I'm a sucker for nation-building mythos films, and this one totally fulfills this criteria. I have to admit that this was the first Kazakh language film I've ever watched. The costumery and landscapes were amazing (note to self, I must go hiking in Kazakhstan), but the plot was very transparent and the dialog equally stilted and predictable (This could also be due to the translation errors from Kazakh to English). The obvious love interest and tension between the families/clans/tribes with the expected resolution is also included. That said, I still really enjoyed it, as this historical epoch was unknown to me, and it was fun going down the rabbit hole researching the historical battles it depicted.
10 Reviews
The bad guys disappeared from history but Kazakhstan is free and still going strong
bahnapa10 November 2018
Kazakhstan is fortunate in having a historical enemy to depict as bad guys without any concern for offending them, since the Dzungar Khanate went out of existence in the mid-18th century, not long after the events of this film. The exterminator of the Dzungar Khanate was of course Qing-dynasty China on their eastern front. That fact is barely mentioned in passing when Sultan Abilkhair points to his map and says the Dzungars have been cut off in the east. That was China making war on them. That Kazakhstan raised a rebel army strong enough to take on the western front in the Dzungar Wars is the stuff of epic legend. The scene right before the climactic battle has various divisions announcing their representation of all different parts of Kazakhstan. This is perfect for raising patriotic feeling over Kazakh history, while there are no remaining Dzungars to take offense at being shown as the unremittingly bad guys. What was then Dzungaria is now part of Xinjiang and is inhabited by Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Manchus, and Mongols as well as Chinese. It is at peace with independent Kazakhstan. This movie cast the Kazakhs in earth tones, mostly shades of brown, while the Dzungars are uniformly in black. The story is simple and easy to follow even without knowledge of this era of Kazakh history. A band of plucky teenagers becoming heroes of their nation. Go see it and feel good for Kazakhs.
a very beautiful movie of the freedom fighters
rightwingisevil6 July 2013
this film was beautifully done in every way. good cast, good directing, good screenplay, good camera, good editing, beautiful locations and settings, good costumes and, very good music. i've never thought a movie out of a small central Asia country would be this good. the script was so well crafted that allowed the young heroes and heroines to freely perform with their hearts and spirits. this is a film that once you've watched it would always stay with you, the beautiful prairie, the remote snowy mountains, the horses, the galloping. the first viewer was right, this film is indeed much better than 'nomad', the fight scenes were especially good too.
Thousand times Nomad
drkambarov30 June 2012
One of greatest movies I've ever watched, along with Brave Heart and Gladiator...Movie is about real life of Kazakh nation in XIX century, about war between Jongars and Kazakhs, about a dozen of young fellas, who were brave and brilliant enough to go and fight against army which was very powerful, about decisiveness shown by Kazakhs, which about to lose the war against stronger Jongars, stronger in terms of army and technology, but no stronger in terms of spirit and belief. I think this movie will be especially interesting and exciting for those, who loves historic movies, movies about heroic people and actions. I wrote thousand times Nomad, because I believe it is really better and better many many times than Nomad, which has budget 3 times Myn Bala's budget, but was shot by non-professionals.
Could have been a great movie if it wasn't too long
euroasiangenetic1 April 2018
An interesting movie but longer it goes more boring it gets.
During the Mongolian invasion of Kazakhstan, young little Sartai lose his mom. He grows up in the montain and learned with other young people to become assassins and fight back for their country. After a few successful missions, Sartai becomes a folk hero and legend. Which makes their leader jealous, specially when one of the female assassin shows interest for Sartai.
It's an interesting story but the problem is that the story is not long enough for 2 hours and 15 minutes. Most of the scenes end up being fillers, and the quality is not strong enough for that filler and the acting isn't strong enough for a 2 hours movie.
If the movie was 1 hour and 30 minutes then it could have been a remembered movie but it is over 2 hours and is just a forgotten filler movie.
During the Mongolian invasion of Kazakhstan, young little Sartai lose his mom. He grows up in the montain and learned with other young people to become assassins and fight back for their country. After a few successful missions, Sartai becomes a folk hero and legend. Which makes their leader jealous, specially when one of the female assassin shows interest for Sartai.
It's an interesting story but the problem is that the story is not long enough for 2 hours and 15 minutes. Most of the scenes end up being fillers, and the quality is not strong enough for that filler and the acting isn't strong enough for a 2 hours movie.
If the movie was 1 hour and 30 minutes then it could have been a remembered movie but it is over 2 hours and is just a forgotten filler movie.
Great. Movie about a great country and people
Jp-858-33050130 November 2013
I have had the privilege to see Kazakhstan many times. This movie showed the world the great natural beauty of Kazakstan, the mountains, prairies, and the people. The steppes as pictured had to be filmed in the actual steppes of the Tin Shin mountains, these scenes brought back great memories of this beautiful country. The villages had to be actual original habitats as you can see in the Mueseum in Almaty. The casting for this movies is absolutely wonderful. The Kazak language was refreshing to hear. This movie captured my heart as memories were resurrected from my heart. I thank the group that produced this movie and for their depiction of so many accurate descriptions through the art of cinematography. I recommend this movie for any one that loves freedom and I appreciate the culture of the Kazaks and their honorable approach to friendship as aptly presented in this wonderful movie based on their recent history. May Kazahstan remain free.
Myn Bala: ride and ride hard
brin-t-murray12 July 2015
Myn Bala the Kazakh movie Well, first movie I've ever seen on IMDb with only one review (three now, since I wrote this). It's the supposedly uplifting legend, based on a true story, of a set of young rebels early in eighteenth Century Kazakhstan who rose up against their oppressors. The country at that time was being overrun by a cruel and violent militaristic set of people called the Djongars, who were descendants of Genghis Khan and his Mongols. There are two main young male protagonists, Sertai and Taimas, who inevitably fall out as Sertai becomes more admired and takes over leadership; their kind-of-sister and lifelong friend Korlan, who is a scar-faced female warrior and very convincing she is too; and then Sertai falls for the beautiful young daughter, Zere, of a chief whom he offends, as being too conciliatory with their conquerors and not bold enough. The story is well told, though the flow is sometimes lost in translation. Mainly because the subtitles are out of synch, or use peculiar modern slang idioms, or during three long character farewell speeches leave just one (non-English) word up on screen for five minutes. Still, you get the gist. The story isn't new: Braveheart and all that - but this one has three things that make it standout (even apart from the fact that know nothing whatsoever about Kazakhstan's history so is always good to see a different part of the world through fresh eyes). The three things are:
The steppe. Every so often the main characters wander down from the hills where they're hiding and say something like: oh, our steppe is so beautiful, we must get rid of the invaders. They almost literally swoon over the beauty of the steppe. Really extraordinary: rarely have I seen a place which gives the western city-born person such a sense of otherness - great empty wild bare barren looking place - kind of makes me feel the opposite. The clothes. Presume they are all true to time for the place and period. Great fur hats cascading down backs, women's hats like pagodas, intricate tooled soft leather jerkins and belts, Tartar-ish military uniforms look rather like samurai - completely unlike anything have seen before. The horse-riding. Never seen anything like it in the movies: these people ride like they were born in the saddle. And why walk when you can trot? And why trot when you can gallop hell for leather across endless miles of steppe? So gallop they do. A lot. So very enjoyable. Only downside: the end. And being told that it was another three hundred years before Kazakhstan finally got its freedom. Which would be .... hm, sometime in the 1990s.
The steppe. Every so often the main characters wander down from the hills where they're hiding and say something like: oh, our steppe is so beautiful, we must get rid of the invaders. They almost literally swoon over the beauty of the steppe. Really extraordinary: rarely have I seen a place which gives the western city-born person such a sense of otherness - great empty wild bare barren looking place - kind of makes me feel the opposite. The clothes. Presume they are all true to time for the place and period. Great fur hats cascading down backs, women's hats like pagodas, intricate tooled soft leather jerkins and belts, Tartar-ish military uniforms look rather like samurai - completely unlike anything have seen before. The horse-riding. Never seen anything like it in the movies: these people ride like they were born in the saddle. And why walk when you can trot? And why trot when you can gallop hell for leather across endless miles of steppe? So gallop they do. A lot. So very enjoyable. Only downside: the end. And being told that it was another three hundred years before Kazakhstan finally got its freedom. Which would be .... hm, sometime in the 1990s.
Magnificent, extraordinary work
morrisonhimself9 May 2019
Watching "Zhauzhürek myng bala" -- also known as "Warriors of the Steppe" -- was a moving experience. It was also a novel experience, since I had never seen a movie from Kazakhstan -- and I gather most people haven't.
First, this is incredibly well done, with magnificent directing and camera work. The scenery is breath-taking. The scope of the story is more than fascinating.
Usually I have a problem keeping up with such a movie because of the chore of reading subtitles, but not this time.
The story itself reminds me a bit of "Taras Bulba," a conquered people trains itself to re-take its homeland.
The horsemanship also grabbed my admiration, and added to the acting, the directing, the superb cinematography, it totaled a motion picture experience I have not equaled in a very long time.
This movie is one to watch again and again. It's available on YouTube and I highly recommend it.
I also thank the reviewer of 30 November 2013 who was able to speak from personal experience of the beauty of Kazakhstan. You made watching this movie even better.
First, this is incredibly well done, with magnificent directing and camera work. The scenery is breath-taking. The scope of the story is more than fascinating.
Usually I have a problem keeping up with such a movie because of the chore of reading subtitles, but not this time.
The story itself reminds me a bit of "Taras Bulba," a conquered people trains itself to re-take its homeland.
The horsemanship also grabbed my admiration, and added to the acting, the directing, the superb cinematography, it totaled a motion picture experience I have not equaled in a very long time.
This movie is one to watch again and again. It's available on YouTube and I highly recommend it.
I also thank the reviewer of 30 November 2013 who was able to speak from personal experience of the beauty of Kazakhstan. You made watching this movie even better.
Finally a movie that shows a real struggle
manuniform11 June 2020
This is how you do a movie . Young Kazakhs fighting for their independent against the Mongolian army.
Showing our history of our struggle to our independence.
Kazakhstan has gone through a lot of struggle, the Turks, the mongols, the Soviet. It's nice to see our struggle come to the movies.
Showing our history of our struggle to our independence.
Kazakhstan has gone through a lot of struggle, the Turks, the mongols, the Soviet. It's nice to see our struggle come to the movies.
Story of my stepe
erasyld-5797325 July 2021
Im kazakh.
Story in my personal opinion ia taled nicely, but not perfect. Actors are good, but not great. But when I reccolect tales of my granny, which were told by here granny, I undestand how hard was that time to live, and how brave were my ancestors. If you want to get invovlved in kazakh traditions and history, that film is very good as a point of a start.
P. S.
Film is to be watched in kazakh language to get it totally and in a right way. The thing is our language is a bit different from english, and hell lot stuff just theoretically can not be translated correctly to get all the info given in one ward. For example, in english you call horse as a horse, in kazakh language there are 47 different wards to say horse(describing its colour, manner of moving, age etc). And that is only about one word, and here we talk about a movie. As an interpreter who watched both english and original versions I would say that almost of 70% of meanings in key scence were lost!
Story in my personal opinion ia taled nicely, but not perfect. Actors are good, but not great. But when I reccolect tales of my granny, which were told by here granny, I undestand how hard was that time to live, and how brave were my ancestors. If you want to get invovlved in kazakh traditions and history, that film is very good as a point of a start.
P. S.
Film is to be watched in kazakh language to get it totally and in a right way. The thing is our language is a bit different from english, and hell lot stuff just theoretically can not be translated correctly to get all the info given in one ward. For example, in english you call horse as a horse, in kazakh language there are 47 different wards to say horse(describing its colour, manner of moving, age etc). And that is only about one word, and here we talk about a movie. As an interpreter who watched both english and original versions I would say that almost of 70% of meanings in key scence were lost!
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