Travel Reference
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across space and time and on the other they present a historical blueprint
for multiple cultural divides, potentially hurting the nation (Yessenova,
2005). But Mansur is Töre who, at the time of khans, never mingled with
the Kazakhs to ensure the reproduction of their dominant status within the
society. His claim of Kazakh identity thus collapses with the existing inter-
pretive schemes: it positions him to transcend the meanings attached to the
Kazakh identity and that of the Töre in order to reaffirm the nation through
an unambiguous unity, which is a major narrative premise in the film. But
it strips the future Ablai of agency: the effect of this dramaturgical turn is
that his call for unity becomes an innate feature of his mind as opposed
to being a matter of character development. In addition, it obliterates pos-
sibilities for the dramatic transformation of Mansur into a powerful Töre
upon his reintegration in his 'natural' social environment after years of
invisibility in displacement, which helped to inscribe Ablai in history.
In the film, Ablai (Kuno Becker) is a one-dimensional sympathetic hero,
an icon of determination (and a not very successful imitation of William
Wallace in
Braveheart
). His actions show courage and commitment to his
predetermined mission to unite his people. The screenplay draws on existing
Kazakh accounts reenacting specific events for example his duel with Shar-
ish and his subsequent encounter with Galdan Ceren seeking retribution for
his son's death. Yet, those events have been adjusted to Ablai's new character
altering their original meaning making the story flat and historically implau-
sible. Thus, as Galdan Ceren's prisoner, Ablai declines a secret marriage pro-
posal from his beautiful daughter (Dilnaz Akhmadieva), choosing an arranged
sword duel under condition of freedom or death instead. He is not aware that
his opponent, wearing an armor mask, is his best friend (Jay Hernandez) who
sacrifices his life in a scene of
Gladiator
variety in order to set Ablai free.
Galdan Ceren does not keep his word and throws Ablai back in the cage; but
a Kazakh woman (Ayana Yesmagambetova), from his past whom Ablai loves,
rescues him. Once free, Ablai, a young leader guided by Oraz and his father,
mobilizes the people for a victorious counterattack. In the aftermath of the
battle, Abulkhair khan presents Ablai with his grandfather's sword in lieu of
recognition of his fine deeds.
In this scene, Ablai completes his altruistic mission and is declared a
praiseworthy successor of his grandfather whose name he has chosen to
bear. Ablai-the-grandfather (otherwise known as Bloodsucker) is present-
ed on this occasion as a “great supporter of the Kazakh Khanate,” which
is difficult to imagine but it is the only way his odd persona can it in the
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