Mongol

To some he was a brutal leader; to others he was a god. The Academy Award-nominated Mongol depicts the incredible early life of Genghis Khan, from his birth in 1162, through his perilous childhood to the mammoth battle that sealed his destiny as future conqueror. The film is based on leading scholarly accounts, and arrives care of award-winning Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov (Prisoner of the Mountains).

The story opens as nine-year-old Temudgin sets off with his father, a Mongolian tribal leader, to search for a bride. Travelling across the region's stark and beautiful tundra, Temudgin chooses the mischievous Borte. But the boy's life instantly changes when the Khan's rivals poison his father. Despite being next in line to rule, the rest of the tribe refuses to accept leadership from a young boy, and so they banish his family and send him into slavery.

What follows is a classic story of courage and resourcefulness, as the boy grows into a strong, defiant warrior (brilliantly played by Tadanobu Asano), gradually reasserting his claim to lead his kingdom as the great ruler Genghis Khan.

The film reveals Khan not as the evil brute of stereotype, but as an inspiring, fearless and visionary leader. It shows us the making of an extraordinary man – both loyal and deeply spiritual – and the foundation on which so much of his greatness rested: his relationship with his wife and mother.

Action and emotion collide against some of the most stunning terrain on Earth in this exciting and awe-inspiring tale of survival and triumph. Mongol is a spectacular epic that needs to be seen to be believed.

Duration: 124 minutes