Genghis: The Legend of the Ten

Almost every film about the Mongols is centered around either Genghis or Kulai Khan. This one is not. It is centered around what would be the equivalent of an elite corps of warriors; the Aravt.

This completely Mongolian production has many positive aspects, but it does have a few weaknesses as well. One major weakness is the script. The storyline is solid, but the lines of the actors and actresses are a bit stilted and unnatural. The direction of the film is also, at times, a bit uneven. Other than that, this is a very fine production. The photography is outstanding, and the battle sequences are authentic and believable. The film is violent at times, but then again, we are talking about the greatest warriors in the history of the world.

Mongolian culture is one of the most misunderstood cultures of anyplace on earth, but this film helps us to understand Mongols a bit better than we did before we viewed this film. I also noted a bit of Japanese (Kurosawa?) influence in some of the scenes. There is nothing wrong in using a master of film as a guideline for your own production. There is also a nice Shakespearean twist in one of the subplots within the film. Really worthy of your time.