Tadanobu Asano stars as Genghis Khan in the new film Mongol (Picturehouse)
Genghis Khan is probably best remembered as a bloody conqueror. But to Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov the Mongol ruler was much more than that. Bodrov attempts to correct some misconceptions about the 13th century leader with his Oscar nominated film Mongol (opening June 20 at Landmark's Hillcrest Cinemas. (You can listen to our KPBS Film Club discussion of the film and to my interview with the director for The World .)
Genghis Khan is a well-known name in Russia, though the Mongol conqueror is not remembered fondly there, says director Sergei Bodrov.
SERGEI BODROV: "He was described as the cruelest person in the world but he was so bad in all my school books that when I was growing up that I started to be suspicious. His history was written by his enemies. And you have to question this."
And that's what Bodrov's new film Mongol does. It questions how history has depicted Genghis Khan. The film focuses on the Mongol ruler's youth, when he was known simply as Temudgin (played by an impressive Odnyam Odsuren as a boy, and with quiet confidence by Japan's Tadanobu Asano as an adult).
Yerbol from San Diego, CA
June 21, 2008 at 03:40 AM
I can not wait to see this movie since it really shows the real life of my ancestors.
Beth Accomando
June 21, 2008 at 03:08 PM
Let me know what you think after you see it. I'd like to know if it lives up to your expectations. I thought it was quite an impressive epic and it took time for some intimate moments as well.
