Enchanting Search for Wisdom in ‘Molom’

Marie Jaoul de Poncheville’s “Molom--A Legend of Mongolia” is a lyrical epic that takes us into a vast, unspoiled landscape in which an old man, Molom (Tsededorj), encounters a boy, Yonden (Yondejunai), cared for by wolves after being abandoned by his drunken father.

In the telling of Poncheville’s enchanting tale, you’re asked to view Molom as a kindly grandfatherly type with some remarkable psychic gifts and healing powers. He takes the boy, who’s not a true “wild child”--he’s able to speak--and guides him on the path of Buddhist wisdom.

You’re also invited to consider that Molom is half-shaman, half-priest, a mediator between the gods and men whose purpose is to protect and enlighten all he meets. That you can take “Molom” on two levels gives it clarity and suggestiveness; anchored to reality, it soars in the imagination.

As Molom and Yonden travel the countryside, the man entertains the boy with wonderful tales of the glories of Mongolia’s past. They experience various adventures and meet many people, but all the while Molom is guiding Yonden in the ways of Buddhism, teaching him of the quest for Shambala, the Buddhist paradise.

As Poncheville shifts effortlessly from the everyday to the exquisitely fantastic, Molom steers Yonden toward his greatest lesson: understanding that the elusive “sacred pearl” he glimpses in the palm of an old woman--or is she a witch?--is in fact his soul and that he can find it only within himself.

“Molom” could be taken as part of a glorious trilogy that includes Nikita Mikhalkov’s Oscar-nominated “Close to Eden” and Xie Fei’s “A Mongolian Tale.” All three evoke a timeless way of life only to jolt us with the unexpected intrusion of a raw, bustling present. Mikhalkov saw an Eden endangered, and Xie commented on the corrupting powers of urban values. Poncheville clearly perceives these dangers, yet her film is an expression of faith that the spiritual values embodied in Buddhism will endure.

The beauty and simplicity of this film, which makes exceptionally effective use of soundtrack narration, is absolutely exhilarating, and though Tsededorj is a celebrated acting veteran, 12-year-old Yondejunai is one of those miraculously natural actors, completely undaunted by the presence of a camera.

“Molom--A Legend of Mongolia” marks the feature debut of Poncheville, a documentarian and journalist best known for “Lung Ta: The Forgotten Tibet.” That 1990 documentary, made with Franz-Christophe Giercke, offers a convincing vision of a Shangri-La turned into a nightmare by Chinese forces and policies.

* Unrated. Times guidelines: The film is suitable for anyone old enough to read English subtitles.

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‘Molom--A Legend of Mongolia’

Tsededorj: Molom

Yondejunai: Yonden

A Castle Hill Releasing presentation of a Lung-Ta production. Writer-producer-director Marie Jaoul de Poncheville. Executive producer Fabien Quaki. Cinematographer Jacques Besse. Editor Danielle Anezin. Costumes Kh. Amarjagal, N. Batbayer. Music Mongolian folk songs. Art director Abderrahmane Sissako. In Mongolian with English subtitles. Running time: 1 hour, 33 minutes.

* Exclusively at the Grande 4-Plex through Thursday, 345 S. Figueroa St., (213) 617-0268.