Marco Polo -- Netflix

Marco Polo -- Netflix (Full Version)

All Forums >> [Casual Banter] >> Off the Grid

Message

cloudboy -> Marco Polo -- Netflix (12/28/2014 8:45:07 AM)
Is anybody here watching Marco Polo? I'm not MR. Gorean, but the universe of this show is highly male-centric / maledom. In many ways the whole show is about dominance and how best to exert it: by force, example, diplomacy, compromise, understanding, etc. On the flip side is the idea of service, loyalty, and sacrifice by the lower subjects. Severe consequences result for those who run afoul of the rules and customs. I'm curious what your takeaways are? For maledoms and femsubs, the show offers a lot of sexy (but who knows maybe offensive) material. FYI: This is the most expensive TV show production next to Game of Thrones.

eulero83 -> RE: Marco Polo -- Netflix (12/28/2014 10:03:53 AM)
I watched the series and liked it, but it doesn't compare with games of thrones in terms of acting and production. I think the highly male-centric society is not among the fictional parts.

smileforme50 -> RE: Marco Polo -- Netflix (12/28/2014 11:02:58 AM)
That is so funny that you mentioned this. I really don't watch much of any TV I don't have any premium channels and I don't have Netflix. I can't remember the last time I saw anything on pay-per-view. But a Dom I know actually mentioned this show to me and he just specifically said that I should see season one episode three. I guess because that was the part where they were selecting new concubines for the palace. So he asked me to see it and then ask me what I thought about it. My only comment was that I laughed when two of the girls were talking to each other, and one of them said.... "I hear he has hundreds of consorts" To which the other responds "I hope he has thousands. Being mounted once a year is more than enough for me"

cloudboy -> RE: Marco Polo -- Netflix (12/28/2014 1:03:41 PM)
Critics are not effusive, but I like its non-Western setting and fascinating look at the Mongol Empire. 3 episodes in, the weak link seems to be the lead actor playing Polo, who is wooden and inexpressive -- reminding me of the big-eyed, flat acting by E. Wood who played Frodo.

smileforme50 -> RE: Marco Polo -- Netflix (12/28/2014 1:48:20 PM)
I only saw that one episode I mentioned and in that episode is only Marco Polo....there is no mention of his father and uncle. Are the characters of his father and uncle in the show or did they take creative license and cut them out?

eulero83 -> RE: Marco Polo -- Netflix (12/28/2014 4:49:08 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: cloudboy Critics are not effusive, but I like its non-Western setting and fascinating look at the Mongol Empire. 3 episodes in, the weak link seems to be the lead actor playing Polo, who is wooden and inexpressive -- reminding me of the big-eyed, flat acting by E. Wood who played Frodo. he's for sure better looking than skilled, like many italian actors of his generation, anyhow other than a single episode in "Borgia" it's the first time he acts in english so he did better than what I expected. Just out of curiosity do you feel his accent as strong?

eulero83 -> RE: Marco Polo -- Netflix (12/28/2014 4:54:15 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: smileforme50 I only saw that one episode I mentioned and in that episode is only Marco Polo....there is no mention of his father and uncle. Are the characters of his father and uncle in the show or did they take creative license and cut them out? they are recurring charachters and they appear in 4 episodes. Actors are Pierfrancesco Favino and Corrado Invernizzi

cloudboy -> RE: Marco Polo -- Netflix (12/29/2014 5:15:29 PM)
The best thing about the show is the minority of white actors and abundance of Asians. The Chinese Chancellor just did something very upsetting to his sister's daughter. It was so bad, I'm having a hard time going back for the next episode. The thing about the Mongul Khan is violence is never indiscriminate and is a thing of last resort. Even when "justly" administered, it weighs heavily upon him. Overall, the women are not treated well --- or should I say --- their fortunes depend upon the character of the men around them.

FieryOpal -> RE: Marco Polo -- Netflix (12/29/2014 5:49:20 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: cloudboy <snip> Overall, the women are not treated well --- or should I say --- their fortunes depend upon the character of the men around them. I was going to wait until I saw the episodes first before commenting. (Two days waiting on Xbox downloads.) Isn't this a class & caste thing, beyond archaic societal practices? Who got treated well throughout history except the upper echelon? Monarchs and rulers get toppled, usurped, betrayed, poisoned or otherwise assassinated. Nations get conquered and/or annexed. No one has a guaranteed shelf life or is immune from foul play or from meeting a violent end. Life is precarious, more so then than it is now...but not much has changed. We've gotten lulled into a false sense of safety and security (to a great extent) living in modernized Western countries which have relatively stable economies and governments. Do you think that for one moment a warrior was not considered disposable? That generals don't get shuffled around like pawns on a chessboard? OTOH, women have historically had more opportunities to rise dramatically above their station in life than your average man, and benefitted their families of origin in the process.

cloudboy -> RE: Marco Polo -- Netflix (12/30/2014 2:29:18 PM)
The Mongol Empire has a sweeping history. Choosing sides back then was a life and death proposition.

MrRodgers -> RE: Marco Polo -- Netflix (12/30/2014 6:30:19 PM)
Maybe I'll give it a try but form what I've seen and read so far, is that it takes far too many historical liberties. Once there, writers have carte blanche to write anything they want and that's when I leave.

FieryOpal -> RE: Marco Polo -- Netflix (12/31/2014 6:06:58 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: eulero83 quote: ORIGINAL: smileforme50 I only saw that one episode I mentioned and in that episode is only Marco Polo....there is no mention of his father and uncle. Are the characters of his father and uncle in the show or did they take creative license and cut them out? they are recurring charachters and they appear in 4 episodes. Actors are Pierfrancesco Favino and Corrado Invernizzi Without giving away too much of the story, in the first episode when the three are together travelling as merchants in a caravan, Marco's father leaves his son there in Kublai Khan's court as tribute in exchange for trade route access on the Silk Road under the Khan's protection. It had displeased Kublai that the (Jesuit?) priest(s) who had been promised to be delivered to court had turned back en route. They don't return until years later when they bring a rare exotic oddity with them to gift the Khan.

FieryOpal -> RE: Marco Polo -- Netflix (12/31/2014 6:34:59 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: eulero83 quote: ORIGINAL: cloudboy .... 3 episodes in, the weak link seems to be the lead actor playing Polo, who is wooden and inexpressive -- reminding me of the big-eyed, flat acting by E. Wood who played Frodo. he's for sure better looking than skilled, like many italian actors of his generation, anyhow other than a single episode in "Borgia" it's the first time he acts in english so he did better than what I expected. Just out of curiosity do you feel his accent as strong? Six episodes in, eulero, I didn't find the actor's accent hard to understand, not thick nor overly Anglicized. Then of course, I found his sexiness more distracting. [sm=kiss.gif] The acting is believable and not overdone, with the right amount of subtlety and restraint befitting an Oriental court setting. Nothing Hobbit-like about it/him. [8\|] Did anybody else notice how much cowgirl-position action gets depicted? Culturally, the Mongolian princess is shown as a warrior who can outwrestle men. Concubines and other harem girls are kept women who pleasure one another while honing their erotic skills. Imperial Chinese ladies can be adept in martial arts and slay soldiers if need be. Context is everything.

Lucylastic -> RE: Marco Polo -- Netflix (12/31/2014 10:09:09 AM)
I caught the first episode of Marco Polo, then realised they had put Ripper Street on their line up...So Ive been watching that I will get around to it soon tho

Page: [1]

Collarchat.com © 2025

Terms of Service

0.0625