‘Marco Polo’Rebooted

By+Corrie+Dosh

‘An epic Silk Road adventure” is how video streaming and DvD delivery service Netflix describes its latest creation Marco Polo. Following the success of its original dramas like House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black， Netflix is betting big with a $90- million budget on its new series.

As U.S.-based Netflix makes a push to reach international audiences， Marco Polo is a smart choice. The setting of 13th century China is lush and exciting. The title role is played by Italian star Lorenzo Richelmy， and British actor Benedict Wong stars as Kublai Khan， founding Emperor of the yuan Dynasty （1271-1368）. The series was filmed in Kazakhstan and Malaysia. Creator John Fusco is also working on a sequel to the 2000 martial arts movie， Crouching Tiger， Hidden Dragon， due to be released in 2015.

“For me its a confluence of so many interests and passions Ive had over the years， bringing together Chinese history and its philosophy， Mongolian culture， warrior horse culture， martial arts and particularly Marco—who Ive always been fascinated with，” Fusco told the BBC.

Fusco said he was fascinated with ancient China and liked to live vicariously through the accounts of Polo—an Italian adventurer credited with bringing the Chinese recipe for noodles back to Italy.

“In 2007 I did a horseback trip across part of central Mongolia with my 13-year-old son. We encountered Marco Polo at all these historical places where Mongolian nomads would reference his accounts and his relationship with Kublai. Thats when everything crystallized for me and I thought it was time to explore Marco as a long-arc Tv series，” he added.

Though some have criticized the show as a stereotypical “white guy in Asia” adventure story， others have praised the series casting choices and availability of lead roles for Asian actors.

“Marco Polo was the earliest bridge between East and West， so I think its wonderful this show is also bridging East and West in terms of casting，” Fusco said.

Executive Producer Harvey Weinstein， another fan of Chinese martial arts dramas， said Polo is a figure “all have heard of but few truly know.”

“Television audiences today are more discerning than ever before both in terms of character and the scope of the worlds those characters live in，” Weinstein said.

the court of Khan

In the series， Polo is introduced to the court of Kublai as a prisoner， betrayed by his own father.He soon wins the emperors trust and becomes an advisor and regional governor. Kublai struggles to build an empire in Mongolia and China while fending off the power aspirations of his brother and Song Dynasty （960-1279） rebels.

Wong， cast as Kublai， told the British newspaper Independent that it is “refreshing” to play a historical drama set in the East， and 13th century Mongolia feels new even to viewers saturated with other costumed dramas. At the heart of the series is the human element， and Wong said the relationship between his character and Polo is enlightening.

“Kublai is someone so high up in power that hes constantly surrounded by people saying‘yes and never gets an honest answer. When he meets Marco， something jolts in him and he thinks， ‘Wow， youre telling me the truth，” Wong said. “Marco can describe Kublais kingdom to him. Its almost like hes the Internet of the middle ages and slowly， bit by bit， he becomes a therapist to him or an alternative son.”

Historical costume dramas are not common in American television， but the highly popular HBO series Game of Thrones is the prototype for these medieval sword fantasytype tales. Long， wide shots show grand views of soldiers riding into battle across sweepingly barren landscapes， and the costumes are luxe and expensive. The New York Times calls it “fur and armor” series.

Sadly， Marco Polo moves at a glacial pace. Nearly an hour goes by before any martial arts sequences happen， and the dialogue is heavy and slow. Richelmy， in the title role， is wooden and boring—likely because he speaks little English. As it progresses， however， Marco Polo picks up steam. Each episode ends on a cliffhanger—making it a perfect addition to “Netflix streaming syndrome” characterized by binge watching.

The first season of Marco Polo will tell only the beginning of his 17 years of travels—his three-year journey from venice to Beijing and his first year in court.

Polo is a popular figure in China， and the story has been staged for TV and film screens many times in both China and the United States. The venetian merchant has a compelling 24-year journey across Asia and was one of the first Europeans to chronicle the cities and cultures of the Far East. His accounts of unfamiliar animals such as elephants and monkeys are described as mythical monsters. For example， he mistook a rhinoceros for a unicorn.

Kublai died shortly after Polo returned to venice， sending his empire into decline and cutting off the Silk Road. As few travelers dared to repeat his journey， the legend of Polo grew， and still enraptures audiences today.

Netflix targets Asia

Taking on the well-known tale of Polo may be a strategic move for Netflix as it targets new markets overseas. Netflix currently has 50 million subscribers in 40 countries. The service has not yet launched in Asia， and viewers there can watch Marco Polo solely through pay Tv and Internet platforms. Developers are hoping a successful EastWest story like the Silk Road adventurer can pave the way for an Asian expansion.

“Before we even launch in a territory， these shows can be a calling card，” Ted Sarandos， Netflixs Chief Content Officer， told the Los Angeles Times. “A good example has been House of Cards， which is on Canal+ in France， but people recognize it as a Netflix show before Netflix shows up in France.”

House of Cards already enjoys a thriving audience in Beijing， airing on Sohu.coms digital video service. Sohu said more than 24 million viewers in China watched Season One of the drama. Though the show is about American politics， Sarandos said it has universal appeal.

“Most people say thats a pretty American show set against American politics，” Sarandos said at the recent U.S.-China Film Summit in Los Angeles. “But at its core， if you dig deeper its a very human show. Its much more rooted in Shakespeare than it is Washington politics.”

The company plans to follow a similar approach in China as in other countries.

“Ive always believed its not about being more Chinese or any less American； its about thinking more globally，” Sarandos said. “I dont have a team thinking， ‘How are we going to get into China？ Were going to get there by having great content that everyone wants to see.”

With Marco Polo， Netflix believes it has winning content that will pull in new viewers and help expand the companys global presence. It is like the story of Polo himself， Sarandos told The New York Times.

“At some point or another we have all been a stranger in a strange land，” he said. “Netflix is that stranger in a strange land.”