I Watch Films: Genghis Khan

 

Genghis Khan (1965)

Temujin, son of a Mongol chief, is taken prisoner when his father is killed by rival chief Jamuga. Grown up, he escapes, though not before meeting Bortei, who Jamuga intends to marry. Hiding in the hills with a priest and another slave, he gathers men and raids Jamuga and other caravans. He kidnaps Bortei, then Jamuga kidnaps her back, the he rescues her but not before she’s raped by Jamuga.

While on the run from a vengeful Jamuga he and his men discover Kam Ling, a stranded Chinese ambassador. They assist him and he takes them to China where he meets the Emperor. Finding him interesting and knowledgeable Temujin and his men are kept as honoured guests (their horses taken away, under guard).

Attacked by Manchus, the Emperor has Temujin recruit Mongols to fight them. Later he defeats Jamuga, taking him prisoner. The Emperor gives him the title Prince Of Conquerors, or Genghis Khan. Jamuga escapes. Eventually tiring of being the Emperor’s mercenaries they use gunpowder to leave the Empire.

The priest has explained the world as being three circles, to the east China, to the west Persia, Khwarezm and Russia, in the middle Mongolia. Genghis Khan seizes control of Mongolia, then turns on weakened China. Jamuga has fled with his tribe to Khwarezm, where they have a final spectacular battle sequence, then Jamuga and Genghis Khan fight a duel in the film’s climax.

The historical accuracy is dubious (although not the getting captured and escaping, that seems to have happened all the time). The Mongols are played by French, English, American and Northern Irish actors, led by an Egyptian, divertingly eclectic despite missing actual central asian cast members, though not especially notable for the period. James Mason’s Kam Ling however is a rather horrid Chinese stereotype, obsequious, scheming, with protruding teeth and a terrible accent. The battles are fairly good, feeling a lot like Westerns, as presumably that was where the horse and fight team had got their experience.

Watch This: A fun exciting epic that occasionally attempts to engage with its source material
Don’t Watch This: There are better films about Genghis Khan – and for that matter entertainingly worse, such as The Conqueror in which John Wayne is hilariously mis-cast as Genghis Khan