perscorilo The 'original' is still the better presentation of the life of Marco Polo, so far.Although, a dated production, it benefits from having a large crew, well known and skilled principal actors, lavish sets and dress. The story-line is presented with more accuracy and in a coherent manner, as compared to other Marco Polo films.The latest Netflix/Winestein 2014 production is a low-budget action film, that lacks in many respects, especially, accuracy and presentation.Reviewing the Italian 1982 production should be a must for all Marco Polo fans.

Billyjhobbs Unfortunatetly, after the initial television run in 1982 this excellent mini-series has been shelved. Too bad. Combining much of what we know of Marco Polo and his trips to the Far East with some interesting and worthwhile Hollywood additions, this series makes for mesmerizing viewing. I would LOVE to see it again. And again. Any leads on its commercial future are, indeed, welcomed.It's always good to see cameo performances by established stars and this version of a historical wonder-man is no exception (Gielgud, Bancroft, McShane, Lancaster, to name a few). The over-all casting deserves high marks, especially the role of Marco (young and older). Filled with humor, pathos, excitement, and welcomed verisimilitude, this is a series that deserves to be re-run.

malinflood I saw this mini series when it was broadcasted in Sweden 1982. It made an enormous impact on me, and ever since then I have been fascinated by China and its history. It is actually thanks to that series that I now work and live in Hong Kong.Even though I was rather young when I saw it on TV, I remember the autencity, the detailed surroundings, the beatiful photo, the great actors and much more that made me eager to know more.

Keith F. Hatcher Soon after finding out what IMDb was, only about a year ago, one of the first things I did was to look up Marco Polo in an attempt to find out something about this series on video. How surprised I was to find various contributors bemoaning the fact that they had not been able to track down any version of this magnificent production. For this is what Marco Polo – beware! 1982 version – is. A wondrous work of art; a beautiful piece of story-telling based on this medieval traveller's experiences as he followed the silk route caravans deep into Persia, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and reaching China. Although nearly twenty years old and with no way of seeing it again since then, memorable scenes from this tremendous production still come to my mind, accompanied by that glorious music – one of Ennio Morricone's crowning achievements. Haunting, exciting scenes, so beautifully filmed by Pasqualino de Santis you could almost smell the thronged streets and cooking turms, the obstinate camels and ragged beggars, and through it all one of the best scores to have ever been written for any TV series.Oh, how I wish I had had VHS back in those days!Superb directing by Giuliano Montaldo, who for me is a complete unknown, such that the acting is of the best to be seen anywhere. And what a surprise to see further down the list names such as Anne Bancroft, Sir John Gielgud, Burt Lancaster, Leonard Nimoy and even F. Murray Abraham, could you ever believe that?Marco Polo in this production was a gigantic production by the Italian RAI. This superb work should be repeated, like any other great work of art; it should be made available on VHS and DVD; it should be shown in cinemas; this fine epic is not like Kleenex – to be used once and thrown away.Some paltry excuse of copyright would seem to be the problem. But I argue that if other TV mini-series are repeated, why not this one? The only other magnificent TV mini comparable to Marco Polo that I can recall was 'Nostromo' (1996), another European co-production, based on Joseph Conrad's exquisite novel of the same name.At last, now in 2005 I have managed to get this wonderful series on DVD: more than twenty years waiting for it!