The Mongols (I mongoli) is a 1961 Italian/French co-production historical adventure film directed by Andre DeToth and Leopoldo Savona. It starred Jack Palance, Anita Ekberg, Antonella Lualdi, Franco Silva, Gianni Garko and Roldano Lupi. Mario Nascimbene composed the soundtrack.
During the invasion of Poland by Mongol hordes in 1240 as the latter lay siege to the city of Kraków, a conflict between Emperor Genghis Khan (Roldano Lupi) and his oldest son, the cruel Ögedei (Jack Palance), ensues when the former aims for peace and the latter itches for war and conquest.
Not to be confused with Mongol, a more recent and overall more accurate portrayal of Genghis Khan and his conquests.
The Mongols provides examples of the following tropes:
- Ambadassador: Grand Duke Stefan of Kraków is made ambassador by the King of Poland to be sent to the Mongols. When push comes to shove, he can be a great strategist.
- Artistic License – History:
- Genghis Khan died in 1227 (not 1240) while besieging the rebellious Western Xia in China, he never went to Poland. And the exact cause of his death remains a mystery, attributed to either illness, being killed in action or from wounds sustained in hunting or battle, while here he's stabbed In the Back by Ögedei's paramour.
- In Real Life, Ögedei was Genghis' third son, not his first son. Although historically disregarded in comparison to his father, especially on account of his alcoholism, he was known to be good-natured, something his portrayal as a cruel Blood Knight and Warhawk here clearly isn't.
- One of Genghis Khan's sons here is named Temüjin. Temüjin was Genghis Khan himself (his birth name), not one of his sons.
- Blood Knight: Ögedei lives for war and Rape, Pillage, and Burn, he can't stand truces and peace treaties to the point of seeking to sabotage them.
- The Dreaded: The Mongols are feared throughout Europe. Doesn't prevent the Poles from trying to stop them when there's no other choice.
- Establishing Character Moment:
- Stefan making his pro-peace voice heard at the royal Polish court, establishing him as a Martial Pacifist.
- When he's introduced, Ögedei gleefully whips some conquered Poles with Evil Laughs while his horde goes all Rape, Pillage, and Burn.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Ögedei would never stoop so low as to kill his own father Genghis Khan, and when Hulina does it, he vows to execute her once he'll be done with Poland.
- The High Middle Ages: The film is set in this era, in the middle of the 13th century.
- Hordes from the East: Of course, being about the Mongol attempts to conquer Europe.
- The Kingslayer: Hulina ends up killing Genghis Khan when he's determined to seek out peace with Poland, in order to allow Ögedei to pursue his war plans. Ögedei proceeds with his plans, but vows to execute her for what she did nonetheless once he'll be done with Poland.
- Martial Pacifist: At the royal court of Poland, Stefan advises to prioritize seeking peace with the Mongols.
- Million Mook March: The film's credits accompanied by Mario Nascimbene's music consist of shots of the horde of countless Mongol warriors charging with their horses.
- Rape, Pillage, and Burn: In the first Polish town to be conquered by the Mongols, the latter pillage churches, drag a Virgin Mary statue behind a horse, go after the women and tie some men to the wheels of their carts.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Genghis Khan is depicted as open to Polish proposals of peace. Ögedei clearly isn't.
- Toppled Statue: A Virgin Mary statue is seen being dragged behind a horse by the Mongols in the first Polish town they invade, to show that they're clearly not there to respect Christianity.
- Warhawk: Ögedei, as he puts it:"Without war, we are nothing!"
- Yellowface: As with The Conqueror a few years prior (though less infamously due to the film not being as well known), none of the actors playing Mongols, starting with Jack Palance, was of Mongol or East Asian descent. The film surely capitalized on Palance's unusual face that was made to look Asian-ish (it resulted from reconstructive surgery after a war injury).
