DVD Review: Nomad: The Warrior

By Jeff Swindoll Jul 24, 2007, 12:14 GMT

"Nomad" is set in the 18th-century Kazakhstan, a vast, pitiless region of austere and terrible beauty, and tell the story of a boy who is destined to one day unite the three warring tribes of the country who have survived and fought for centuries - against invaders, against their formidable enemies and amongst themselves. "Nomad" is Kazakhstan\'s official entry, Best Foreign Language Film for the 79th Academy Awards. ...more

According to legend, the nomadic tribes of Kazakhstan will be brought together under one warrior and be freed from the oppression of the dictatorial Jungars. 

What the back of the box says:
“The fate of a ravaged, divided nation lines in the hands of one boy, destined to become warrior king.  In Nomad (The Warrior) “a big-budget epic…staged with an impressive fearlessness” (Neil Genzlinger, The New York Times), a young Mansur must learn the art of war and the way of the sword to unite his country against bloodthirsty invaders hell-bent on its destruction.  Starring Jay Hernandez (Hostel), Jason Scott Lee (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story), and Kuno Becker (Goal!), this epic features “fierce battles, a gorgeous landscape and heartfelt performances” (Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News).”

The plotline has a ring of familiarity to it.  A prophecy tells that a child will be born to unite the three nomadic tribes of the land.  One wise man (three would’ve been beyond the budget?) named Oraz (Jason Scott Lee) is searching for that child.  The Khan of the powerful Jungar clan doesn’t want his power to be usurped by the child of the prophecy so he order his second Sharish (Mark Dacascos) to find the child and slay him.  Oraz beats Sharish to the child and saves him, yet the mother of the child is slain. 

Oraz takes the child to his father the Sultan.  The Sultan is mourning his son and is overjoyed when Oraz tells him that he has saved him and offers Oraz whatever he wants.  Oraz chooses to ask for the boy to take him away and raise him in the ways of a warrior.  The Sultan is saddened but agrees to let Oraz have his way.  Oraz gathers boys from several tribes and raises them in the ways of the warrior. 

Erali (Jay Hernandez) and Mansur (Kuno Becker) are the best of friends since childhood and both are raised by Oraz.  However, only one of them can be the child of the prophecy and only one can be the love of Gaukhar (Ayana Yesmagambatova). 

Nomad does some things right and does them wrong.  The right is that the battle sequences are very well done.  The wrong is that the story is an all too familiar one and has some parallels in the story of Christ.  There are a little too many parallels in the beginning, and I was almost expecting a bright star to hover above Mansur’s caravan. 

There’s also the old chestnut of the two warriors being in love with the same girl and you just know that the two friends will have to face each other battle sooner or later.  I have no idea about the legends of Kazakhstan and if this is truly a story from their history or one that has been completely manufactured by the screenwriters. 

Some of the casting works (Jason Scott Lee isn’t too bad) but the main leads don’t exactly inspire (I thought that Kuno Becker was a bit too nice to be a hardened warrior and didn’t think that Jay Hernandez fit the bill either).  If they had cut out the drama and focused more on the warring then it might’ve made a more compelling film. 

Nomad is presented in anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) and enhanced for 16x9 televisions.  There are no special features, but you do get the English and Kazakh vocal tracks. 

Nomad is a film that boasts some good fight scenes, it’s in the drama department that things start to seem too familiar and fall apart.  So watch it for the fights and Kazakhstan countryside.  Just don’t think that Borat was the only tale from that land. 

Nomad: The Warrior is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.