Marco Polo

Starring:Don Diamont, Oliver Reed, Jack Palance, John Hallam, Cas Anvar, Jeff Saumier, Gareth Hunt, Gavin Abbott, Lara Bobroff, Lyudmilla Brusentsova, Graham Stark, Viktor Polusmak, Julia Volchkova, Mikhail Shayevich
Director: George Erschbamer
Studio: Lions Gate
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Hybrid
A fun adventure movie
Marco?
GREAT PAIRING OF COOPER and SIGRID

The Adventures of Marco Polo
Starring: Gary Cooper , Sigrid Gurie , Basil Rathbone , George Barbier , and Ernest Truex
Director: John Cromwell , John Ford , and Archie Mayo
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Espionage | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Unconquered (Universal Cinema Classics)
Casanova Brown
Tyrone Power: The Swashbuckler Box Set (Blood and Sand / Son of Fury / The Black Rose / Prince of Foxes / The Captain from Castile)
The Wedding Night
Pirates of the Golden Age Movie Collection (Against All Flags / Buccaneer's Girl / Yankee Buccaneer / Double Crossbones)

ASIN: B000NIBUSU
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Gary Cooper makes a dashing, flirtatious explorer-adventurer in The Adventures of Marco Polo, a twinkling account of Polo's 13th century travels from his home in Venice to China, where he established a new east-west trade route. Nothing comes easy, of course, so the film's script (by author Robert E. Sherwood) finds playboy Polo barely surviving his journey only to be sabotaged in his efforts to forge a relationship with emperor Kublai Khan (George Barbier). Polo's rival for Khan's loyalty (and the affections of the emperor's daughter, played by the exotic Sigrid Gurie) is the scheming Ahmed (Basil Rathbone), who has the ruler's ear and is wont to punish enemies by chaining them down for the benefit of hungry vultures. The story's general outrageousness extends to Polo's banishment to a tribe of rebels, led by a henpecked strongman (Alan Hale) whose shrewish wife takes a shine to the Venetian stud and saves him from execution. Directed by Archie Mayo (The Petrified Forest), The Adventures of Marco Polo is glossy fun, led by Cooper's charming, knowing performance and highlighted by the film's unwillingness to take anything too seriously. Scenes in which Polo is introduced to two Chinese inventions--spaghetti and gunpowder--are priceless. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Hybrid.......2007-05-18

The problem with Marco Polo is that it couldn't make up its mind whether it was a comedy or swashbuckler. Although I like him, Gary Cooper is miscast in this role (Ronald Colman or Robert Donat would have been better) and the screenplay needed to be more sober. George Barbier's Kubla Khan (sp?) is better suited to a Paramount farce with W.C. Fields. Ernest Truex, with that whiny voice, is almost unbearable. Who comes out on top as usual?....Basil Rathbone. He is the only reason I would watch this film.

A fun adventure movie.......2007-03-15

Much has been made about the "miscasting" of Gary Cooper as the Venetian explorer Marco Polo. However he is one of the best actors Hollywood has ever seen and I don't believe we've seen his equal yet or are likely too anytime soon. He does quite a good job in this pic and it's a fun watch. It's not up there with Sgt. York or Mr. Deeds but you can't go wrong with any film starring Cooper. Also look for Lana Turner in one of her first roles as one of Alan Hale Sr.'s servants.

Marco?.......2007-01-05

I'll always watch Gary Cooper. But as Marco Polo he's just not that good. MGM lavish production seems kind of chinzy. Amusing? Entertaining? Not so much. He hops effortlessly from Venice to China. He messes around with another man's fiancee in the 13th century as 20th century American men were wont to do. Nobody knows what Marco Polo was really like. He brought the west spaghetti & gunpowder. The rest of the story seems like it's from the screenwriters at MGM. The movie ends with Marco taking Princess Kukachin (Sigid Gurie) to her husband in Persia, the long way around. The more time to fool around until she marries. Nice.

GREAT PAIRING OF COOPER and SIGRID.......2003-06-18

Amusing, entertaining.... two words I would use in describing this holiday confection from Samuel Goldwyn. Lavish sets, costumes, music and good performances from Cooper and the Norwegian Sigrid Gurie(she is equally good in THREE FACES WEST with John Wayne).

Sigrid Gurie suffered greatly in her shaky career: At the time mof this film it was found out that she was born in Flatbush, Brooklyn and that the "Siren of the Fjords" was a "fake".

The fact that her parents were Norwegian and moved back to Norway when Sigrid was 11 months was dismissed. (Their ship was not so far the Titanic when it sunk...)

Vivien Leigh was born in Darjeeling, India and Liv Ullmann in Tokyo. They were never labeled as Indian or Japanese. There are many similar examples and why poor Sigrid suffered this idiotic case in unbelivable. Goldwyn indeed called it "a great hoax"... Why Sigrid left Goldwyn after "Algiers" is no wonder.

But she did leave us with this film, ALGIERS and THREE FACES WEST - and she playes each role differently. It`s a shame Goldwyn didn`t look after her - me may have had another star in the tradition of Dietrich and Garbo. Though I must say; SIGRID GURIE had and has a quality and a presence all her own:-)

Average customer rating:

Marco Polo (2007) (Ws Col)
Starring: Daxing Zhang , Brian Dennehy , B.D. Wong , Mark Jax , and Kee Thuan Chye
Director: Kevin Connor
Manufacturer: Rhi Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Bridge to Terabithia (Widescreen Edition)
Ghost Rider (Two-Disc Extended Cut)
The Good Shepherd (Widescreen Edition)
Night at the Museum (Widescreen Edition)
The Dresden Files - The Complete First Season

ASIN: B000PE0GXC
Release Date: 2007-08-14

Amazon.com

Marco Polo was a 13th-century explorer whose epic journey from Venice to Asia and beyond has fascinated the world for centuries. This two-part, 176-minute miniseries is a realistic first-person retrospective based on the published journals of Marco Polo in which viewers are treated to Marco Polo's (Lost's Ian Somerhalder) reminiscing about his travels from Venice through what is now Russia and Iran to China and beyond. Considered a barbarian in China, Polo developed an unusual relationship with China's leader Kublai Kahn (Brian Dennehy), becoming a trusted advisor and explorer under the Kahn while simultaneously remaining under the constant suspicion of the court. Nonetheless, Kublai Kahn sent Polo to explore then-unknown places like (modern-day) Thailand, Pakistan, India, Vietnam, and the Spice Islands where he encountered countless wonders, a host of foreign concepts, and new and exciting peoples. Shot entirely in China, viewers are transported to 13th-century China where they experience first-hand Marco Polo's incredible drive to explore unseen lands, the physical and emotional hardships of his journey, and his sense of exhilaration and wonderment on traveling through new lands. Action and adventure abound throughout the production, balanced by a careful exploration of the intricacies of Polo's relationship with the Kahn, his servant Pedro (B.D. Wong), and the women of the court Temulun and Kensai (both played by Desiree Slahaan). Just as fascinating as the actual journey is the depiction of the man Marco Polo; his commitment to truth, openness to new concepts, unceasing quest for knowledge, sense of duty, and seemingly instinctive understanding of human nature. This is a gripping, timeless telling of a classic adventure that's sure to be a favorite with history buffs, adventure lovers, and anyone who loves a good story. (Ages 10 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Average customer rating:

You won't find anything better!

Marco Polo's Silk Road

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Similar Items:

Marco Polo's Shangri-La
Empires - Islam: Empire of Faith

ASIN: B000NJWO7U
Release Date: 2007-02-19

Description

Marco Polo: "I have only told you half of what I saw!" Marco Polo, the famous Venetian explorer, extensively traveled the Northern and Southern Silk Road, which is also known as the Tea Road. He meticulously recorded his fascinating observations in his bestselling book, which for over 700 years never went out of print. Follow in his footsteps and revel in a magic adventure! Experience the legendary past and the mysteries of the East.

Customer Reviews:

You won't find anything better!.......2007-05-09

ort of it is in the conclusion if you don't want to read all this)

I own 2 Silk Road Documentaries. The first I bought was the 'Silk Road Collection' followed by the 'Marco Polo Trilogy' which consists of these three films:
Marco Polo's Shangri-La
Marco Polo's Silk Road
Marco Polo's Roof of the World

Below I compared the SILK ROAD COLLECTION to the MARCO POLO TRILOGY and a follow-up film by the same production company, called SECRETS OF THE SILK ROAD.

FOOTAGE: The Marco Polo Trilogy has better footage altogether, but the Silk Road Collection does have its fair share of interesting shots too. Definitely not a horse falling 50 feet from a bridge into a turbulent river and somehow surviving unscathed, which the Marco Polos do have, but interesting. Silk Road Collection pulls a lot of its content from old Chinese television footage and pieces it together, which is fairly similar to how Marco Polo was made. Marco Polo is just a newer version with better camera work and much higher quality video - the government had commissioned a lot of new video archiving ever since the late 90's.

LENGTH: The difference in length between the two is significant (Silk Road Collection being 630 minutes compared to Marco's 270) but unless you have a need for an obscene amount of footage I think that you would be very pleased with the concise, but not too concise, nature of the Monarex trilogy. Not to mention, Monarex has a fourth film about the Silk Road (Secrets of the Silk Road) which is not a part of the Trilogy, but might as well be given its subject matter. So assume if you buy those four together, you have 360 minutes.

CONTENT: The Silk Road Collection is a collection of episodes, each covering its own little topic given the information at hand (which wasn't very much back in the late 70's). The Marco Polo Trilogy and Secrets of the Silk Road are definitely broader in spectrum, which can be both positive and negative. The interesting aspect is that even though they are broader, they still provide more details given many recent discoveries in China since the 70's and 80's, not to mention the release of information from the government itself. So even in its generality, I found that the Marco Polos gave a wide array of new information not found in the Silk Road Collection.

CONCLUSION: The Silk Road Collection is like a full blown Greek Dictionary, where the Marco Polo Trilogy is like a book of Commonly Used Greek Phrases. Personally, I enjoy the Marco Polo version more because I am not looking for the smaller details regarding the Silk Road. I wanted a great overview and got it with the Marco Polos. If you are a professor about to teach a course on the Silk Road, I would recommend BOTH. Watch Marco Polo first, then Silk Road Collection. If you are like me and looking to build your knowledge because you are interested and would like to be further educated on the "Sleeping Giant", Marco Polo all the way.

Marco Polo (2-DVD BoxSet) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Netherlands ]

Average customer rating:

A mild Marco
pure suckitude
Why, why, why not region 1: USA? : New: Buyer beware of PAL version from Europe

Marco Polo (2-DVD BoxSet) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Netherlands ]
Director: Giuliano Montaldo
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Christopher Columbus 2-DVD Set [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Netherlands ]
History's Mysteries - The True Story of Marco Polo (A&E DVD Archives)

ASIN: B000AYE5KC

Product Description

Netherlands released, PAL/Region 2 2-DVD BoxSet: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. Languages: o Dutch (subtitles) o English (Dolby Digital 2.0) Synopsis: The life and experiences of the 13th-century explorer, who sought to connect the civilizations of China and Europe through trade. - Thirteen months and ten million dollars were lavished upon this ten-hour, four-part TV miniseries about legendary globetrotter Marco Polo. Newcomer Ken Marshall played the title character, a 14th century Venetian explorer who, among other accomplishments, firmly established the "silk route" between Europe and the Orient, introducing such precious commodities as spaghetti and fireworks to the Occidental world. In addition to featuring the usual polyglot of major British and American stars in cameo roles (including Denholm Elliott, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Leonard Nimoy, and Burt Lancaster), the production represented the first Western production to be filmed on location in China since WWII -- not to mention the first English-language appearance of celebrated Chinese stage and film actor Ying Ruocheng, superbly cast as the mighty Kublai Khan. An American-Italian-Austrian-French-British co-production, Marco Polo received its first U.S. showing when it was telecast by NBC from May 16 through 19, 1982. A "condensed" version, running approximately 270 minutes, was later made available in Europe and South America. Special Features: o Interactive Menu o Scene Access

Customer Reviews:

A mild Marco.......2007-07-02

I recently purchased this item from an Asian source. While not state of the art it is certainly serviceable. ( From the reviews I've read I'm thankful I did not choose the European version.) It comes in 3 discs and while the first disc has some minor ghosting in a night scene and some graininess in a few other spots, the other 2 discs look fine AND the price was right (24.99 on Ebay however I haven't seen it's availability lately.) The series itself appears to be complete so once you navigate the asian menu (not difficult) you should enjoy it as much, if not more, than the initial NBC showing.

pure suckitude.......2007-01-15

The one star is for this rendering, not the series itself.

First of all, yes. This is the NBC mini-series that came out in, I think, 1982, with Ken Marshall in the leading role. It also features smaller roles by the likes of Leonard Nimoy, Denholm Elliot, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, F. Murray Abraham, and others.

I immensely enjoyed this series when it first aired and have desperately been trying to find it on DVD (or even VHS) for years. And now Amazon suddenly pops up with this.

Folks, don't buy it, as I did -- sight unseen. I don't know when the series will be released in the States on DVD, but you should wait until then. You'll be sorry if you jump the gun by buying this one.

On the bright side, you are indeed getting the show. But that's about it: certainly more than what you probably had before.

But the quality of the DVD is WORSE than video disks! The dialogue is about a full second miscued to the images, the picture is cropped AND distorted, there are no subtitles save in Dutch, and the whole thing has a bleached and blighted look.

You would have to be truly desperate to settle for this trashy version. Is it even legal? Who gave permission for this to be issued? Why only in the Netherlands? Etc., etc.

You've been warned.

Why, why, why not region 1: USA? : New: Buyer beware of PAL version from Europe.......2006-01-31

I loved this story when it was originally broadcast by NBC in 1982. The costumes and sets were very nicely done, the location shots were breath taking, and the big name stars scattered throughout the program made it very enjoyable to watch.

I cannot understand why this has never been released in the U.S.A., in any format.

Recently I purchased this show from a Greek source. I don't know if that is different, except for the packaging, than the Netherlands release. It is in the PAL format, but a "Progressive Scan" DVD player will play the show on a US TV. I'M DISAPPOINTED WITH THE TRANSFER! THE QUALITY, VISUAL AND AUDIO, IS POOR. THE NBC NARRATION IS MISSING AT THE BEGINNING. THE NORMAL BREAKS FOR COMMERCIALS HAVE BEEN CUT OUT IN A VERY UNPROFESSIONAL MANNER.

HELLO? NBC, get your act together and offer this show to Region 1 in a high QUALITY manner!

From the images shown during the opening credits and elsewhere, it is obvious that much of the filmed story was not shown in the U.S. I have always wanted to see the parts that were left out. I assumed they were used for international versions of the program. I was wrong. The promotional scenes at the start of each broadcast are chopped out in the R 2 PAL set I recently purchased. Very sloppy work!

My only complaints about the show are 1) the music becomes tiresome with constant repetition; 2) the color key is off: it is too red / amber - reversal of Cyan.

Average customer rating:

Old "Skool" Kung Fu!!
another great Shaw Brothers production with Gordon Liu

4 Assassins
Starring: Gordon Liu
Director: Chang Cheh
Manufacturer: Red Sun
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Five Shaolin Masters
Ten Tigers from Kwingtung
Executioners from Shaolin
Legendary Weapons Of Kung Fu
Shaolin Temple (1976)

ASIN: B000FCR9N4

Customer Reviews:

Old "Skool" Kung Fu!!.......2006-06-12

I agree with the first reviewer,,this is another one of Shaw's best performance. This flick was entertaining from start to finish. The most impressive, was the chrystal clear transfer onto dvd,,,absolutely amazing!!The kung fu, simply too amazing. Talk about trends, this flick set them!!

another great Shaw Brothers production with Gordon Liu.......2006-06-08

This is a great "old School" Hong Kong kung fu film. This movie is english dubbed, but it is not digitally remastered so it is a little blurry at some points, but nevertheless watchable.

The Four Assassins (aka Marco Polo) has a great story and magnificent kung fu training scenes and fight scenes. This movie does star a westerner(caucasian man), Richard Harrison. He plays Marco Polo, a man who aids Mongal ruler Kublai Khan. The mongal's goal is to kill the Chinese rebels. The Chinese rebels attempt to assassinate Kublai Khan, but his 3 kung fu expert bodyguards (one of them Gordon Liu) and his soldiers make this a difficult task. Four men, the "4 Assassins" learn kung fu to avenge their slain chinese brothers.

This may sound like an ordinary revenge story, but this movie has many unique events that make it a great movie. There are great fight scenes because each of the 4 assassins has their own special technique(iron palm/jumping/immunitiy to weapons/stength to topple boulders) making awesome fight scenes when they fight the mongal soldiers and the top 3 mongal bodyguards. Fight scenes include bow and arrows, spears, swords, and kung fu. If you are a fan of great kung fu movies this would be a great addition to one's collection.

Average customer rating:

Excellent visuals, but a bit incomplete
Amazing and Rare Footage of China's Silk Road

Marco Polo's Silk Road
Starring: Marco Polo's Silk Road
Manufacturer: K.C. Sales
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Marco Polo's Shangra-La
Journey Along the Silk Road
Civilisation: The Complete Series
Sketches of Frank Gehry by Sydney Pollack
The Silk Road DVD Collection

ASIN: B000GI3RXI
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Customer Reviews:

Excellent visuals, but a bit incomplete.......2007-01-28

This was a beautifully filmed production, focusing on the southern silk road. Really, though, it should be called the Tea Road, as the amount of time that was actually spent talking about the impact of Silk was minuscule.

We purchased the film expecting to see more of the Northern Silk Road, through the "stans" and Western China because of an upcoming trip to the region. Instead, this one focused on the route to the south, over some incredibly varied and inhospitable terrain. The movie follows a caravan carrying tea leaves as it goes to Tibet.

Stunning visuals, and a great look into daily life for some of the minority peoples along the route. If you're looking for info on Kashgar, Urumqi, or any of the former Soviet republics, you may be disappointed. Still, it's worth checking out.

Amazing and Rare Footage of China's Silk Road.......2006-09-30

If you are even slightly interested in Asian Culture and/or rare footage of unknown cultures, this film will satisfy you. It covers the 6 month journey taken by many Chinese that was (and still is to some extent) the engine of the Chinese economy. There is also footage of personal culture (ie: marriage, harvesting rituals, days of celebration, etc..).

Monarex is making a third film (I just found out) that supposedly has material that completely out-does the first two. They saved the best for last it seems. The first one, in case you are interested, is "Marco Polo's Shangri-La", but whoever is selling it on Amazon spelled it "Shangra-La". Hope this helped.

Average customer rating:

Inaccuracy Compounded With Inanity
Best Worst Movie Ever!!!
Isn't there a ZERO stars???
The WORST movie EVER made
Makes Other "B" Movies Look Good

Marco Polo
Starring: Don Diamont , Oliver Reed , Jack Palance , John Hallam , and Cas Anvar
Director: George Erschbamer
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Comic Action | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

History's Mysteries - The True Story of Marco Polo (A&E DVD Archives)
The Viking Queen
The Viking Sagas
Fantasy Quest
Royal Hunt of the Sun

ASIN: 6305846030
Release Date: 2000-06-20

Customer Reviews:

Inaccuracy Compounded With Inanity.......2006-03-10

This account of Marco Polo abounds in inaccuracies and totally unbelieveable characters andd dialogue, comical even by cinematic standards. The real Marco was about 17 when he went with his father and uncle to travel to China. The Marco (Don Diamont) of this movie is a robust 30-something who travels alone except for his brother Nicolo (Jeff Saumier) and occasional nonentities he picks up as he goes. The banalites are too numerous to mention; you have to see to see this loser to believe it. But I'll mention a few: the countryside, whether in Italy, Greece, Outremer, or Armenia always looks suspiciously the same, much like a verdant rural Europe--the dialogue is too modern and overly cliched: no way they talked like that in Marco's time--Marco is a one-man army and karate practicioner:again, the bounds of credibility are sorely stretched--the inhabitants of Acre and Armenia are for the most part fair-haired and light-complexioned: hmmmmm... -- the "Templars" including the Grand Master, no less, drop everything to help Marco and his friends escape to Armenia. Not only that, but they invade Armenia later to rescue Marco and friends from the evil clutches of Beelzebub (Jack Palance). I always thought the Saracens had pretty well wiped out the Templars by Marco's time in Outremer; in any event, there is no way such a small band could have survived a ride from Acre to Armenia; let alone an invasion of Armenia--The Armenians look more like Hagar the Horrible vikings than Armenian soldiers--the Armenian princess and her lady in waiting look and talk very English--the fights, Beelzebub's "gauntlet" and escape scenes are puerile and unconvincing--I could go on, but why bother? Mercifully, this junkfest ends with the rescue of the princess and death of Beelzebub in Armenia. I doubt anyone could stand a continuation of this plotless idiocy all the way to China. Poor Jack Palance--he must have needed the money pretty badly to sign on to this piece of undistinguished tripe. Historically, histrionically, and cinematically this dog is a loser and should be condemned to the flame and cast out of the mind.

Best Worst Movie Ever!!!.......2005-11-08

Alas, I stumbled upon this gem of a film whilst channel-surfing. Honestly, me and my friend laughed so hard we nearly peed our pants... laughed till we were crying like bloody babies! If you're in high school, and stupid to boot, we think you'll enjoy this movie nearly as much as we did.

Isn't there a ZERO stars???.......2005-08-07

Oh my! As a big fan of Ian McShane I had wanted the Mini-Series Marco Polo on DVD. McShane is NOT in this film thankfully!!! A friend gave this to me for my birthday, thinking it was the McShane version.

Actually, this movie is really good for LAUGHS. This has to the the worst filmed, worst written, worst acted piece of JUNK. Surely, they could not have been that bad on purpose.

Do not WASTE your money!

The WORST movie EVER made.......2002-06-19

My long search for the worst movie ever came to a decisive end with Marco Polo. This movie is hands down the most horrible piece of filmaking imaginable. The acting, plot, dialogue, directing, and anything else that goes into making a movie should have been left on the cutting room floor. I am glad it wasn't however, for this ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE film is incredibly enjoyable for anyone looking for a hilariously bad movie. Trust me, it makes other "B" movies look like Citizen Kane.

Makes Other "B" Movies Look Good.......2002-05-06

Uh, your first clue that this is a bad flick are the opening credits. All you see for 5 minutes are the names of those who helped make this atrocious film over a map of medieval Europe. I managed to watch half an hour before falling asleep. I live in China and was curious about how Marco Polo would be depicted. Suffice it to say that the best actors in this film are the camels in the caravan across Asia Minor. A good high school cast could have given a better performance and I say this as a former drama coach. If "Gandhi" and "Lawrence of Arabia" are the best of British historical film making, this one has got to be the worst. Enough said.

History's Mysteries - The True Story of Marco Polo (A&E DVD Archives)

Average customer rating:

Title may be misleading yet another fascinating History Channel documentary!
Polo: Fact or Fiction?

History's Mysteries - The True Story of Marco Polo (A&E DVD Archives)
Starring: History's Mysteries
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Biography - Genghis Khan (A&E DVD Archives)
Biography - Christopher Columbus: Explorer of the New World (A&E DVD Archives)
Biography - Confucius: Words of Wisdom
The History Channel Presents The Crusades - Crescent & The Cross
Conquest of America (History Channel)

ASIN: B0009IXRK8
Release Date: 2005-07-26

Description

Initially circulated in the 14th century, "The Travels of Marco Polo" gave Europeans a glimpse into Far Eastern mysteries. But if Polo was an emissary to Kublai Khan, why isn't he mentioned, as are other foreigners, in the Khan's meticulous records? We'll delve into the ongoing dispute over the Venetian's veracity and very existence.

Customer Reviews:

Title may be misleading yet another fascinating History Channel documentary!.......2007-05-04

This documentary is not so much about what Marco Polo claims to have lived, but rather it questions whether his account is a first-hand experience or whether it is a mere compilation of travelers' and merchants' accounts of what went on in "the east".

The documentary starts by examining what life was like in Venice, what sort of people Marco Polo and his family may have been, and what may have caused them to travel east. It illustrates what kind of trip Marco Polo and his relatives may have had, what hardships they may have undergone, and what they encountered in Mongolian China during their 20 some year stay there. This is all of course taken off of his book, literary sources of the time (Chinese, Venetian and others), and contemporary interpretations of them.

Supporters of Marco Polo's account as real argue that his book is so vividly written it could have not been passed down to him. People who refute it argue that there is no cross-referencing of his visit to China,(apart from his book). He also missed details that would have been too important for a european to miss: the Great Wall, footbinding, chopsticks...

So was he there? Was he just a great writer? Did he even exist? This documentary ponders on that.

The reason I give it 5 stars and recommend it is, because, as a history major and lover, I agree with this documentary that, whether he was there or not, what matters is that Marco Polo's book ignited european's interest in the east, and started a conversation of China as a great civilization, and not merely a place with strange creatures on it as most europeans perceived it at the time.
Whether you believe he existed and made it to China or not, you will enjoy the debate.

If I may recommend another account of life in the eyes of a traveler in the XIII century, I encourage you to check out The Adventures of Ibn Battuta, by Ross Dunn, the account of a Muslim traveler in the east. You will delight yourself with a first hand account of an unknown world, in the eyes of someone from a different world as well.
Happy history hunting!

Polo: Fact or Fiction?.......2006-12-09

I only had vague knowledge of Marco Polo, so I thank this documentary for filling in many gaps. I never know there is doubt to his actual existence.

This documentary had only 3 interviewees, whereas many History Channel-ish works have much more. However, since Polo lived in the 13th Century, if he lived at all, there would be few that could speak on him and his times. This documentary is filled with cheesy reenactments. They also include paintings and drawings from the era and could have just used those.

Marco Polo's death is brought up 3/4 into the work, rather than at the end. I loved learning that Columbus used his text as fact and assumed Cuba was Japan.

The work mentions Arabia, Turkey, and then China. Where was India in all this? India's absence from Polo's travels would make me think Polo didn't exist, but the work says nothing on that. Also, one interviewee said, "Marco Polo probably went back to Italy because he wanted to get married." Why couldn't he marry a Chinese woman? Race, as an issue, was far different 800 years ago than now. Did the interviewee have a bias against interracial coupling that blocks this possibility from his mind? The work never explains who Marco Polo's name became part of a child's game. Lisa and Bart Simpson played that game when they met their Uncle Herb, voiced by Danny DeVito.

This documentary mentioned travelogues and their contemporary popularity. However, I thought they could have mentioned Herodotus before Polo and how travelogues influenced imperialists after Polo. Still, I thank this work for noting that Polo discussed Oriental lands as advanced, rather than backwards. Polo's writings could be viewed as anti-racist, or anti-xenophobic, and somewhat progressive.

Average customer rating:

You won't find anything better!

Marco Polo's Shangri-La

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Similar Items:

Marco Polo's Silk Road
Civilisation: The Complete Series
The Illusionist (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000NJLXOA
Release Date: 2007-02-19

Description

Marco Polo: "I have only told you half of what I saw!" Marco Polo, the famous Venetian explorer, raved about the exotic beauty of Yunnan, the magic land beyond the clouds. Poets praise Yunnan as "Shangri-La", the imaginary, remote, idyllic hideaway where life approaches perfection. Even today, Yunnan remains an enigma to many. The cultural diversity of its minorities, which have survived untouched and unspoiled for thousands of years, is fascinating. The Middle Kingdom was once the cradle of civilization. Now China is doing everything to preserve its epic culture. It remains to be seen if the remnants of China's rich cultural heritage will survive the onslaught of the 21st Century. Let "Marco Polo's Shangri-La" show you the China that once was and still is a mystery to many.

Customer Reviews:

You won't find anything better!.......2007-05-09

(The short of it is in the conclusion if you don't want to read all this)

I own 2 Silk Road Documentaries. The first I bought was the 'Silk Road Collection' followed by the 'Marco Polo Trilogy' which consists of these three films:
Marco Polo's Shangri-La
Marco Polo's Silk Road
Marco Polo's Roof of the World

Below I compared the SILK ROAD COLLECTION to the MARCO POLO TRILOGY and a follow-up film by the same production company, called SECRETS OF THE SILK ROAD.

FOOTAGE: The Marco Polo Trilogy has better footage altogether, but the Silk Road Collection does have its fair share of interesting shots too. Definitely not a horse falling 50 feet from a bridge into a turbulent river and somehow surviving unscathed, which the Marco Polos do have, but interesting. Silk Road Collection pulls a lot of its content from old Chinese television footage and pieces it together, which is fairly similar to how Marco Polo was made. Marco Polo is just a newer version with better camera work and much higher quality video - the government had commissioned a lot of new video archiving ever since the late 90's.

LENGTH: The difference in length between the two is significant (Silk Road Collection being 630 minutes compared to Marco's 270) but unless you have a need for an obscene amount of footage I think that you would be very pleased with the concise, but not too concise, nature of the Monarex trilogy. Not to mention, Monarex has a fourth film about the Silk Road (Secrets of the Silk Road) which is not a part of the Trilogy, but might as well be given its subject matter. So assume if you buy those four together, you have 360 minutes.

CONTENT: The Silk Road Collection is a collection of episodes, each covering its own little topic given the information at hand (which wasn't very much back in the late 70's). The Marco Polo Trilogy and Secrets of the Silk Road are definitely broader in spectrum, which can be both positive and negative. The interesting aspect is that even though they are broader, they still provide more details given many recent discoveries in China since the 70's and 80's, not to mention the release of information from the government itself. So even in its generality, I found that the Marco Polos gave a wide array of new information not found in the Silk Road Collection.

CONCLUSION: The Silk Road Collection is like a full blown Greek Dictionary, where the Marco Polo Trilogy is like a book of Commonly Used Greek Phrases. Personally, I enjoy the Marco Polo version more because I am not looking for the smaller details regarding the Silk Road. I wanted a great overview and got it with the Marco Polos. If you are a professor about to teach a course on the Silk Road, I would recommend BOTH. Watch Marco Polo first, then Silk Road Collection. If you are like me and looking to build your knowledge because you are interested and would like to be further educated on the "Sleeping Giant", Marco Polo all the way.

Langgaard - Antikrist / Byriel, Dahl, Elming, Gjerris, van Hal, Ketilsson, Lundgren, Resmark, Suurballe, Dausgaard, Copenhagen Opera

Average customer rating:

Don't skip the commentary!
The Antichrist is Coming!

Langgaard - Antikrist / Byriel, Dahl, Elming, Gjerris, van Hal, Ketilsson, Lundgren, Resmark, Suurballe, Dausgaard, Copenhagen Opera
Starring: Poul Elming , Sten Byrie , Anne Margrethe Dahl , Helene Gjerris , and Johnny van Hal
Manufacturer: Marco Polo
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Rautavaara - Rasputin / Salminen, Hynninen, Paasikivi, Franck, Finnish National Opera
Sallinen - The Palace / Veijo Varpio, Jorma Silvasti, Tom Krause, Jaana Mantynen, Sauli Tiilikainen, Okku Kamu, Savonlinna Opera
Saariaho - L'Amour de Loin / Dawn Upshaw, Gerald Finley, Monica Groop, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Finnish National Opera, Helsinki
Saint-Saens - Henry VIII / Rouillon, Command, Vignon, Gabriel, Bohee, Serkoyan, Laiter, Loisel, Guingal, Compiegne Opera
Prokofiev - Betrothal in a Monastery / Netrebko, Diadkova, Alexashkin, Akimov, Gergalov, Gassiev, Sokolova, Gergiev, Kirov Opera

ASIN: B0009X24RK
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Customer Reviews:

Don't skip the commentary!.......2006-09-24

Langgaard's very accessible and often electrifying score is given its due by a thoroughly committed cast and orchestra under a conductor who nicely calibrates the ebb and flow of the piece. The composer called this work a "church opera," but it really is a series of loosely connected scenes structured in the style of a medieval mystery play, with allegorical characters articulating a deliberately opaque text. The staging is visually arresting, but by all means be sure to listen at some point to the commentary, which is, no pun intended, a revelation.

The Antichrist is Coming!.......2006-01-13

Actually, the Antichrist is Here!!!

20 years ago (in the period I call "My Youth") I worked part time as a clerk at Tower Records. I fell in love with the music of Rued Lanngaard and saw in the catalog an opera called "Antikrist." I had to have it. Unfortunately, we couldn't ever obtain a copy, but the idea of it stuck in my head forever.

Needless to say, I did a double take when recently I stumbled upon a DVD of Lanngaard's "Antikrist." I've watched it twice now and must say, after my initial letdown of not seeing Satan himself wreaking hell on earth, I'm growing to absolutely love the piece.

The performance is from the Royal Danish Opera and it is a fascinatingly odd production. An almost entirely bare stage (enormous) with occasional props (tables, chairs, the organ, etc.) creates an air of vastness to the proceedings - a wise choice by director, Staffan Holm. I must admit initially the set reminded me of the vast Spanish Riding School and, initially, I kept waiting for the arrival of the Lipizzaner Stallions to give us a nice Grand Quadrille!

Rather than the evil, sadistic opus I was hoping for, Lanngaard's opera is almost more of an oratorio, a meditation if you will, contemplating the Antichrist's effect on modern society. The ideas embraced by Lanngaard may have been a bit shocking when he penned his opera, but today, they wouldn't be out of place being discussed in Sunday School.

The cast is dressed mostly in solemn black, with a turn of the 19th century feel, lending a church parable - "let's put on a show" quality which feels strangely right. With no recurring characters, those needing a typical linear-style operatic tale might need to look elsewhere, but those wanting to experience something new (circa 1920's) will find plenty to fascinate and running at a mere 96 minutes, it's relatively painless.

Musically, Lanngaard's glorious, sometimes bombastic score, owes an enormous debt to Wagner and Strauss and fans of these composers, should have no problem wrapping their ears around Lanngaard's very tonal core. The Danish National Symphony Orchestra under Thomas Dausgaard along with the cast of fine Danish singers all seem to be having a grand old time - and who wouldn't! Most of the names are unfamiliar, but many will recognize Poul Elming (he of the Kupfer Berlin Parsifal fame), but almost all of the singing is uniformly exquisite with biggish voices from attractive Danes in some big BIG music.

The DVD also features a documentary which I've not yet watched, but which sounds rather interesting.

I really recommend this!

p.

DVD:

DVD

Man Who Wasn't There [FS] [2001] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: The Kidnapping of the President

Blue Car - Poesie des Sommers