Nomad (2005 film)

Plot

Nomad is an historical epic set in 18th-century Kazakhstan. The film is a fictionalized account of the youth and coming-of-age of Ablai Khan, a descendant of Genghis Khan, as he grows and fights to defend the fortress at Hazrat-e Turkestan from Dzungar invaders.

Cast

Release dates

The Kazakh language version of Nomad premiered in Kazakhstan on 6 July 2005.

The film was released in the United States on March 16, 2007 (limited release) and March 30, 2007 (wide release).

І том “Алмас қылыш” (баспа “Шығыс-Батыс”, София, 2006)

ІІ том “Жанталас” (баспа “Шығыс-Батыс”, София, 2007)

ІІІ том “Хан Кене” (баспа “Шығыс-Батыс”, София, 2008)

Reception

Variety critic Leslie Felperin, who viewed the film at the Locarno Film Festival wrote that, "nearly every tenge (Kazakhstan's local currency) and euro from French-based co-production partner Wild Bunch is visible on screen, judging by pic's elaborate costumes, sets and cast of a thousand or so — real people not digitally generated extras", and that co-directors "Passer and Bodrov, assisted by (per credits) 'local director' Talgat Temenov, have enough skill to make Nomad compelling by dint of old-school sincerity and sheer spectacle. [...] [the cast shows] the necessary displays of athletic prowess and toothsome looks, particularly from the virile Becker".

In the United States, it was a box office bomb, as the film was only able to scrape $79,123. While most of the critics enjoyed the cinematography and the action scenes, they criticized the film for rudimentary acting, confused directing and, for some critics who saw the English version, poor dubbing. The critics especially noted that the film had very poor screenwriting, for lines such as a scene between Mansur (Kuno Becker) and Gauhar (Ayan Yesmagambetova): 'Mansur: You have the scent of the moon', Gauhar: 'Does the moon have a scent?'.

Awards and nominations

In addition to being Kazakhstan's entry in the race for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Carlo Siliotto received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Original Score.