Perhaps it was after the entertaining and lavish "El Cid" (1961) that classical epic films of the 50's and early 60'started to fade away as big money making films. "Cleopatra" (1963) and "The Fall of the Roman Empire" (1964) -both with some good moments but not great films all in all- showed that things were not being done right in the genre.
"Ghengis Khan" is definitely a bad movie. Leaving aside historical accuracy -there's not much in the film-, it doesn't even work as a high adventure freely based on the Mongol king's whereabouts.
The cast is wrongly chosen starting with Omar Sharif -as the Khan himself- who can't bring power and credibility to the character at any moment. Francoise Dorleac appears as a contemporary woman, in her looks as well as in her personality. Such good actors as James Mason and Robert Morley are totally out of place and even funny here disguised as Chinese characters. Henry Levin's direction lacks imagination and strengh all along as also does the script.
There are no highlights whatsoever in this cheap-looking and dull film that even makes John Wayne's western-like "The Conqueror" (1953) about the same character appear as an acceptable product.
In all, Levin's "Ghemgis Khan" has many chances to be the worst film ever made in its kind.
"Ghengis Khan" is definitely a bad movie. Leaving aside historical accuracy -there's not much in the film-, it doesn't even work as a high adventure freely based on the Mongol king's whereabouts.
The cast is wrongly chosen starting with Omar Sharif -as the Khan himself- who can't bring power and credibility to the character at any moment. Francoise Dorleac appears as a contemporary woman, in her looks as well as in her personality. Such good actors as James Mason and Robert Morley are totally out of place and even funny here disguised as Chinese characters. Henry Levin's direction lacks imagination and strengh all along as also does the script.
There are no highlights whatsoever in this cheap-looking and dull film that even makes John Wayne's western-like "The Conqueror" (1953) about the same character appear as an acceptable product.
In all, Levin's "Ghemgis Khan" has many chances to be the worst film ever made in its kind.