Temüjin go to war. Outnumbered, Temüjin's army is quickly defeated. Jamukha declares victory and decides to make Temüjin a slave rather than execute him.
Temüjin is sold to a Tangut Garrison Chief (Zhang Jiong), despite the dire warning given to the man by a Buddhist monk (Ben Hon Sun) acting as his advisor, who senses the great potential the warrior carries and his future role in subjugating the Tangut state. While imprisoned, the monk pleads with Temüjin to save his monastery when he is set free sometime in the future. In exchange for delivering a bone fragment to Börte indicating that he is still alive, Temüjin agrees. Thereafter, the monk succeeds in delivering the bone and the message, though at the cost of his life. As a means of getting to Tangut, Börte becomes a merchant's concubine, bearing a daughter along the way. Once Börte arrives in Tangut, she abandons the merchant and bribes the guard for the key to Temüjin's cell, and the two manage to escape back to their homeland.
Temüjin, upset by the increasing loss of traditional values in Mongol society, leaves his family once more and pledges to make the Mongols abide by the law. Visiting a holy site in the mountains, he drafts an early version of the Jasagh
and prays to "The Lord of the Great Blue Sky"
for assistance. Subsequently, he gathers an army to unify all of the Mongols. In 1196, Temüjin declares war over Jamukha. By 1206, Temüjin engages Jamukha, in league with his old enemy, Targutai, in battle. However, a thunderstorm arises on the steppe, terrifying Jamukha's troops and causing their unconditional surrender, as Temüjin stands triumphant (possibly implying that Temüjin's prayers were acknowledged). Having defeated his "blood brother," Temüjin allows Jamukha to live, while Targutai is killed by his own soldiers while attempting to flee the battle. The traitorous men are ordered to be executed by Temüjin, who surprises them when he informs them that they broke his primary tenet: "Never betray your Khan." Afterwards, Temüjin is designated the Khan of all the Mongols – Genghis Khan
of the Great Steppe.
The final pre-credits sequence indicates that Genghis Khan would later go on to invade and conquer the Tangut Empire by 1227, fulfilling the monk's prophecy. However, the film clarifies that, while the entire civilization was ravaged by the Mongol horde, the Buddhist monastery Temüjin pledged never to destroy remained intact, thereby indicating the great integrity and honesty of the Khan.
, which ruled expansive areas of Central Asia
and China. The film depicts a portrait of the early life of Temüjin; not as an evil war-mongering brute, but rather an inspiring visionary leader. Director Bodrov noted that "Russians lived under Mongolian rule for around 200 years" and that "Genghis Khan was portrayed as a monster". During the 1990s, Bodrov read a book by Russian historian Lev Gumilev
entitled The Legend of the Black Arrow. Gumilev's book offered a more disciplined view of the Mongol leader which influenced Bodrov to create a film project about the warrior.
Bodrov spent several years researching the aspects of his story, discovering that Khan was an orphan, a slave and a combatant who everyone tried to kill. He found difficulty in preparing the screenplay for the film due to the fact that no contemporary Mongol biography existed. The only Mongol history from the era, was a short poem written by an unknown author entitled The Secret History of Mongols. Author Gumilev had used the poem as a historical reference and a work of significant literature. Casting for the film took place worldwide, including Mongolia; China; Russia; and in Los Angeles. Speaking on the choice of Tadanobu Asano to portray Temüjin, Bodrov commented that although it might have seemed odd to cast a Japanese actor in the role, he explained that the Mongol ruler was seen by many Japanese as one of their own. Bodrov said, "The Japanese had a very famous ancient warrior who disappeared, and they think he went to Mongolia and became Genghis Khan. He's a national hero, Genghis Khan. Mongolians can claim he's Mongolian, but the Japanese, they think they know who he is." Bodrov felt casting actor Sun Honglei was a perfect mix of "gravity and humor" for the role. Describing the character interaction between Asano and Honglei, he noted "They're completely different people, Temüjin and Jamukha, but they have a strong relationship, strong feelings between them." Aside from the Chinese and Japanese actors for those roles, the rest of the cast were Mongolian.
, who previously worked with The Matrix
and Valdís Óskarsdóttir
, whose previous film work included Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
.
music label on July 29, 2008. The score for the film was composed by Tuomas Kantelinen
, with additional music orchestrated by the Mongolian folk rock band Altan Urag
. Director Bodrov had attended a concert with Altan Urag and fell in love with their unique sound. He remarked how they displayed "an amazing energy". Bodrov asked the band to contribute music to the film to lend strength to the battle scenes with Temüjin. Finnish composer Kantelinen added an orchestral score to complement the lush, landscape filled backgrounds.
widescreen
edition of the film was released on DVD
in the United States on October 14, 2008. Special features for the DVD include; scene selections, subtitles in English and Spanish, and subtitles in English for the hearing impaired.
The widescreen hi-definition Blu-ray Disc
version of the film was also released on October 14, 2008. Special features include; scene selections and subtitles in English and Spanish. A supplemental viewing option for the film in the media format of Video on demand
is currently available too.
reported that 87% of 98 sampled critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 7.1 out of 10. At Metacritic
, which assigns a weighted average
out of 100 to critics' reviews, the film received a score of 74 based on 27 reviews. Alternately though, the film was criticized in Mongolia due to its factual errors and historical inaccuracies.
Jonathan Kiefer, writing in the Sacramento News & Review, said in outward praise, "At once sweeping and intimately confidential, with durably magnetic performances by Japan’s Asano Tadanobu as the adored warlord and China’s Honglei Sun as Jamukha, his blood brother and eventual enemy, Mongol, a 2007 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nominee, has to be by far the best action epic of 12th- and 13th-century Asian nomads you’ll see". He emphatically believed Bodrov's film was "both ancient and authentic." He added that it was "commendably unhurried, and the scope swells up in a way that feels organic to a character-driven story". Left equally impressed, Walter Addiego in the San Francisco Chronicle
, wrote that the film offers "everything you would want from an imposing historical drama: furious battles between mass armies, unquenchable love between husband and wife, blood brothers who become deadly enemies, and many episodes of betrayal and treachery". Concerning cinematography, he believed the film included "plenty of haunting landscapes, gorgeously photographed by Sergei Trofimov on location in China, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, along with the sort of warfare scenes that define epics". Claudia Puig of USA Today
, said the film "has a visceral energy with powerful battle sequences and also scenes of striking and serene physical beauty." Noting a flaw, she did comment that Mongol might have included "one battle too many." Although overall, she concluded the film was "an exotic saga that compels, moves and envelops us with its grand and captivating story." The film however, was not without its detractors. Marc Savlov of The Austin Chronicle, viewed the film as "broken, beleaguered," and a "belittled nation's payback for the indignities inflicted upon them by Borat
." Also in lackluster fashion, Kyle Smith
of the New York Post
commented that the film combined the "intelligence of an action movie with the excitement of an art-house release" making Mongol "as dry as summer in the Gobi Desert." Smith did compliment director Bodrov on staging a "couple of splattery yet artful battle scenes". But ultimately thought the film "really isn't worth leaving your yurt for." Joshua Rothkopf of Time Out, added to the negative sentiment by saying Mongol was a "Russian-produced dud." He noted that it included "Ridiculous dialogue and Neanderthal motivations" as well as bearing "little relation to the raw, immediate work of his countrymates—like Andrei Tarkovsky, whose epic Andrei Rublev
really gives you a sense of the dirt and desperation."
Writing for The Boston Globe
, Wesley Morris
exuberantly exclaimed that Mongol "actually works as an old-fashioned production - one with breathtaking mohawks, a scary yoking, one daring escape, hottish sex, ice, snow, braying sheep, blood oaths, dehydrating dunes, throat singing, a nighttime urination, kidnapping, charged reunions, and relatively authentic entertainment values." Film critic Roger Ebert
writing in the Chicago Sun-Times
, called the film a "visual spectacle, it is all but overwhelming, putting to shame some of the recent historical epics from Hollywood." Summing up, Ebert wrote "The nuances of an ancient and ingeniously developed culture are passed over, and it cannot be denied that Mongol is relentlessly entertaining as an action picture." Describing an unfavorable opinion, author Tom Hoskyns of The Independent
described the film as being "very thin plot-wise." Hoskyns commended the "desolate landscapes and seasonal variations", but he was not excited about the repetitious nature of the story showing the "hero getting repeatedly captured and escaping."
A.O. Scott of The New York Times
, stated that Mongol was a "big, ponderous epic, its beautifully composed landscape shots punctuated by thundering hooves and bloody, slow-motion battle sequences." Scott approved of how the film encompassed "rich ethnographic detail and enough dramatic intrigue to sustain a viewer’s interest through the slower stretches." Similarly, Joe Morgenstern
wrote in The Wall Street Journal
that the film consisted of battle scenes which were as "notable for their clarity as their intensity; we can follow the strategies, get a sense of who's losing and who's winning. The physical production is sumptuous." Morgenstern affirmed that Mongol was "an austere epic that turns the stuff of pulp adventure into a persuasive take on ancient history." Lisa Schwarzbaum
writing for Entertainment Weekly
asserted the visual qualities of the film, remarking how Mongol "contrasts images of sweeping landscape and propulsive battle with potent scenes of emotional intimacy", while also referring to its "quite grand, quite exotic, David Lean-style epic" resemblance.
came in first place during that weekend grossing $60,239,130. The film's revenue dropped by 17% in its second week of release, earning $112,212. For that particular weekend, the film fell to 25th place screening in 5 theaters. The Incredible Hulk
, unseated Kung Fu Panda to open in first place grossing $55,414,050 in box office revenue. During the film's final release week in theaters, Mongol opened in a distant 80th place with $11,503 in revenue. The film went on to top out domestically at $5,705,761 in total ticket sales through a 14-week theatrical run. Internationally, the film took in an additional $20,821,749 in box office business for a combined worldwide total of $26,527,510. For 2008 as a whole, the film would cumulatively rank at a box office performance position of 167.
named it the 5th best film of 2008, Lawrence Toppman of The Charlotte Observer
named it the 8th best film of 2008, and V.A. Musetto of the New York Post
also named it the 8th best film of 2008.
based on the life of Temüjin, Genghis Khan
. The Mongolian pop singer, Amarkhuu Borkhuu, was offered a role in the movie but he declined.
Sergei Bodrov
Sergei Vladimirovich Bodrov is a two-time Academy Award-nominated Russian-American film director, screenwriter, and producer.Bodrov was born in Khabarovsk, Russian SFSR, USSR . In the post-Soviet period he emigrated to the United States. His son, actor Sergei Bodrov, Jr...
. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Bodrov and Arif Aliev. Producers for the film comprised Bodrov, Sergei Selyanov and Anton Melnik. The film is based on the early life of Temüjin, who later came to be known as Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
. Actors Tadanobu Asano
Tadanobu Asano
, born is a Japanese actor. He is known for his roles as Dragon Eye Morrison in Electric Dragon 80.000 V, Kakihara in Ichi the Killer, Mamoru Arita in Bright Future, Hattori Genosuke in Zatoichi, Kenji in Last Life in the Universe, Aman in Survive Style 5+, Ayano in The Taste of Tea, and Temudjin...
, Sun Honglei
Sun Honglei
Sun Honglei, born 16 August 1970 in Harbin, China is a Chinese actor.-Background:Sun developed an interest in acting and performances at a young age. He often skipped school to learn breakdancing on the streets and eventually gave up his studies entirely to pursue dancing as a career, eventually...
and Khulan Chuluun star in principal roles. It is the first motion picture in a trilogy
Trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
based on his rule over the Mongol Empire. The first premiere of the film took place on July 31, 2007. Mongol explores abduction, kinship and the repercussions of war.
The film was an intergovernmental co-production between companies in Germany, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia. Filming took place, for the most part, in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, principally Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
(the Mongol
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
autonomous region), and in Kazakhstan. Shooting began in September 2005, and was completed in November 2006. It was commercially distributed by Picturehouse Entertainment theatrically, and by Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the home video division of Universal Pictures...
for home media. Following its release in theaters, the film was nominated for the 2007 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
as a submission from Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
. On July 29, 2008, the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released by the Varese Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums as well as newer releases by artists no longer under a contract...
label. The film score was composed by musician Tuomas Kantelinen
Tuomas Kantelinen
Tuomas Kantelinen is a Finnish composer. He studied composition at the Sibelius Academy with Eero Hämeenniemi. He is best known for his scores for films such as Rukajärven tie, Äideistä parhain, Mindhunters and Mongol...
.
Mongol premiered in theaters in wide release in Russia on September 20, 2007. It opened in the United States in limited release on June 6, 2008 grossing $5,705,761 in domestic ticket sales. It earned $20,821,749 in business through international release to top out at a combined $26,527,510 in gross revenue. The film was technically considered a minor financial success after its theatrical run, and was generally met with positive critical reviews before its initial screening in cinemas. The second installment of the trilogy, provisionally titled The Great Khan, entered pre-production in 2008 and was planned for a cinematic release in 2010.
Plot
Temüjin (Tadanobu AsanoTadanobu Asano
, born is a Japanese actor. He is known for his roles as Dragon Eye Morrison in Electric Dragon 80.000 V, Kakihara in Ichi the Killer, Mamoru Arita in Bright Future, Hattori Genosuke in Zatoichi, Kenji in Last Life in the Universe, Aman in Survive Style 5+, Ayano in The Taste of Tea, and Temudjin...
) as a prisoner in the Tangut kingdom
Western Xia
The Western Xia Dynasty or the Tangut Empire, was known to the Tanguts and the Tibetans as Minyak.The state existed from 1038 to 1227 AD in what are now the northwestern Chinese provinces of Ningxia, Gansu, eastern Qinghai, northern Shaanxi, northeastern Xinjiang, southwest Inner Mongolia, and...
, conveys his memories about his earlier life through a series of flashbacks.
Embarking on an expedition as a young boy, Temüjin (Odnyam Odsuren) is accompanied by his father Yesügei
Yesugei
Yesügei Baghatur , was major chief of the Kiyad-Borjigin clan and the father of Temüjin , Hasar, Hachiun, Temüge, Temülen, Behter, and Belgutei. Yesügei was the son of Bartan Baghatur, who was the son of Khabul Khan, who was recognized as a khagan by the Jin Dynasty...
(Ba Sen) to select a girl as his future wife. Temüjin meets and chooses Börte
Börte
Börte was the first wife of Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire. Börte became the head of the first Court of Genghis Khan, and Grand Empress of his Empire. Little is known about the details of her early life, but she was betrothed to him at a young age, married at 17, and then...
(Bayertsetseg Erdenebat), although his father wishes him to choose a mate from the Merkit tribe. Temüjin convinces his father to allow him to choose Börte. He promises to return after five years to marry her. On their way home, Temüjin's father is poisoned by an enemy tribe. As he lies dying, he tells Temüjin that he is now Khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
. However, one of his father's warriors, Targutai (Amadu Mamadakov), orders the other tribesmen to loot the dead Khan's camp. Targutai spares Temüjin's life, declaring a Mongol does not kill children. After falling through the ice of a frozen lake, Temüjin is found lying down in the snow by a young boy called Jamukha (Amarbold Tuvshinbayar). The two quickly become friends and perform a traditional ceremony declaring themselves blood brothers. Targutai later captures Temüjin, holding him in captivity. Temüjin however, escapes late one night and roams the countryside. Temüjin is later seen again as a young man (Tadanobu Asano) in 1186. He once again is apprehended by Targutai, who wishes to kill him now that he is grown. Temüjin escapes a second time finding Börte (Khulan Chuluun), and brings her back to his family. Later that night, they are attacked by the Merkit tribe led by Chiledu (Sai Xing Ga), since Temüjin's father had years before stolen his wife from one of their tribesmen. While being chased on horseback, Temüjin is shot with an arrow. Börte whips the horse which Temüjin is on, telling it to go home. Börte is captured by the Merkit leader, as Temüjin returns safely to his family.
Temüjin goes to his childhood friend Jamukha (Sun Honglei
Sun Honglei
Sun Honglei, born 16 August 1970 in Harbin, China is a Chinese actor.-Background:Sun developed an interest in acting and performances at a young age. He often skipped school to learn breakdancing on the streets and eventually gave up his studies entirely to pursue dancing as a career, eventually...
), who is now a Khan himself. Jamukha agrees to help him get his wife back and attack the Merkit tribe, though only after a year passes. The attack on the Merkit tribe is a success, and Temüjin finds Börte alive and Chiledu dead. However, just as he feared, Bortë has already been raped and left pregnant with Chiledu's son, who Temüjin takes as his own. Temüjin and his men leave early the next morning, and two of Jamukha's soldiers choose to join Temüjin because he distributes more plunder to his warriors than Jamukha. Jamukha chases down Temüjin, but Temüjin refuses to send back Jamukha's combatants and horses because he explains a Mongol warrior is free to choose his leader. Jamukha warns him that his actions will lead to future conflict. Taichar (Bu Ren), Jamukha's brother, is later killed while attempting to steal back Jamukha's horses; Jamukha and Temüjin go to war. Outnumbered, Temüjin's army is quickly defeated. Jamukha declares victory and decides to make Temüjin a slave rather than execute him.
Temüjin is sold to a Tangut Garrison Chief (Zhang Jiong), despite the dire warning given to the man by a Buddhist monk (Ben Hon Sun) acting as his advisor, who senses the great potential the warrior carries and his future role in subjugating the Tangut state. While imprisoned, the monk pleads with Temüjin to save his monastery when he is set free sometime in the future. In exchange for delivering a bone fragment to Börte indicating that he is still alive, Temüjin agrees. Thereafter, the monk succeeds in delivering the bone and the message, though at the cost of his life. As a means of getting to Tangut, Börte becomes a merchant's concubine, bearing a daughter along the way. Once Börte arrives in Tangut, she abandons the merchant and bribes the guard for the key to Temüjin's cell, and the two manage to escape back to their homeland.
Temüjin, upset by the increasing loss of traditional values in Mongol society, leaves his family once more and pledges to make the Mongols abide by the law. Visiting a holy site in the mountains, he drafts an early version of the Jasagh
Jasagh
A jasagh was the head of a Mongol banner or khoshun during the Qing Dynasty and Boghda Khaanate of Mongolia. The term is rendered "zhasake" in contemporary Chinese documents. The position was held by hereditary succession by certain Mongol princes, most of whom were descendants of Genghis Khan...
and prays to "The Lord of the Great Blue Sky"
Tengri
Tengri or Tengger Tengri or Tengger Tengri or Tengger (Old Turkic: ; Mongolian: Тэнгэр, Tenger; Chinese: 腾格里, Mandarin: Ténggélǐ, Hungarian: Tengri, Turkish: Tanrı, Bulgarian: Tangra (Тангра) is a sky god, formerly the chief deity of the early Turkic peoples, including the Xiongnu, Huns, Bulgars,...
for assistance. Subsequently, he gathers an army to unify all of the Mongols. In 1196, Temüjin declares war over Jamukha. By 1206, Temüjin engages Jamukha, in league with his old enemy, Targutai, in battle. However, a thunderstorm arises on the steppe, terrifying Jamukha's troops and causing their unconditional surrender, as Temüjin stands triumphant (possibly implying that Temüjin's prayers were acknowledged). Having defeated his "blood brother," Temüjin allows Jamukha to live, while Targutai is killed by his own soldiers while attempting to flee the battle. The traitorous men are ordered to be executed by Temüjin, who surprises them when he informs them that they broke his primary tenet: "Never betray your Khan." Afterwards, Temüjin is designated the Khan of all the Mongols – Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
of the Great Steppe.
The final pre-credits sequence indicates that Genghis Khan would later go on to invade and conquer the Tangut Empire by 1227, fulfilling the monk's prophecy. However, the film clarifies that, while the entire civilization was ravaged by the Mongol horde, the Buddhist monastery Temüjin pledged never to destroy remained intact, thereby indicating the great integrity and honesty of the Khan.
Cast
Development
The premise of Mongol is based on the true story of Genghis Khan, the Mongol leader who founded the Mongol EmpireMongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
, which ruled expansive areas of Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
and China. The film depicts a portrait of the early life of Temüjin; not as an evil war-mongering brute, but rather an inspiring visionary leader. Director Bodrov noted that "Russians lived under Mongolian rule for around 200 years" and that "Genghis Khan was portrayed as a monster". During the 1990s, Bodrov read a book by Russian historian Lev Gumilev
Lev Gumilev
Lev Nikolayevich Gumilev , was a Soviet historian, ethnologist and anthropologist. His unorthodox ideas on the birth and death of ethnic groups have given rise to the political and cultural movement known as "Neo-Eurasianism".-Life:His parents were two prominent poets Nikolay Gumilev and Anna...
entitled The Legend of the Black Arrow. Gumilev's book offered a more disciplined view of the Mongol leader which influenced Bodrov to create a film project about the warrior.
Bodrov spent several years researching the aspects of his story, discovering that Khan was an orphan, a slave and a combatant who everyone tried to kill. He found difficulty in preparing the screenplay for the film due to the fact that no contemporary Mongol biography existed. The only Mongol history from the era, was a short poem written by an unknown author entitled The Secret History of Mongols. Author Gumilev had used the poem as a historical reference and a work of significant literature. Casting for the film took place worldwide, including Mongolia; China; Russia; and in Los Angeles. Speaking on the choice of Tadanobu Asano to portray Temüjin, Bodrov commented that although it might have seemed odd to cast a Japanese actor in the role, he explained that the Mongol ruler was seen by many Japanese as one of their own. Bodrov said, "The Japanese had a very famous ancient warrior who disappeared, and they think he went to Mongolia and became Genghis Khan. He's a national hero, Genghis Khan. Mongolians can claim he's Mongolian, but the Japanese, they think they know who he is." Bodrov felt casting actor Sun Honglei was a perfect mix of "gravity and humor" for the role. Describing the character interaction between Asano and Honglei, he noted "They're completely different people, Temüjin and Jamukha, but they have a strong relationship, strong feelings between them." Aside from the Chinese and Japanese actors for those roles, the rest of the cast were Mongolian.
Filming
Production for Mongol began in 2005, lasting 25 weeks and taking place in China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. Production designer Dashi Namdakov helped to recreate the pastoral lifestyle of the nomadic tribesmen. Namdakov is originally from a Russian region which borders Mongolia and is home to many ethnic Mongols. Bodrov remarked, "Dashi has the Mongol culture in his bones and knows how to approach this material." To help create some of the horse-mounted stunt sequences, Bodrov called upon seasoned stuntmen from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, whom he was familiar with during the production of Nomad. Describing some of the stunt work, Bodrov claimed: "Not a single horse was hurt on this film. There's a line in the movie, when young Jamukha tells Temüjin, 'For Mongol, horse is more important than woman.' And that's how it is with the Kazakh and Kyrgyz stunt people. They took very good care of the horses and were very conscientious." Bodrov collaborated on the film with editors Zach StaenbergZach Staenberg
Zach Staenberg is a film editor best known for the Matrix Trilogy. Staenberg won an Academy Award and an ACE Eddie Award for the editing of The Matrix...
, who previously worked with The Matrix
The Matrix (franchise)
The Matrix is a science fiction action franchise created by Andy and Larry Wachowski and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The series began with the 1999 film The Matrix and later spawned two sequels; The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, both released in 2003, thus forming a trilogy...
and Valdís Óskarsdóttir
Valdís Óskarsdóttir
Valdís Óskarsdóttir is an Icelandic film editor whose work includes The Celebration, Les Misérables, Finding Forrester and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind....
, whose previous film work included Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a 2004 American romantic science fiction film about an estranged couple who have each other erased from their memories, scripted by Charlie Kaufman and directed by the French director, Michel Gondry. The film uses elements of science fiction, psychological...
.
Soundtrack
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for Mongol, was released by the Varese SarabandeVarèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums as well as newer releases by artists no longer under a contract...
music label on July 29, 2008. The score for the film was composed by Tuomas Kantelinen
Tuomas Kantelinen
Tuomas Kantelinen is a Finnish composer. He studied composition at the Sibelius Academy with Eero Hämeenniemi. He is best known for his scores for films such as Rukajärven tie, Äideistä parhain, Mindhunters and Mongol...
, with additional music orchestrated by the Mongolian folk rock band Altan Urag
Altan Urag
Altan Urag is a Mongolian folk rock band. Formed in 2002, the band's musical style combines traditional Mongolian and contemporary influences....
. Director Bodrov had attended a concert with Altan Urag and fell in love with their unique sound. He remarked how they displayed "an amazing energy". Bodrov asked the band to contribute music to the film to lend strength to the battle scenes with Temüjin. Finnish composer Kantelinen added an orchestral score to complement the lush, landscape filled backgrounds.
Home media
Following its cinematic release in theaters, the Region 1 CodeDVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
widescreen
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
edition of the film was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in the United States on October 14, 2008. Special features for the DVD include; scene selections, subtitles in English and Spanish, and subtitles in English for the hearing impaired.
The widescreen hi-definition Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
version of the film was also released on October 14, 2008. Special features include; scene selections and subtitles in English and Spanish. A supplemental viewing option for the film in the media format of Video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
is currently available too.
Foreign theatrical run
Mongol saw an initial international release schedule beginning with Russia and the Ukraine on September 20, 2007. The film then premiered in cinemas in Turkey on March 14, 2008. Between April and December 2008, Mongol was screened in theaters in various countries throughout the Middle East, Europe and Africa. France, Algeria, Monaco, Morocco and Tunisia shared a release date of April 9, 2008. In 2009, certain Asian Pacific countries such as Singapore and Malaysia saw release dates for the film. Within Latin America, Argentina saw a release for the film on March 11, while Colombia began screenings on April 9. The film grossed $20,821,749 in foreign box office totals.Critical response
Among mainstream critics in the U.S., the film received mostly positive reviews. Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 87% of 98 sampled critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 7.1 out of 10. At Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a weighted average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
out of 100 to critics' reviews, the film received a score of 74 based on 27 reviews. Alternately though, the film was criticized in Mongolia due to its factual errors and historical inaccuracies.
| "Centered on the rise of Genghis Khan, the film is an enthralling tale, in the style of a David Lean saga, with similarly gorgeous cinematography. It combines a sprawling adventure saga with romance, family drama and riveting action sequences." |
| —Claudia Puig, writing in USA Today |
Jonathan Kiefer, writing in the Sacramento News & Review, said in outward praise, "At once sweeping and intimately confidential, with durably magnetic performances by Japan’s Asano Tadanobu as the adored warlord and China’s Honglei Sun as Jamukha, his blood brother and eventual enemy, Mongol, a 2007 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nominee, has to be by far the best action epic of 12th- and 13th-century Asian nomads you’ll see". He emphatically believed Bodrov's film was "both ancient and authentic." He added that it was "commendably unhurried, and the scope swells up in a way that feels organic to a character-driven story". Left equally impressed, Walter Addiego in the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, wrote that the film offers "everything you would want from an imposing historical drama: furious battles between mass armies, unquenchable love between husband and wife, blood brothers who become deadly enemies, and many episodes of betrayal and treachery". Concerning cinematography, he believed the film included "plenty of haunting landscapes, gorgeously photographed by Sergei Trofimov on location in China, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, along with the sort of warfare scenes that define epics". Claudia Puig of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, said the film "has a visceral energy with powerful battle sequences and also scenes of striking and serene physical beauty." Noting a flaw, she did comment that Mongol might have included "one battle too many." Although overall, she concluded the film was "an exotic saga that compels, moves and envelops us with its grand and captivating story." The film however, was not without its detractors. Marc Savlov of The Austin Chronicle, viewed the film as "broken, beleaguered," and a "belittled nation's payback for the indignities inflicted upon them by Borat
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, often referred to simply as Borat, is a 2006 mockumentary comedy film directed by Larry Charles and distributed by 20th Century Fox...
." Also in lackluster fashion, Kyle Smith
Kyle Smith
Kyle Smith is an American critic, novelist and essayist. He is a staff film critic for the New York Post. His film reviewing style has been called "an exercise in hilarious hostility" by Entertainment Weekly....
of the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
commented that the film combined the "intelligence of an action movie with the excitement of an art-house release" making Mongol "as dry as summer in the Gobi Desert." Smith did compliment director Bodrov on staging a "couple of splattery yet artful battle scenes". But ultimately thought the film "really isn't worth leaving your yurt for." Joshua Rothkopf of Time Out, added to the negative sentiment by saying Mongol was a "Russian-produced dud." He noted that it included "Ridiculous dialogue and Neanderthal motivations" as well as bearing "little relation to the raw, immediate work of his countrymates—like Andrei Tarkovsky, whose epic Andrei Rublev
Andrei Rublev (film)
Andrei Rublev , also known as The Passion According to Andrei, is a 1966 Russian film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky from a screenplay written by Andrei Konchalovsky and Andrei Tarkovsky. The film is loosely based on the life of Andrei Rublev, the great 15th century Russian icon painter...
really gives you a sense of the dirt and desperation."
Writing for The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
, Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris is a film critic at The Boston Globe where he reviews films alongside Ty Burr. Morris and Burr also make regular appearances on NECN to discuss the latest films and do the weekly Take Two film review video series on Boston.com...
exuberantly exclaimed that Mongol "actually works as an old-fashioned production - one with breathtaking mohawks, a scary yoking, one daring escape, hottish sex, ice, snow, braying sheep, blood oaths, dehydrating dunes, throat singing, a nighttime urination, kidnapping, charged reunions, and relatively authentic entertainment values." Film critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
writing in the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
, called the film a "visual spectacle, it is all but overwhelming, putting to shame some of the recent historical epics from Hollywood." Summing up, Ebert wrote "The nuances of an ancient and ingeniously developed culture are passed over, and it cannot be denied that Mongol is relentlessly entertaining as an action picture." Describing an unfavorable opinion, author Tom Hoskyns of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
described the film as being "very thin plot-wise." Hoskyns commended the "desolate landscapes and seasonal variations", but he was not excited about the repetitious nature of the story showing the "hero getting repeatedly captured and escaping."
| "Mongol is a ferocious film, blood-soaked, pausing occasionally for passionate romance and more frequently for torture." |
| —Roger Ebert, writing for the Chicago Sun-Times |
A.O. Scott of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, stated that Mongol was a "big, ponderous epic, its beautifully composed landscape shots punctuated by thundering hooves and bloody, slow-motion battle sequences." Scott approved of how the film encompassed "rich ethnographic detail and enough dramatic intrigue to sustain a viewer’s interest through the slower stretches." Similarly, Joe Morgenstern
Joe Morgenstern
Joe Morgenstern is a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for The Wall Street Journal.-Career:Morgenstern graduated from Lehigh University in 1953. His first journalism experience was as news clerk at the New York Times...
wrote in The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
that the film consisted of battle scenes which were as "notable for their clarity as their intensity; we can follow the strategies, get a sense of who's losing and who's winning. The physical production is sumptuous." Morgenstern affirmed that Mongol was "an austere epic that turns the stuff of pulp adventure into a persuasive take on ancient history." Lisa Schwarzbaum
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Lisa Schwarzbaum is an American film critic. She joined Entertainment Weekly as film critic in the 1990s. She has been featured on CNN, co-host on Siskel & Ebert At the Movies as well as a cultural, theater and television reviewer....
writing for Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
asserted the visual qualities of the film, remarking how Mongol "contrasts images of sweeping landscape and propulsive battle with potent scenes of emotional intimacy", while also referring to its "quite grand, quite exotic, David Lean-style epic" resemblance.
Box office
In the United States, the film premiered in cinemas on June 6, 2008. During its opening weekend, the film opened in 22nd place grossing $135,326 in business showing at 5 locations. The film, Kung Fu PandaKung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures...
came in first place during that weekend grossing $60,239,130. The film's revenue dropped by 17% in its second week of release, earning $112,212. For that particular weekend, the film fell to 25th place screening in 5 theaters. The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk (film)
The Incredible Hulk is a 2008 superhero action film based on the Marvel Comics character the Hulk. It is directed by Louis Leterrier and stars Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner. It is the second film to be released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
, unseated Kung Fu Panda to open in first place grossing $55,414,050 in box office revenue. During the film's final release week in theaters, Mongol opened in a distant 80th place with $11,503 in revenue. The film went on to top out domestically at $5,705,761 in total ticket sales through a 14-week theatrical run. Internationally, the film took in an additional $20,821,749 in box office business for a combined worldwide total of $26,527,510. For 2008 as a whole, the film would cumulatively rank at a box office performance position of 167.
Accolades
The film was nominated and won several awards in 2007–09. Various critics included the film on their lists of the top 10 best films of 2008. Mike Russell of The OregonianThe Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
named it the 5th best film of 2008, Lawrence Toppman of The Charlotte Observer
The Charlotte Observer
The Charlotte Observer, serving Charlotte, North Carolina and its metro area, is the largest newspaper, in terms of circulation, in North Carolina and South Carolina...
named it the 8th best film of 2008, and V.A. Musetto of the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
also named it the 8th best film of 2008.
| Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80th Academy Awards 80th Academy Awards The 80th Academy Awards ceremony honored the best films in 2007 and was broadcast from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on ABC beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST/8:30 p.m. EST, February 24, 2008 . During the ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented Academy Awards in 24... |
Best Foreign Language Film | ———— | |
| 2007 Asia Pacific Screen Awards Asia Pacific Screen Awards The Asia Pacific Screen Awards is an international cultural initiative of the State Government of Queensland, Australia, through Events Queensland, to honour and promote the films, actors, directors, and cultures of Asia-Pacific to a global audience and to realise the objectives of UNESCO to... |
Best Achievement in Cinematography | Sergey Trofimov | |
| 2nd Asian Film Awards 2nd Asian Film Awards The 2nd Asian Film Awards were given in a ceremony on 17 March 2008 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre as part of the Hong Kong International Film Festival.... |
Best Supporting Actor | Sun Honglei | |
| Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2008 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2008 The 14th Critics' Choice Awards were presented on Thursday, January 8, 2009 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium to honor the finest achievements in 2008 filmmaking.Nominees were announced on December 9, 2008.-Best Film:Slumdog Millionaire... |
Best Foreign Language Film | ———— | |
| European Film Awards 2008 European Film Awards 2008 The 21st Annual European Film Awards took place on December 6, 2008 in Copenhagen, Denmark.-Best European Actor: Toni Servillo - Gomorrah and Il Divo Michael Fassbender - Hunger Thure Lindhardt and Mads Mikkelsen - Flame & Citron James McAvoy - Atonement Jürgen Vogel - The Wave Elmar Wepper -... |
Best Cinematographer | Sergey Trofimov, Rogier Stoffers | |
| Best European Film | Sergey Bodrov | ||
| 6th Golden Eagle Award Golden Eagle Award The Golden Eagle Award is an accolade by the Russian National Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences of Russia to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, directors, actors, and writers... s |
Best Costume Design | Karin Lohr | |
| Best Sound Design | Stephan Konken | ||
| 2009 40th NAACP Image Award NAACP Image Award An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature.... s |
Outstanding Foreign Motion Picture | ———— | |
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards 2008 Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards 2008 The 12th Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards, honouring the best in film for 2008, were given by the Las Vegas Film Critics Society on 18 December 2008.-Winners:Best Actor*Frank Langella - Frost/NixonBest Actress... |
Best Foreign Language Film | ———— | |
| 2008 National Board of Review of Motion Pictures National Board of Review of Motion Pictures The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures was founded in 1909 in New York City, just 13 years after the birth of cinema, to protest New York City Mayor George B. McClellan, Jr.'s revocation of moving-picture exhibition licenses on Christmas Eve 1908. The mayor believed that the new medium... Awards |
Best Foreign Language Film | ———— | |
| 2008 Nika Award Nika Award The Nika Award is a prestigious annual ceremony held by the Russian Academy of Cinema Arts and Sciences which was established in 1987 in Moscow, Russia by Yuli Gusman, and ostensibly modelled on the Academy Awards . Russian Academy Award takes its name from Nike, the goddess of victory... s |
Best Cinematography | Sergey Trofimov, Rogier Stoffers | |
| Best Costume Design | Karin Lohr | ||
| Best Director | Sergey Bodrov | ||
| Best Film | ———— | ||
| Best Production Design | Dashi Namdakov, Yelena Zhukova | ||
| Best Sound | Stephan Konken |
Sequel
The Great Khan is the provisional title for the second installment of semi-historical film series by Sergei BodrovSergei Bodrov
Sergei Vladimirovich Bodrov is a two-time Academy Award-nominated Russian-American film director, screenwriter, and producer.Bodrov was born in Khabarovsk, Russian SFSR, USSR . In the post-Soviet period he emigrated to the United States. His son, actor Sergei Bodrov, Jr...
based on the life of Temüjin, Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
. The Mongolian pop singer, Amarkhuu Borkhuu, was offered a role in the movie but he declined.