If you think that Chinese historical dramas are only about ZZ struggles and trickery, you are wrong.
Netflix's "Marco Polo" shows you a different Chinese history, a world full of hormones, passion, betrayal and intrigue.
"Marco Polo."Marco Polo
Recommended index: ★★★★
The play, based on the travels of Italian traveler Marco Polo, tells the story of his adventures with Genghis Khan, the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th century.
This is an epic drama about Chinese history, showing the war and court struggle between the Song and Yuan dynasties.
The show, which premiered in 2014, has two seasons, 10 episodes each and 60 minutes each. On Douban, the score for the first quarter was 6.1 and that for the second quarter was 6.9. On IMDb, the show has a rating of 8.0.
The production level of this play is very high, whether it is scene, costume, music or photography, it is very exquisite and elegant. The fight scene in the play is also very thrilling and exciting, whether it is the battle between the Yuan Dynasty and the surrounding countries, or the swords and swords inside the court, all make people hold their breath.
However, the most attractive thing about the play is its large-scale picture. The play is not shy about showing the luxury and barren Y of the court of the Yuan Dynasty, as well as the boat opera of Marco Polo and all kinds of beauties. These pictures are dizzying, and they also make people feel the interweaving of history and emotion.
One of the directors of this play is the director of Game of Thrones, so on the scale of the boat show, it is no less than Game of Thrones. The investment for the whole show is also high, spending $60 million for the whole season, more than the first season of Game of Thrones.
But the play has caused a lot of controversy in China, mainly because its plot is not in line with history. Because the play is an empty history, many details and characters are fictional, which is a far cry from the real history of the Song and Yuan dynasties.
For example, Jia Sidao in the play is a crazy warmonger who wants to fight against Yuan Dynasty, but in fact, he is an ignorant and incompetent pro-faction who signed an unequal peace treaty with Yuan Dynasty. Genghis Khan is a peace-loving monarch who wants to live in harmony with the Song Dynasty, but is hindered by Jia Sidao's plot.
These plots make many domestic audiences feel dissatisfied, thinking that this is a distortion and insult to Chinese history. However, the creator of the show does not want to restore history, but to use Marco Polo's perspective to show a foreign world, a world full of adventures and surprises.
In the play, Marco Polo is a curious traveler who is spotted by Genghis Khan and becomes his confidant and adviser. He met all kinds of people and things in the court of Yuan Dynasty, including beautiful concubines, cold princesses, loyal warriors, sinister traitors, mysterious Taoists and brave soldiers.
There are many stories between him and these people, including love, friendship, hatred and betrayal. These stories make his life rich and colorful and broaden his horizons.
Conclusion:
Marco Polo is an obsessive American TV series. With Marco Polo's perspective, it shows us a different Chinese history, a world full of hormones, passion, betrayal and intrigue.
Although its main plot has a lot of controversy, its side plot and characterization fascinate many audiences.