The Man Who Would Be Khan: Sergei Bodrov's MONGOL

By Terry Keefe

Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov first learned about the legendary subject of his new epic film Mongol, that being Genghis Khan, while just a schoolboy. The portrayal of Khan in those history books was as a ruthless barbarian, a perspective that might be expected as Khan had conquered vast parts of Russia. "Russians lived under Mongol rule for almost 300 years. So we're still blaming things on the Mongols," laughs Bodrov. It was years later, when the adult Bodrov picked up a book entitled "The Legend of the Black Arrow," that a different view of Khan began to come into focus for the filmmaker. The book, by famed Russian historian Lev Gumilev, painted Khan with much more detail, offering some interesting theories as to who he really was as a man. Bodrov, "I knew the perspective on Genghis Khan in my Russian school books, but, in Asia, he's a hero. So it was interesting for me to find out who he really was. I love to sort of fight stereotypes. And I started to read more books on Khan."

The research Bodrov did would eventually form the basis of the screenplay for Mongol. One of the challenges he faced was the almost complete lack of historical documents on Khan written even close to the period during which he lived (believed to be from 1162-1227 AD). The closest thing to a factual history of Khan's life is a lengthy poem entitled "The Secret History of the Mongols," written by an unknown author, but one who is at least believed by historians to have been close personally to Khan. Bodrov's story intended to follow Khan from his childhood as a boy named Temudgin, on to when he truly became the ruler known as Genghis Khan, so he was forced to take creative liberties on much of the story. During the writing of the screenplay, Bodrov had a few disagreements with historians who he consulted for research. Recalls Bodrov, "They said things like 'He couldn't have spent all those years in a cage' (as happens in the film). They said, 'It's not in the sources.' But I said, 'Your sources are missing pieces. Tell me how he spent those years. You don't know. It's possible that it could have happened.' We could argue forever about it [laughs]." However, Bodrov's filling in of the grey areas of Khan's life, although speculative, eventually won over some of the doubters. He says, "When the movie was finished, the same historians came to me and said, 'You were right. Because for the first time, we can see Khan as a human being.'"

Mongol does, in fact, create a Genghis Khan who the audience actually roots for, a surprise for a historical figure whose name is associated in the West with barbarism and bloodshed. This is because Bodrov has wisely structured Khan's early life as a traditional hero's journey, as well as a love story. The then-Temudgin (Odnyam Odsuren as a child and Tadanobu Asano as an adult) faces untold hardship after his tribal chief father is murdered in a coup of sorts, and Temudgin is forced into exile as just a child. Through the love and unwavering support of his iron-willed wife Borte (Khulan Chuluun), he survives imprisonment, slavery, and a battle against his closest friend, the warrior chief Jamukha (Honglei Sun). From these tests, he develops an iron will and a determination to unite the lawless tribes of the Mongols, a task which, from the perspective of this film, is much less a story of conquering and pillaging, but of a great and noble mission. The film ends just as Khan is setting off on that mission, which leads to the inevitable question of whether Bodrov will do a sequel next? Obviously having been asked this a lot, he nods and says, "I am tempted now. When I was finished with Mongol, I said, 'Never again!'" But this [next part] is a good story…and a bigger story."

Mongol opens June 6th via Picturehouse. The website for Mongol is at http://www.mongolmovie.com/

The Trailer is below: