The Case for King Khan

One of the films I was unable to see at the International Film Festival this year was historical biopic Mongol, about the rise of Genghis Khan. Luckily, the film received a general release, so I was able to enjoy it in comfort at the Light House in Petone.

Knowing nothing about the legendary Mongolian who conquered half the known world, the film was a revelation, though hopefully not too many factual liberties were taken in the name of “dramatisation”. His early struggle to primacy was fascinating, not least because of the constant set backs he encountered on the way. Indeed, it was almost incredible that from the hardships he endured that he could rise to power at all.

But more stunning were the Mongolian landscapes, weathered by incredible contrasts between seasons. While some shots were obviously doctored to appear more spectacular, others were grand without any electronic enhancement.

And then there were the Mongols themselves, stunning with high cheekbones and beautiful (yet PETA-unfriendly) clothing. The women were portrayed as strong yet subservient to the whims of the more violent and domineering men. And the Mongolian language, the beauty of which Khan at one stage wants to spread throughout the world, is an incredibly harsh and perplexing yet fascinating language to listen to, and I was surprised how I easily (I think) I recognised the difference between a part of the film spoken in Chinese (it may not have been Mandarin) and the rest of the Mongolian-only dialogue.

The story was well told (though some of the gore seemed a bit unnecessary), and the acting was occasionally wobbly but overall very convincing.

The only annoying part of the film was when we had 3 text or phone calls during the course of the movie, two to the same annoying blonde person at the other end of the row from me. These were the times I wished Mongolian hordes would leap off the screen towards the loudest audience members and disembowel them a bit.

Verdict: Despite an interrupted screening, I really enjoyed Mongol. It was great to see what could have passed as a fairly mainstream action film with decent production values that was not from Hollywood and starred a cast of (to me) unknowns. Nine yurts out of ten.