So he does, stirring hatred among the Tartars and setting a series of events in motion that will lead to the death of Genghis' best friend, played by Pedro Armendariz. After her capture, Hayward reluctantly participates in a choreographed belly dance sequence, combining Turkish harem and Busby Berky, tinted with a hint of Siam. Eventually, Hayward breaks into a sword dance. She flings the sword, point first, into the dais, intentionally missing the guests but signaling her independent spirit. Movie armies are not defeated because of negative qualities in the hero's leadership or character.
Misplaced loyalty is a primary culprit.
We honor loyalty as a good thing, upon which evil people take advantage. This is true with Genghis, who follows the advice of his shaman, who we know to be a cheat and deceitful. The shaman sets lovers and friends upon each other, so that Genghis quickly misinterprets the actions and motives of his new lover and of his best friend. As Hayward, the tartar woman, comes to appreciate the deception, she struggles to save the hero from his flaws. At one point, captured by the tartar enemy, Genghis is to be tortured, then executed.