Problems aside, Quo Vadis is a film of visual spectacle and grandeur. I did find some of the religious aspects over-bearing, some of the script rather stilted(Petronious' philosophical lines excepted) and a little rambling and bloated in the story and pace. Quo Vadis is a good movie, but I personally don't consider it a truly great one. Reviewed by TheLittleSongbird 7 / 10 Grand visual spectacle, magnificent score and solid performances make this worth watching Overall, a film every film buff should see.and even with its faults, it's an amazing film. By the way, following the fire, it IS true that Nero blamed Christians and used their persecution to divert attention from his incompetence. And, since it makes up such a big portion of the film, it is a strike against it. But it is a myth with no real basis in fact. In the movie, it was deliberately set by Nero and his minions.and this is a common myth. My only complaint comes from its fictionalizing the Burning of Rome. After all, few films have been made about the early Christians and this is 1000 times better than the god-awful "Sign of the Cross" which covers much of the same material. I can easily see why it was the biggest box office draw of 1951. It's every bit as spectacular as "Gone With the Wind" and "Ben Hur". The film is a spectacle and apart from one brief scene which was sloppy (Marcus racing to Lygia during the burning of Rome), it's among the most amazing movies of its age. At the same time, Nero's weirdness and infamy increase. The rest of the film consists of Marcus pursuing Lygia, though she is a Christian and he is a traditional Roman. Once there, he sees first hand the wacky antics of the Emperor.and he also soon sees a cute lady and he's smitten with Lygia (Deborah Kerr). The film begins with Marcus (Robert Taylor) arriving back in Rome with his legion after three years of war. But, you should also realize that it's not exactly a great history lesson.especially when it comes to Emperor Nero. "Quo Vadis" (1951) is an amazing spectacle and a film you should see. Reviewed by MartinHafer 9 / 10 An exciting and opulent film.as well as an occasionally bad history lesson. Marcus gets Emperor Nero (Sir Peter Ustinov) to give her to him for services rendered, but finds himself succumbing gradually to her Christian faith. Though she grew up Roman, the adopted daughter of a retired General, Lygia is technically a hostage of Rome. 1980.Returning to Rome after three years in the field, General Marcus Vinicius (Robert Taylor) meets Lygia (Deborah Kerr) and falls in love with her, though as a Christian, she wants nothing to do with a warrior. "The Way to Salvation: The Hollywood Blockbuster of the 1950s." Prospects: An Annual Journal of American Cultural Studies. 31 Issue 1, p81-83, 3p Full-text of this article / review is available:Berkeley users only "Whither Quo Vadis? Sienkiewicz's novel in film and television." Historical Journal of Film, Radio & Television, Mar2011, Vol. New York : The New Press : Distributed by Perseus Distribution, 2011. "After Quo Vadis: Onward Christian soldier, Watch out for the Wild One." In: An army of phantoms : American movies and the making of the Cold War / J. (Main (Gardner) Stacks New books PN1995.9.C5)
"The Roman epics of classical Hollywood : Quo vadis (1951)." In: Classics on screen : ancient Greece and Rome on film / Alastair J.
Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Databaseīlanshard, Alastair. Feeney original roadshow overture and exit music rejoined to the film. Special DVD features: Disc one: Movie, part one theatrical trailers - Disc two: Movie, part two "In the beginning: Quo Vadis and the genesis of the Biblical epic" new featurette (43 min.) commentary by critic/film historian F.X. He decides to make a sport of it by throwing them to the lions. Nero captures them and all other Christians. When he burns Rome and blames the Christians, Marcus goes off to save Lygia and her family. Meanwhile, Nero's atrocities get more outrageous. Lygia is not happy about this situation, but she falls in love with Marcus anyway. Marcus gets Emperor Nero to give her to him for services rendered. Though Lygia grew up Roman, and as the adopted daughter of a retired general, Lygia is technically a hostage of Rome. She doesn't want to have anything to do with the warrior. Returning to Rome after 3 years in the field, General Marcus Vinicius meets and falls in love with the devout Christian, Lygia. Cast: Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Leo Genn, Peter Ustinov.