Reviews

"Marco Polo" offers a fascinating view of a historical episode that has received comparatively little attention on western TV. Visually, the production is gorgeous: the scenery, costumes, and architecture look beautiful and convincing, while imaginative camera work presents each scene and action in the most intelligible and appropriate way.

What really holds my interest, however, is the characters. Every one of them (and there are lots!) has a distinctive personality and point of view. The excellent script and brilliant performances make each character—even the minor ones—vivid and compelling. Kublai Khan in particular comes to life as a complex man with a surprisingly dry sense of humor. The scheming, ambitious Chinese courtier Jia Sidao, with his cool demeanor and mantis-obsession, makes a superb villain. Although the series is named after Marco Polo, and focuses on him frequently, the story has a grand scale that makes Polo at times seem small and somewhat insignificant. This is not a flaw.

I can't believe the hostile commentary this show has attracted, much of it seemingly motivated by political correctness. I see nothing stereotypical or condescending about "Marco Polo"'s treatment of martial arts, concubines, etc. Some people are never satisfied!

Gripping, moving, and authentic, Gibson's "Passion" is the best Jesus movie ever. Unlike earlier, more "tasteful" versions, which unfold so slowly they make their subject matter boring, "Passion" gets right to the point. The crucifixion is the heart of Jesus's mission, without which our redemption could not happen. Gibson focuses on that. The horrifying violence and rivers of blood are hard to look at, but that, too, is the point, and the way these things are presented--the colors, the camera angles, the flashbacks--find beauty and meaning amid the gore.

Besides bringing the New Testament's heroes to life, Gibson does a great job of presenting its villains. Judas comes off believably as someone who immediately repents of betraying Jesus. He throws his blood money of silver coins back at the priests and runs away from them, but things spiral downhill from there. Soon Judas has attracted a crowd of nasty urchins who chase him through the desert, tormenting him. When they finally disappear he finds himself sitting on the dirt next to a dead donkey swarming with maggots. His ensuing suicide feels completely inevitable. The devil keeps popping up all through the film, represented by a skulking, shrouded figure in the background. Near the end we see the devil revealed in his true element--a parched, cracked wasteland littered with bones. He's sitting on that ground, raging, and the camera looks down at him and rises away as fast as possible, just as we would do given the chance.

All the characters are portrayed by little-known actors who look just right. Surprisingly, the subtitled dialog in Latin and Aramaic isn't distracting at all--the spoken lines are short and familiar anyway.