Ivan Passer (Cutter's Way) co-directed Nomad: The Warrior, a handsome, sprawling story set in the early 18th century about a real-life descendant of Genghis Khan who is destined to unite Kazakhs tribes against invaders. Mansur (Kuno Becker), the son of a sultan, is foreseen by an oracle-- (Jason Scott Lee), as the leader Kazakhs people have desperately needed to unite disparate peoples against the relentless, conquering Jungars. Trained by Oraz to be both a great warrior and leader, Mansur becomes known as Ablai Khan, a redeemer with seemingly preternatural skills in battle and a destiny to forge what will eventually become Kazakhstan. At the heart of the film is Mansur's lifelong friendship with another young fighter (Jay Hernandez), a young man so loyal he will not speak to Gauhar (Ayana Yesmagambetova) of his love for her, knowing Mansur loves her, too. (Mansur says nothing to her about his feelings, either, out of respect for his friend.) Nomad's widescreen action is full of impressive horsemanship, swordplay, and terrific stunts. But it's the film's obvious sense of pride in its historically-based story about the creation of a united people that ultimately proves moving. --Tom Keogh
A war epic with amazing action. A legendary warrior arises to unite a group of clans against an onslaught of besieging enemy hordes.
