Movies

Movie lists and commentary | The Conqueror (1956) | Genghis Khan (1965) | Say it ain't so! | Other movies | Conan the Barbarian and Genghis Khan

Movie lists and commentary

"Spectacular monster: Genghis Khan according to Hollywood" by Darius Kadivar, The Iranian (November 2001). Lots of pictures from the various Genghis movies, and trenchant commentary:

"It is difficult to portray one of the most bloodthirsty monsters in history in his true colors and still attract paying customers."

Movies in and on Mongolia lists some foreign films I've never heard of, from Infosystem Mongolei.

Genghis Khan and Mongol Movies from Paul Halsall's Medieval History in the Movies .

The Conqueror (1956)

Amazon. The Conqueror (1956).

IMDb: Internet Movie Database.

Many of the cast and crew died of cancer, from atomic tests close by. This sounds like an urban legend, but the details are rather vivid.

"The Duke as The Khan: American Renditions of Chinggis Khan" by John W. Williams, covers Sharif and Wayne, together with "Taras Bulba," a Cossack flick.I'm not sure if this is a paper that never got off the ground or an extended proposal.

"The Conqueror — A Barbaric Film" by John W. Williams. Review paper.

" In one of the most memorable or silliest lines of the movie, Wayne growls, 'There are moments for action, then I listen to my blood. I feel this tartar woman is for me. My blood says take her!'"

Bad Movie Night! review by Arno Mikli. On the radioactive story:

"Genghis Khan's name was synonymous with death, tyranny and destruction. Even after he died, anyone who saw his funeral procession was promptly put to death. He would therefore, this reviewer thinks, take great satisfaction indeed in knowing that 700 years after his demise, his name had once again bought about death and suffering."

Oldies but Baddies review.

"On an interesting note, John Wayne himself originally conceived the idea that The Conquerer should receive it's world premier in Moscow. (Moscow!!???) After all, that's where the story originally took place, wasn't it? What a boost to American/USSR relations! Fortunately, the Russian Embassy in Washington demanded a preview screening after which the Russian diplomat gave it a firm 'Nyet!' The film was banned in Russia. Too bad... The Soviets could have used a good laugh."

Poster from John Wayne posters at greatposters.com.

Genghis Khan (1965)

Genghis Khan, 1965 epic staring Omar Sharif, apparently available on this Canadian site, Lear Media.

New York Times review by Hal Erickson, "sometimes wavers uncertainly between spectacle and self-parody."

Amazon. Genghis Khan. Amazon's off and on on this; the reviews mostly positive.

Internet Movie Database.

Say it ain't so!

Rumors of schlock-action hero Steven Seagal as Genghis Khan? blogged by James DiBenedetto, "This is a late April Fool's joke, right?" Others reply. There are, actually, a lot of pages about this rumor. It's late, I've got over 150 sites on other topics so far, and I just don't see the point of flogging this dead horse.

Flog flog flog. Okay here's a bit on E! Online. Seagal backed out, apparently pleading Buddhist. Score one for Buddhism.

And here's a Vanity Fair by Ned Zeman, (October 2002) on American-Buddha.com.

Other movies

The Mongols (1960). Jack Palance's Mongol film, more properly "I Mongoli" (it was filmed in Italy and in Italian). What is it with rugged hollywood stars as Mongols?

Amazon. Genghis Blues, a 1999 documentary about a blues singer's fascination with Mongolian "throat singing." Here is the soundtrack.

Lawrence Knapp's site on The Movies of Fu Manchu, The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932) concerns Fu Manchu's plot to secure the sword and mask of Genghis Khan, and therebye rule the world.

" But, even though you have unopened tombs, chambers of unspeakable tortures, Van de Graaf generators, mental enslavement drugs, virgin sacrifice and a raygun, the story never takes off."

Conan the Barbarian and Genghis Khan

Military quote site gives Genghis' words as

"The greatest happiness is to vanquish your enemies, to chase them before you, to rob them of their wealth, to see those dear to them bathed in tears, to clasp to your bosom their wives and daughters."

Reel.com gives the Conan wording as:

"Conan, what is best in life?"
"Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their women."

Secrets of Conan the Barbarian. Author argues the famous line comes from Lamb's novelization Genghis Khan: The Emperor of All Men..

""Nay," responded the Kahn, "to crush your enemies, to see them fall at your feet — to take their horses and goods and hear the lamentation of their women. That is best."

1. What is the source for the Genghis Khan quotation?
2. Does any history or novelization of Geghis Khan's life have wording that is closer to the Conan version?