An Analysis of the Film Mongol - Essay Example

An analysis of the film Mongol Sergej Bodrov’s 2008 film Mongol is the story of the rise to power of Ghengis Khan. Set in thirteenth century Mongolia, the film depicts the harsh realities of life for the Mongols and the breakdown and decent into constant war of the many clans of the country. It is a film of suffering and the fight for survival which ultimately resolves itself with the rule of Ghengis Khan who restores peace to the warring clans and unites all Mongolia under his flag. In the discussion of the film, this essay will focus on five key points; the value of tradition and culture, the role of women, leadership, war strategy, and loyalty. By focusing on each of these elements in turn, which are central to the film’s plot, a picture of the film will emerge which will lead to a deeper understanding of its purpose. Traditional and culture is at the heart of the film ‘Mongol’. At the beginning of the film there is relative order in the country because the current Khans of the clans are strong. There is hostility between them and certainly there is no sense of unity, but there is also no all out war. However when Khan Yesugei is killed, things begin to unravel. It is interesting to note that he in fact killed as a result of a traditional ritual. There are certain rules which the clans respect and one of them is not to attack other clans when using a rest site. Yesugei’s clan rests in a spot where another clan has already settled. As per the usual custom, the Khan of the rival clan sends a bowl of milk to Yesugei to drink and he returns the gesture of friendship. Unfortunately, the milk is poisoned and he dies shortly afterwards. This is a breaking of the traditional code of conduct of the Mongols and it is significant in setting the tone for a future complete breakdown of tradition. When the Khan dies, it falls to Temudgin, his young son and the future Genghis Khan, to take over the clan. However, older member of the clan do not respect this passing of leadership from father to son and immediately begin to steal horses from Temudgin and break up the clan. The leader of this rebel band, Targuta, threatens to kill the young Temudgin but his mother steps in arguing that it is not Mongol custom to kill children. Targuta reluctantly relents and Temudgin is saved. This issue is brought up again when Temudgin is re-captured as an adolescent. He is not yet tall enough and so Targuta shackles him until he is old enough to be killed. Temudgin escapes again and avoids death. This tradition is very much underlined in the film and so it is noteworthy that when Temudgin’s wife, Borta, rescues him from slavery, she points out that the Mongols no longer have any laws and they even kill children. This abandonment of their own codes of conduct begins with the poisoning of Yesugei and continues with Temudgin’s clan refusing to follow him. As a result, Mongolia falls into complete chaos and becomes a place when none but the bravest merchants dare to go for fear of being robbed. The film therefore sends out a powerful message that traditions exist to be respected and without them there is no structure to society and therefore no way to maintain peace and prosperity. However, although much is said about how Mongols should or should not behave, very little of the traditional customs and cultures is actually shown. The film focuses so sharply on war that little time is left for scenes of traditional Mongolian song and dance. Indeed, Ebert (2009, p.457) notes the same thing, commenting that the Mongols ‘do not sing, dance, chant, hold summit meetings, have courts, hunt or (with one exception) even cook or eat. They have no culture except for a series of sayings: ‘A Mongol does, or does not...’.’ It is, therefore, a film which discusses Mongol culture but paradoxically does not put this much in evidence in the film itself. The role of women, however, is much more clear-cut and very much in evidence throughout the film. The principle female characters in the film are Temudgin’s mother, Oelun, and his wife, Borta. Both are strong women who are independent thinkers and do not let themselves be intimidated by men. When Oelun sees that the clan are stealing from Temudgin and do not recognise him as leader, she stands up to them, pointing out that they are not doing the right thing and swearing that one day Temudgin will avenge them. Similarly, when Oelun’s first husband comes to the camp looking to steal Temudgin’s new wife, it is once again Oelun who confronts him, showing no fear in the face of a band of masked men on horseback wielding swords. She also refuses to lose faith in Temudgin, constantly supporting and encouraging him and even risking her own life to defend him. Borta, Temudgin’s wife, is a very similar character. When Temudgin goes to choose a bride, Borta actually chooses him, a fact which she reminds him of later in the film. She, like Oelun, is also willing to give herself up for the sake of her husband. When Oelun’s first husband Chiledu comes to capture her, she and Temudgin flee. However once he and his horse men catch up with them, she sends her injured husband on his horse back to the camp, whilst giving herself up. When Temudgin eventually rescues her, it is she who calmly slits Chiledu’s throat. She is fiercely loyal to her husband and respects his decisions about how to wage war. She accepts that they are forced to spend long periods of time apart and quietly faces their fate without complaint. Her dedication to her husband is so complete, in fact, that she even goes with a caravan to the city where he is held as a slave to rescue him. However, Borta is not a mild-mannered wife and when she thinks Temudgin is making a mistake she is quick to communicate her feelings. When Borta is kidnapped by Chiledu, Temudgin goes to his adoptive brother Jamukhar in order to gather a force to help get her back. Their attempt is successful and after Borta and Temudgin are successfully reunited, Temudgin and Jamukhar spend the night celebrating and fall asleep together. However, when Temudgin finally makes his way back to his wife’s bed, she sharply comments that ‘you can’t boil two rams heads in one pot’. The two of them leave Jamukhar’s camp and this is the end of the friendship between the two men and the beginning of a bitter feud that will end only at the close of the film. It is clear, therefore, that Borta commands Temudgin’s heart. Indeed, Philip French (2008: p.15) has commented that ‘his name is a byword for cruelty, but a biopic of Genghis Khan depicts him as a god-fearing family man’. Temudgin is devoted to Borta and her opinion is respected. The defining characteristic of Temudgin’s leadership is fairness. This aspect of his character is played out time and again and is a consistent focus throughout the film. He expects his warriors to have respect for their Khan and in return he gives respect to them. When Jamukhar sends his men to help rescue Borta, Temudgin allows the men to split the plunder evenly amongst themselves, taking only one tenth for himself. He also refuses the offer of the best sword, bestowing it upon the warrior who offered it to him. It is clear that this is an innovative leadership style, since Jamukhar’s brother cannot understand why Temudgin doesn’t take a bigger slice of the riches. Scott (2008, p.19) also remarks on this innovative aspect of his approach, stating that ‘the portrait that emerges is of a reformer and a unifier, a leader who consolidates rival tribes and factions and who modernizes some of the traditional Mongol ways’. Temudgin’s new leadership style makes him popular and some of Jamukhar’s men go over to his side. Indeed, by the end of the film Jamukhar’s whole army is willing to submit to his command. Temudgin also leads by example on the battlefield, which is a fundamental part of his war strategy. He doesn’t expect his men to be slaughtered while he watches from afar but instead joins them on the front row of battle, proving that he too will fight to the death as he expects them too. They in turn respect his abilities as a soldiers, not holding it against him when they are defeated. However, perhaps the greatest example of Temudgin’s courage in battle, and a moment when he in turn inspires courage in men, is in the final battle. A storm comes over and thunder cracks through the sky. Mongols are traditionally afraid of thunder and they all stop fighting, sheltering under their shields. Only Temudgin remains standing, refusing to be cowed by the thunder. His men follow his lead, and the battle is won. He gives complete loyalty to his men and expects total loyalty in return. His leadership style and war strategy are designed to inspire loyalty and he is also deeply loyal to his own men, his family and the families of his men. When the clan are under attack and it is certain he will lose, both his wife and the wives of other warriors urge the men to flee and save themselves, even though they know it will mean them being captured. However, Temudgin refuses to abandon them and instead makes sure they are safe before turning to fight his enemy. Defeat follows, but the important thing is that no one has been abandoned and the group has remained united. A similar moment of loyalty is when, having defeated him, Temudgin lets his adoptive brother go. Although the man has sworn to be his enemy, Temudgin cannot execute a person he considers to be his own brother. However, Temudgin is quick to punish anything which he considers disloyalty to the Khan. This is the single most important rule in his army and those considered traitors are quickly disposed of. The most striking example of this is after the final battle, when two enemy warriors present Temudgin with the dead body of their Khan. They tell him that they executed him and now present his body to their new leader. The two men expect that this will win them favor with Temudgin, but in fact he executes them. They don’t understand why they are being punished in this way and so it is explained to them that they broke the first rule: loyalty to the Khan. Temudgin is aware that he needs men who will stand by him in victory and defeat, not hand him over to the enemy when things go wrong. By executing the men in front of the rest of the army, Temudgin sends a strong message about the need to follow the rules, and above all show loyalty to the Khan. Temudgin is also deeply loyal in his family life. He chooses his wife when he is only nine years old and she is ten and desperately attempts to track her down again even though his life is subsequently put in danger and he goes on the run. When she is abducted he goes after her and rescues her, against Mongol custom. Indeed, when Jamukhar agrees to rescue her, he makes Temudgin swear never to tell anyone that they waged war for a woman. Finally, when he is put into slavery, he sends a monk to take her a wishbone so that she might know that he is still thinking of her. Finally, Temudgin accepts Borta’s baby as his own, even though it was conceived by his enemy when she was imprisoned. Loyalty is therefore a fundamental character trait in Temudgin’s personality and one which informs all that he does, both at home and on the battlefield. It is clear, therefore, that the film Mongol weaves together a rich tapestry of different themes. The young Genghis Khan is observed from many different angles, both in his family life and in his role as a leader. Mongol customs are questioned and examined and the position of each person in society is presented. In short, the themes of custom, loyalty, leadership and war strategy are neatly pulled together to provide an over-arching impression of the early days in the life of one of the world’s most famous leaders, Genghis Khan. Works Cited Ebert, Roger. Roger Ebert’s Movie Yearbook 2009. New York: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2009 French, Philip. “How was work today darling? Murder.” The Observer 8th June 2008: 15 Scott, A, O. “Forge a Unity of Purpose, then Conquer the World.” New York Times 6th June 2008: 19 Read More