Myn Bala: Warriors of the Steppe

The story tells of a time, long after the Mongol Empire had retreated back to their homeland, leaving behind the many tribal clans they had brought with them when they moved west to conquer and the continual clan rivalry that existed there for centuries but before the coming of Soviet Russia and of Kazakhstan’s eventual bid for independence when the Soviet Union dissolved. Primitive black powder rifles were in use but the lance and the bow and the sword were still the predominant weapons on the battle field and war was still being fought much like Genghis Khan had taught them.The story also has a personal tale to tell, about a young man whose clan was destroyed and of the band of loyal misfits and heroes that gathered about him for protection. It is a tale not unlike the personal history of Genghis Khan, himself. It will possibly serve as the national epic of Kazakhstan on film.I was greatly impressed with all of the production values of this film. First, the cinematography was excellent, stunning, bringing to the screen the feel of the far expanse of the steppes surrounded by lofty mountains all around. The costuming was precise and exact in every detail. Nothing was spared to make this film believable. There was even a department dedicated just to the aging of the leather costumes. The tale brought forth a depth of Kazakh culture and lifestyle that I have not seen in any previous movie, before. The music was authentically Mongol and as such was haunting and appropriate every time. The only complaint I have concerns the subtitle and translations. I suspect that the actors were saying great and moving things but the translations provided were tame and boring, robbing each scene of the intensity I am sure the actors were trying to portray. Also, the subtitles move just a little too fast for me. I don’t know much about the Kazakh school of acting but I liked these young and old actors who seemed comfortable in their parts and were able to convey their characters professionally and most important, believably. All in all, a good film I would recommend to those who are tired of the usual foreign film trying too hard to look like a Hollywood production. This film was Kazakh made, Kazakh told and Kazakh acted and if this is the level of film making coming out of the Republic of Kazakhstan, then I think we are all in for a treat in the future.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie. The scenery was incredibly beautiful, and the movie does a wonderful job making it feel like you're stepping back into that time and place in the past. The characters were also very well done. But, I will say that parts of the story didn't seem to flow together as smoothly as they could have, and occasionally, characters disappeared without explanation, then they reappeared later and it seemed like the audience was expect to know exactly what they'd been doing in the meantime. Moreover, it would have been nice to have the relationships between the characters spelled out a little more clearly early on, such as who was related to whom, and whether or not titles like" brother" were literal, or meant to denote friendship. I also had to smile at some of the subtitles. I have no idea how the actual lines were written as I couldn't understand the spoken language, but seeing lines like, "These are my guys," and "Take it easy," did seem out of place in an otherwise historical film. Still, it was a good story with some great battles and some very good plot twists, and I would recommend it. A quick note for anyone who is wondering: there is some gore in this film. I have seen worse, and they didn't seem to focus on it all the time, but they don't shy away from showing blood or wounds, so you may want to take that into consideration if you're sensitive to it.

Local production out of Kazakhstan. The pluses are the film is made on location, so the scenes of the steppes are authentic,, along with the adjacent mountains. Absolutely breathtaking and Alpine. The narrative structure is strong, keeping the story flowing smoothly. The actors are all native Kazakhs, portraying what must be an accurate visual image of life in the time of warring Mongol tribesmen, complete with yurts, village scenes and epic battles without any evident cgi. ON the other side, as might be expected from a local production, character development and plot continuity are sufficient but not necessarily well developed. Therefore, scenes depicting grief are contained in single instances of loud crying, or heaving rocks as a sign of frustration. Otherwise, the movie was valuable if only to see the faces of those who inhabit this remote region of the earth, in native dress and style, from a time when fabled horsemen rode their durable ponies over endless steppes and ultimately helped shape the destiny of the world.

Very fun.I think I missed a lot in not knowing the history of the steppe region's warring classes. I am, however, now motivated to learn more about these famous hose people. The plot was a bit difficult to follow. The actual movie-making was naive, but virtuous. What I enjoyed was the look into a very unfamiliar culture for most westerners. The dress and ways of life were spell-binding. If you could suspend reality and questioning for a bit the reward was lovely. I may even watch it again for it's uniqueness. I would recommend this movie to many different types of viewers. There was something for everyone in this tidy insight into a great cultural and isolated culture.

intriguing story, it is set in a place and time that i am completely ignorant of, and at times it is hard to track the loyalties and social motivations because of my lack of knowledge.an interesting blend of the mythic and a realistic / historical sense. simple story and acting, but well done.an upgrade to the subtitles would have been nice; it seemed that there was a lot more going on than the subtitles gave.