The western-produced Greco-Judeo-Roman epic has been a staple of cinema since its early days, while the Chinese film industry has kept the eastern end up with a string of recent historical pictures. But what about the lands in between? Apart from a smattering of pictures about Genghis Khan, including John Wayne's regrettable appearance in 1956's The Conqueror, the Mongol hordes have not exactly ravaged the box office. So it is refreshing to see Rise of the Conqueror sally forth, with Christian Mortensen in the saddle as the 14th-century Turkic-Mongol chieftain Timur.
A Familiar Formula with Cultural Twists
This is basically Gladiator with added throat-singing. Man-at-arms Timur is a kingmaker caught between his native Barlas tribe, which includes his testy brother-in-law Hussayn (Mahesh Jadu), who is eager to reclaim his family's rule in Samarkand. On the other side is occupying Mongol warmonger Tugluk (Maruf Otajonov), who appreciates Timur for his khan-do attitude. Tugluk tasks Timur with advising his son, Ilias (Joshua Jo), to whom he has entrusted the city. But this feckless scion does not appreciate the babysitter; after he poisons Timur, the latter is forced into exile with the Zoroastrian raiders he once hunted.
Visuals and Performance
With his manicured prow of a beard, Mortensen looks more like an Abu Dhabi hedge-fund manager than a fearsome warlord – and Rise of the Conqueror, directed by Jacob Schwarz, is equally surface-handsome. From the opening scene, in which an improbably kickass Timur and wife Aljai (Yulduz Rajabova) carve up a bunch of Mongol assassins, the film cloaks the baroque courtyards and central Asian wastes in pallid cinematography that gives a faintly detached, mystical air to this great smackdown of the clans.
But Schwarz struggles to give this biopic an assertive posture. Apart from nicely delineating the tactics at the 1365 Battle of the Mud, where Timur keeps his Chinese powder dry until the crucial moment, pivotal events such as the retaking of Samarkand are cordoned off into facile montages, presumably for budgetary reasons. The rhetorical poverty of the dialogue reflects the lack of animating spirit behind this grand-historical frieze. "Fate is not a path you choose – it is chosen for you," is not exactly going to echo in eternity.
Final Verdict
With this less-than-inspiring script, Mortensen feels a shade too relaxed in the role. You would believe in him to manage your securities portfolio, but less so to found a dynasty. Rise of the Conqueror is on digital platforms from 4 May.
