For today’s review we have the breathtakingly gorgeous epic that is Nomad: The Warrior. This is a Kazakh production, funded by the Government of Kazakhstan and focuses on a historical hero Ablai (Abilmansur) Khan. Ablai Khan was the principal figure in the Kazakhs’ military campaigns against the Dzungars in the 1700s.
This film draws upon his life and presumably adds in a few more elements to make it an entertainer that is accessible to a larger audience.
A local mystic, Oraz warns the leader of the Dzungars that their time will soon come to an end as a leader has been born among the Kazakhs – one who will accomplish the near-impossible unification of the Kazakh tribes and lead them into battle and victory against the Dzungars. The boy is revealed to be Mansur, the son of a local sultan.
Oraz whisks him away to safety when the Dzungars attack the tribe to kill the baby. He raises Mansur as his own amidst a bunch of rosy cheeked little boys who are being trained under his watchful eye. Not even the sultan has a clue as to who in that band of boys is his own flesh and blood.
Mansur has a best friend Erali and they both vie for the attentions of the shy, sweet Gauhar. Gauhar prefers the quiet, intense charm of Mansur to the gregarious flirtations of Erali.
Soon, the time is ripe for Mansur to fulfil his destiny. A series of events lead to the abduction of Gauhar and the capture of Erali by the Dzungars. Mansur must free them, unite his fellow tribesmen and battle his enemies.
The movie was made on a $40m budget and every penny is accounted for onscreen. Watch this movie for its amazing cinematography if not for its performances. The locations are picturesque, the sets are lush and the costumes are eye-popping beautiful. Of course, there is plenty of eye-candy in terms of pretty people.
I was perplexed at the casting though. The leads are non-Kazakhs. The thought process that led to the casting of Kuno Becker and Jay Hernandez (both Mexican) as Kazakh heroes is truly fascinating. Jason Scott Lee is of Hawaiian-Chinese descent.
Kuno Becker has a meaty role as the young Mansur. There isn’t much ‘acting’ involved, but he gets to fight –hand to hand combat and swords, ride horses all across the sweeping landscapes and generally be the alpha male of the pack. He is perfect for the role. Indeed, to watch him in this and then endure him in the craptastic “From Prada to Nada” is more than I could bear.
Jay Hernandez (from Hostel) as the playful, noble Erali embraces his part with delight and looks like he is having fun.
Ayana Yesmagambetova as the shy Gauhar is adequate for the role – she doesn’t have much to do but stand around and look pretty. For some reason I found her eyebrows annoying – but that’s just me.
Jason Scott Lee is Oraz the mystic and teacher. I thought he brought a little ‘Buddhist monk’ vibe to his role – not really good or bad though.
While comparisons to Hollywood productions are inevitable, I think this movie can easily hold its own in terms of production values. Screenplay is a different ball game altogether but even that was alright if not terribly original or exciting.
Don’t watch it on a laptop. This is one for the big (ger?) screens.
