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Temudjin goes through countless struggles on his quest to unite the warring factions of Mongolia under his banner. He loses and reunites with his bride countless times, scores victories and defeats in equal number and eventually finds himself in bondage at the feet of a wealthy king. Through it all, Temudjin never shows even a glimpse of fear or despair.

He simply watches and waits with the confidence of a man who knows he has God on his side (which is heavily reinforced by the film’s climax). I would expect many viewers to be turned off by the narrative structure of this film, but I think most will be satiated by how incredibly beautiful the way the cinematography paints the Mongolian landscape and the incredible dignity of the performance.

There are no scenery chewing speeches delivered on horseback, simply quiet, but confident portrayals of men fighting for survival in an unforgiving and dangerous country. These two strengths, coupled with the fact that film was produced on a budget of only $20 million, a shockingly modest amount compared to similar films produced in the US, commands respect. While it has its flaws, Mongol shows enough promise to merit excitement for the next two entries.