Nomad: The Warrior (2006)

Beautiful, simple

A beautiful film with a straight forward and sufficient plot. There was even something endearingly sweet and charming about it despite all the fighting.

Thanks for a hero who is strong and is just a nice guy with inner strength and warrior skills and does not have to rub our face in it with bluster and swagger! These visual cliches could have worked too, but it has been done countless times by John Wayne, Bruce Willis, etc. Becker was a refreshing alternative that worked for me given the script. His people had been waiting for a prophesied warrior-leader -- and he was up to his destiny without having to be theatrically charismatic. In fact he was raised learning to conceal his identity and destiny and that helped make his modesty and quiet strength work for me. Of course the deviation from warrior-hero stereotypes and uncomplicated script also offered fresh meat for the critics who apparently expected it to be in competition with other epics and used them as standards.

I don't think the film was over-dramatized or that the blood was gratuitous and this may disappoint some viewers. I am glad that I took some negative reviews with a grain of salt. No, it was not sensational Hollywood or Eisenstein and did not knock me off my feet, but there are lots of standards and various ways in which films can be good.

I googled "kazakhstan mansur" and found interesting comments on the book by Ilyas Yesenberlin and on the film and on the actual historical figure. Not every historical "epic" makes me spend time to learn more about a remote country! June 27, 2008

Suprisingly good.

Not expecting too much from this little movie I was delighted & suprised with how good it was. You don't need to know where Kazakhstan is or who Ghengis Kahn was to enjoy this film. One group of people wants to take over another and the fight is on--the languange & location really don't matter once you get that. The scenery is unbelievable; the charcters honorable and heroic; the violence mild by the standards of any American slasher movie; and the love story touching and "G" rated. It's also refreshing to see an action movie for a change which has absolutely nothing to do with Americans. I liked it a lot. May 5, 2008

Historical spectacle of Kazakh nation unification

I am fan of Sergei Bodrov's (director) movies. Although this direction was a shared effort on his behalf, I expected no less and I am glad to say that I was not disappointed. It is a movie about nation of Kazakhs who live in tundra region between mighty mountains and mighty nations of China and Russia. They are conquered by Mongols, Jungars and other nations until there is a prophecy that a new warrior, descendant of Ginghis Khan will bring them freedom and unity. It is a spectacular movie with great fighting scenes, horseback riding bonanza, wonderful costumes, unique language and exotic looking beautiful women. Film also shows the value of friendship and loyalty. Our young warrior and creator of a nation is lucky to have a wise man for a teacher who teaches him not only how to fight battles and ride horses, but also how to be wise and patient ruler of the people. One cannot stop and remember Aristotle being a teacher to the young Alexander The Great. Kazakh leader is fair and strong and beautiful both inside and out thanks to the wise man who has molded him from his early years. If you liekd "Gladiator", you will like this one even more. It is a foreign movie, so be prepared for subtitles. March 28, 2008

stunning scenery, but

It was ok, but there are several better period-piece movies. This was watchable, but the plot-line was well-worn and uninspiring. March 9, 2008

Scenery/Action Over Character ...A Shame

Certainly NOMAD has some of the best horse riding scenes, swordplay, and scrumptious landscape cinematography you'll likely see, but this isn't what makes a film good. It helps but the story has to shine through on top of these things. And that's where Nomad wanders.

The story is stilted, giving it a sense that it was thrown together simply to make a "cool" movie that "looks" great. Not to mention that many of the main characters are not from the region in which this story takes place (and it's blatantly obvious with names like Lee and Hernandez). If movie makers want to engross us in a culture like the Jugars and the Kazaks, they damn well better use actors/actresses that look the part.

Warring tribes, a prophecy, brotherly love and respect, a love interest that separates our "heroes", are all touched on but with so little impact and screen time that most viewers will brush them aside in favor of the next battle sequence, the next action horse scene, or the breathtaking beauty of the landscape.

It is worth mentioning that there were some significant changes made to Nomad during its filming, specifically the director and cinematographer. Ivan Passer (director) was replaced by Sergei Bodrov, and Ueli Steiger (cinematographer) was replaced by Dan Laustsen. In one respect, Laustsen seems to have the better eye since his visions of the lands made the final cut that we see here. Definitely a good thing. However, the changing over to Bodrov as director may not have been the wisest choice. From what I'm seeing here, the focus is on the battles and not the people, which I sense comes from Bodrov's eyes and not Passer's. A true travesty.

The most shameful aspect is that this could've been a really fantastic film, with both character and action focuses. Unfortunately, the higher-ups apparently decided that action was what was needed and took the cheap (intellectually speaking) way out.

Even though I can't give this film a positive rating, it is worth watching simply for the amazing cinematography work. But that's all. January 29, 2008

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