Mongol

Last night I went and saw the movie, "Mongol," at the Sundance Movie Theater in Madison. Let me tell you, that movie theater is like none other that I have ever seen.

As you enter the lobby, off to the right is a ticket counter. Not only do the workers there dispense the tickets, but actually ask where you would like to sit. The seating chart flashes up on a flat screen monitor, and you have the ability to choose where you want to sit. Technology is really cool!

I would have liked to have had more time to perhaps get something to drink, or eat (as by the time we had gotten there, I had had no supper). But with the tremendously long line (and the fact that we were running late) prevented me from scoping out their wares. Once we were able to see what they had to offer after the show, you could have sandwiches, wine, sake, and other strange "non-popcorn and soda" type offerings. Yeah.....you'll never see one of these theaters in Janesville ANY time soon.

As I got into the theater, the seating was absolutely amazing. I'm not much of a fan of the movie theater, as I am not particularly fond of walking across a darkened floor, periodically feeling my flip-flips stick to some spillage by a liberal Madisonian. Nor am I a fan of stale butter scent from the popcorn.

This theater, however, was void of all such unpleasantries, and the seats were just shy of sitting in a posh barco-lounger. It was heaven!

Anyhow, the movie. I must say that this movie, "Mongol," was a visual masterpiece. The cinematography was stunning. I had no idea what Mongolia would ever look like, although I always pictured it to be barren, with lots of desert. Well, it was barren alright. But a beautiful barren, mind you. I have a lot more respect for the nomads of Mongolia. Anyone that can live off of yak milk, unidentified meat, be able to sleep in the middle of a blizzard in the barren tundra, and have no remorse for killing your brother, is a much hardier person than I will EVER claim to be. Let's face it: I hate camping, and am against slaying siblings, period.

Of course, this movie is about Genghis Khan and his rise to power from his boyhood to right before he united all of the Mongols. Those mongols, talk about a tough crowd. They make Stephen Segal look like Woody Allen. Ruthless, bloody, and damn clever, I would never want to run into an angry Mongol.

The whole movie was in Mongolian. It sounded nothing like Chinese, and was oddly a beautiful and strange language. I know some people may not care to read sub-titles to a movie, but I have never seen a more intense movie in recent memory. The tribulations and trials that Temugin (Genghis Khan) had to go through, no doubt made him the historical icon he now is. Much of the movie was very stark, and the costuming spectacular. I mean, I've never been much of a hat person, but I'd take one of those Mongolian fur hats ANYTIME. My melon would for sure be warm for the rest of my life.

Only once does Genghis Khan smile during the movie. I had to laugh (literally out loud) because ironically it came right after he just had sex with his wife after a long separation (who wouldn't smile?) Further making me laugh, was that right after he had sex with his wife, the scene changes, and converges on a very green meadow, and a beautiful blue sky ( I was waiting for Julie Andrews and Mother Abbess to come out and do a rousing rendition of "Climb Every Mountain"... but alas!), in stark contrast to the rest of the movie where it does nothing but storm, snow, rain, or have skies that are overcast, and fields that are a weathered brown. And it was the only time that you ever see a "green" ANYTHING in the movie. Perhaps his wife finally had a child of his (since she ended up having two others with two other men while she was still married-though not her fault, of course), and it symbolizes fertility. Who knows, it was just a very weird moment in the movie.

Anyhow, if any of you readers out there have a chance to see it, I highly recommend it. It's worth the 2 hours and 25 minutes of your time!