Genghis Khan (1965)

During the thirteenth century, the shy Mongol boy Temujin (Carlo Cura) becomes the fearless leader Genghis Khan (Omar Sharif), who unites all Mongol tribes and conquers most of Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Director:

Henry Levin

Writers:

Clarke Reynolds (screenplay), Beverley Cross (screenplay)

Stars:

Stephen Boyd, Omar Sharif, James Mason

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Stephen Boyd	...	Jamuga
Omar Sharif	...	Genghis Khan / Temujin-Genghis Khan
James Mason	...	Kam Ling
Eli Wallach	...	The Shah Of Khwarezm
Françoise Dorléac	...	Bortei (as Francoise Dorleac)
Telly Savalas	...	Shan
Robert Morley	...	The Emperor Of China
Michael Hordern	...	Geen
Yvonne Mitchell	...	Katke
Woody Strode	...	Sengal
Kenneth Cope	...	Subodai
Roger Croucher	...	Kassar
Don Borisenko	...	Jebai
Patrick Holt	...	Kuchluk
Susanne Hsiao	...	Chin Yu (as Suzanne Hsaio)

Storyline

Mostly fictionalized account of the life of Genghis Khan (Omar Sharif), the Mongol warlord whose thirteenth century armies conquered much of the known world. Named Temujin (Carlo Cura), he was taken prisoner by the rival warlord Jamuga (Stephen Boyd), and as punishment, was forced to wear a large round wooden stock that severely restricted his movements. With the help of two supporters, the wiseman Geen (Sir Michael Hordern) and the strongman Sengal (Woody Strode), he manages to escape. He now begins his quest to unify all of the Mongol tribes. He faces great success, but his old nemesis Jamuga keeps appearing at various times in his life, leading to a final battle between the two.

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Plot Keywords:

pregnancy by rape | 13th century | bare chested male | hairy chest | character name as title | 

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Taglines:

Conqueror Of The World's Mightiest Empire!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Claire Bloom was attached to this project at one point.

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Goofs

The hole in Temujin's wooden collar is large enough for him to easily slip through while still locked. Coincidentally, the one worn later by Jamuga is appropriately tight and secure.

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Quotes

Emperor of China: Come here, my little sparrow!

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Alternate Versions

All UK releases are cut by 1 min 3 secs. The cinema version was cut for nudity and later video releases also included additional edits for horse-falls and to a rape scene.

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Connections

Referenced in Izuko e (1966)

User Reviews

not bad for a horse opera

Yes, the quip about the Mikado Road Company is correct. That said, this non-biography is not far as from the Lamb book as the recent TROY was from Homer. It is a fact of mythography that each retelling reflects the time and place. We grant validity to the archaic Sigurd and the medieval Siegfried, and to Wagner's. So, too, is this recasting of Genghis Khan not a biography, but a myth. Accept it for that and the story is as good a movie as "Damn Yankees" was about baseball or "South Pacific" was about World War II. In fact, maybe if this movie had a song or two... "Conquer the World" "Stepping Along the Steppes" "My Horse's Milk" ... well, perhaps not...

Details

Country:

UK West Germany Yugoslavia USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 June 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

Genghis Khan

Filming Locations:

Yugoslavia

Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Irving Allen Productions, Central Cinema Company Film (CCC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1