Mongol (2007) (SIFF) - B

"Mongol" is an epic Russian film about the early life of Genghis Khan. It chronicles Temudjin's (Genghis is a title rather than a name) difficult early life, suffering through multiple periods of captivity and slavery, as well as having his wife kidnapped and taken as another man's wife. As with most films of this type, the historical accuracy is fairly questionable, with lots of simplifications, combining of characters, etc. but most of the major incidents are based in reality, and the film is accurate in portraying the idea that Temudjin's life before he became Genghis Khan is a remarkable rags to riches story.

Interestingly enough, the movie is really framed as a love story between Temudjin and his wife Borte. It is historically accurate that Borte was kidnapped soon after they were married and taken as a wife by someone else. Temudjin was able to eventually rescue her, and he accepted the son that she bore in captivity as his own, although questions of whether or not his eldest son was really his would plague Genghis Khan all during his life. The movie portrays Temudjin's primary motivation as protecting Borte and his family. His desire to unite the Mongol clans is driven primarily by the desire to keep them safe and provide stability in their lives.

While I found this conceit that Genghis Khan did it all for love pretty hard to swallow, the movie was still quite enjoyable. The acting is good, and there's a really strong connection between Temudjin and Borte on screen. The movie did feel a bit long, though. I'd recommend "Mongol" to fans of epic war/love stories, but it's not quite good enough to recommend to those not especially interested in that genre.

Final Grade: B