Review of Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan (2007) by Paul C — 19 Jun 2009

Mongol is the first installment in a three-part trilogy about the life of Genghis Khan, and well worth a watch. Tadanobu Asano is captivating, as always, as the young conquerer, but Honglei Sun nearly steals the show as Jamukha, first ally, then archrival to the young Khan.

Viewers who are squeamish at the sight of blood should avoid this one, as the battle scenes are quite bloody and brutal, yet beautifully filmed against the breathtaking backdrop of stark Mongolian plains and mountains.

The historical accuracy of the film is debatable, since only the most basic facts are known about the world conquerer who lived nearly 1000 years ago, but I'd be very interested to know if there was an historical basis for the character of the monk, advisor to the doomed Tangut.