Oh! Historical epics that lay waste to concerns regarding historical accuracy... Oh! Swordplay, barbarian hordes, epic violence, and buckets of blood...
I'm a firm believer in balance, so if you're going to mess with history, you better give us entertainment. Hmm. Isn't that the modus operandi of TV news?
Not that veracity should be the foremost concern in biographical film-making (consider the liberties taken with Bob Dylan's story in 'I'm Not There' for example; or the "ecstatic truth" approach espoused by Werner Herzog). But one should hope for a little congruence. Genghis Khan as the modern male; as the fiery, passionate lead with beautiful, long black hair; as the self-assured lover; as the conquerer, as concerned with the promises he made to his woman as he is with the honour in battle, devotion to the Gods, and loyalty to the Khan. Can the viewer imagine a more dignified person to trample across mostw of the known world sowing death and, pilfering the great treasures of the ancients, raping, maiming and destroying anything in his path?
As for the film itself, the plot was repetitive, the dialogue trite, and the characters were undeveloped. But there was plenty of blood, gore, death, violence and brutality, and sometimes that's good enough, especially when taking place against the arid backdrop of the great Asiatic steppes.
On an unrelated note, I definitely want one of those wolf tail hats.
Mongol: 5/10
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