He
wrote the equivalent of a bestselling memoir, before the invention of Gutenberg’s
printing press. Dozens of hand-written manuscripts of The Travels of Marco Polo have widely circulated, making it rather
difficult to determine the canonical truth of the celebrated merchant’s life.
That might be frustrating for scholarly biographers and historians, but it
rather takes the pressure off filmmakers dramatizing his life. Before securing
his fame and fortune, the young Venetian (or “The Latin” as he will often be
called) finds an unusual place in the Court of Kublai Khan, becoming enmeshed within
a geo-political struggle between two ancient dynastic powers in Marco Polo (trailer here), an original ten episode
historical series premiering on Netflix this Friday.
Polo
never knew his father Niccolò Polo, until the Venetian trader made a brief
homecoming, before setting off for Asia once again. Desiring a paternal
relationship, the younger Polo invited himself along, but it is soon apparent
he is quite well-attuned to rhythms and mysteries of the Eastern world, perhaps
even more than his father and uncle. In fact, the great Kublai Khan accepts
Marco Polo into his service, when Niccolò Polo offers to barter him in exchange
for trading rights along the Silk Road. Of course, the son is quite put out by
this, but his father promises to return, which he will, but maybe not in the
manner he imagined.
Valuing
Polo’s shrewd observations unclouded by courtly biases, Kublai Khan often dispatches
the Latin to report on flashpoints within his empire. Not surprisingly, Polo’s
favor rather displeases the Khan’s Chinese-educated son, Prince Jingim.
Frankly, Polo is not exactly close to anyone in court, least of all the Khan’s
trusted ministers. However, he will develop something approaching friendship with
Byamba, the Khan’s illegitimate son with one of his many concubines. Polo also
becomes ambiguously involved with Kokachin, the Blue Princess, the last
surviving noble of a conquered people, and Khutulun, the Khan’s independent-minded
warrior niece.
Regardless
of historical accuracy, writer-creator John Fusco spends enough time in the
Khan’s harem to make the broadcast networks curse the FCC. As Mel Brooks would
say, it’s good to be the Khan. Yet, despite the nudity and hedonism, some of MP’s strongest action figures are women.
As Khutulun, Korean actress Claudia Soo-hyun Kim credibly wrestles men twice
her size and projects a smart, slightly subversive sensibility. Olivia Cheng
also displays first class martial arts chops (sometimes naked) as Mei Lin, a
Song concubine who infiltrates the Khan harem on the orders of her
war-mongering brother, the villainous Imperial Regent Jia Sidao. Zhu Zhu’s
Kokachin might be more demur, but she is still quite compelling, balancing her
vulnerability with resoluteness. Of course, international superstar Joan Chen
frequently upstages everyone as the iron-willed Empress Chabi.
Italian
actor Lorenzo Richelmy holds his own as best he can amid the exotic locales and
pitched battles, maintaining the necessary fish-out-of-water earnestness.
However, he is no match for the British Benedict Wong (son of naturalized Hong
Kong parents), who absolutely dominates the series as Kublai Khan. Although he
put on considerable weight for the role, it is his commanding presence that
really seems huge. Likewise, Tom Wu is terrific delivering the goods for genre
fans as Hundred Eyes, Polo’s blind tutor in the martial arts.
