Every country needs a hero whose name is larger than legend.
And every couple of years, movie studios profit by directors and writers who render these historic figures into movie characters.
This year, joining the ranks of “Braveheart,” “Rob Roy,” and “Gladiator,” among others, is Russian director Sergei Bodrov’s contribution: “Mongol,” the story of the rise of Genghis Khan.
Most of us recognize the name of Genghis Khan, the Mongolian ruler who controlled much of modern day Asia in the 13th century, from history classes on Marco Polo. By the time Polo reached Genghis, however, his reign was already established. The action in “Mongol” takes place well before this point in history.
Instead, “Mongol” traces Genghis Khan’s tumultuous beginnings, from a young boy named Temudjin, who witnesses the cruel murder of his father, a local tribal chief (“khan”), and is persecuted by his father’s enemy, Targutai, until he is finally sold into slavery, but only after making another powerful enemy — Jamukh.
Eventually, Temudjin breaks out of his slavery with the help of his wife, B