Netflix has made the movie to producing their own series to
fill out any void left in programming that they’ve lost. For the most part the
items they’ve offered so far have been amazingly well done. With their first
foray into historical drama they hit the mark with this series. Any alteration
of history isn’t apparent but one thing the series may do is inspire people to
delve deeper into the world of Marco Polo and Kublai Khan.
The series opens with Marco (Lorenzo Richelmy) dreaming of
the day when he can meet with his father and learn to be a trader just as he
is. His father left before even learning he had a son so their reunion isn’t
the joyous moment one would hope for. His father plans on leaving him behind
once more as he heads for China but young Marco hides aboard the boat his
father has hired and becomes a part of this expedition.
Traveling the Silken Road to reach in search of spices and
goods, the expedition dwindles down to just a few members before reaching the
court of Kublai Kahn (Benedict Wong), the grandson of Genghis Kahn and current
ruler of his portion of China. In an effort to establish trust and a trade
agreement, Marco’s father agrees to leave his son as hostage/slave to Kahn
which he accepts, all without discussing it with Marco prior. Left behind he
must learn the ways of the new world he finds himself in and the people who
live there.
But the series isn’t just about discovering a new way of
life. Instead it offers the many court intrigues of the time, presenting them
as equal to the trials and tribulations of the more often filmed stories of the
rise of England between its kings and queens. What we witness here is just as
interesting if not more so with more deadly consequences dealt to those who are
found out.
Kahn becomes enamored of the young foreigner and keeps him
nearby in his court. They discuss the world and the Kahn’s place in it as well
as the differences found from one culture to the next. And when plots arise
that might affect the ruler ship of Khan, he seeks minor advice from Marco to
mull over, not always accepting what he hears. This develops an enemy for Marco
as the Khan’s son Prince Jingim (Remy Hii) becomes jealous. While he need not
worry, he does so, always fearful of disappointing his father.
The court surrounding the Khan holds many who could be
considered as caring only for their self-interest. In addition to that the
Chinese emperor dies early on in the series leaving behind his child age son in
his place. A member of the court there, Jia Sidao (Chin Han), seeks to take
control of the government and in a quest for power and a dislike for the
Mongols does everything he can to force war between the two, going so far as to
force his sister to become a concubine of Khan to spy on him.
The series is quite interesting and filled with sumptuous
visuals in everything for the costumes to the sets to the countryside as seen
through the eyes of young Marco. The cinematography is astounding and many
scenes that are shot have such beauty that they could be stills featured in a
gallery. It turns what could have been a second rate series into a feast for
the eyes.
The performances here are wonderful as well. For me the true
test of an actor is to be so immersed in their performance as to think they ARE
who they are portraying, to never notice or consider that they are an actor
performing a role. Every actor in this film carries that off with ease, making you
love the heroes and hate the villains.
Perhaps the only drawback to this series is the amount of
nudity and sexual content on view. This series is definitely not something to
pass along to a young student looking for information on Polo or China, not
that it would offer tons of definitive historical content. The world of the
concubine, the orgiastic background scenes of the Khan, the use of prostitutes
and the like fill the screen in full frontal visuals in almost every episode.
I’ve always said that cable programs have consistently inserted this sort of
material in an attempt to differentiate themselves from standard television,
considering it a way to entice viewers away from the major networks. It adds
little to the story and can become tedious at times. But if that doesn’t bother
you or if that’s what you’re looking for you’ll find it here.
In the end I found this series to be thoroughly enjoyable
and look forward to watching the next season when it appears. Who knows what
the world will hold in store for Marco Polo in the future? At least as how he
is portrayed by Netflix.
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