Norjmaa (2014)

Beautiful landscapes and depiction of Mongolian culture

TLDR: Beautifully shot WWII film set on the Mongolian plains. Themes of healing in the midst of wartime. I recommend this to anyone who likes slow paced movies with beautiful scenery.

- Content Warnings -
There are a few scenes with graphic violence (eg. gunshots) and direct camera shots of wounds.

- Story -
This is the story of a Mongolian woman named Norjmaa during the beginning of WWII. We see through her eyes as the war comes to her homeland, and her community leaves for a safer area. She stays as she waits for a man she loves named Hanggai. She finds and takes in two injured soldiers from opposing countries, nursing them back to health with traditional Mongolian medicine. Over the course of the movie she reflects on her past relationships in the context of the war going on around her.

It's a simple story, but is executed with love and care which really moved me as I watched. The main focus of the film is the relationships between the characters, and their interaction with the surrounding landscape.

- Main Characters -
Norjmaa is a caring woman and stubborn in her ways. Over the course of the movie we get to know her daily routine and the animals she cares for, as she lives her everyday life. Her life is disrupted by the war and the soldiers, but she adapts and cares for the people and nature around her.

The two soldiers are the war personified. At first they take every opportunity to kill each other, but as time goes on they begin to heal and trust one another. All three main characters speak different languages.

- Acting / Production -
The acting / script writing is really good for the low budget! The characters feel real and I was hooked into the movie the entire time. There are a lot of landscape shots which show how the characters interact with their environment. This sets the peaceful tone of the movie and makes the film grounded in it's setting. The flashbacks are well placed to give more context to the story. This movie does have a slow pace to fit it's peaceful theme.

- Music / Sets / Costume -
I really want to know where this was filmed, it's so beautiful! At first I could hardly believe they were actually shooting on scene. The use of both silence and traditional music enhances the scenes for the viewer. Much of the music is performed on the Morin khuur, a traditional Mongolian stringed instrument. The film was shot and acted by Mongolian people, and all the sets and costumes are authentic.

- Rewatch Value -
I personally don't rewatch movies, but the beautiful landscapes in this movie are enough to recommend multiple watches.

I wholeheartedly recommend this to those who like WWII movies, or movies with beautiful scenery and a slower pace.

Thank you for reading!

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