Quo Vadis (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Ahhh, I love me a great big, good old-fashioned motion picture extravaganza. The 1950s gave us such films as David & Bathsheba, Ivanhoe, Salome, The Robe, Demetrius & the Gladiators, The Silver Chalice, The Ten Commandments, & Ben Hur. And wanna know which movie kicked-off that historic string of successful biblical epics? Well, that would be this movie, 1951's MGM box-office smash hit, 'Quo Vadis'. Shot with a cast of over 30,000 thousand, Mervyn LeRoy directed 'Quo Vadis', which presented the early beginnings of Christianity during the last year of Emperor Nero's reign. The film is a spectacle in every sense of the word. It's magnificent. And yet, the film greatly succeeds despite one major problem, a wooden performance from lead Robert Taylor -- more on that later.
Taylor stars as General Marcus Vinicius, who returns victorious to Rome in 64 AD from a successful 3 yr. campaign in Britannia. After receiving a hero's welcome from egocentric Emperor Nero (Peter Ustinov) & his snake-like Empress (Patricia Laffan), Marcus meets red-haired beauty Lygia (Deborah Kerr), the adopted daughter of a former Roman general that has secretly converted to Christianity. Marcus falls madly in love with Lygia. And she, despite being turned-off by his military exploits & overconfidence, is physically attracted to him. More importantly, she rejects his advances because he is a pagan who - like most Romans - denounces Christianity. Furious, Marcus makes Lygia his personal slave. How he manages to win her over forms the romantic angle of this very spiritual story.
That central romance is laid against the grander intrigues of debauched Emperor Nero, who firmly believes that he'll gain immortality by destroying Rome by fire & remaking it in his own image. Nero sulks, pouts, stomps about, & seeks constant assurance from his gaggle of political "yes" men about everything from his off-key singing, to his artistic genius, to whether or not he should exterminate every Christian in Rome! Fearing certain execution, everyone praises him to his face. But Nero's most trusted advisor, Petronius (Leo Genn), praises with a thin veil; manipulating nut job Nero at times, flattering him in others. Along with Nero's plan to eliminate the Christians, we're given big set pieces that include said burning of Rome (rivaling the burning of Atlanta in Gone With The Wind), the rescue of Lygia from a rip-snorting bull, the stunning upside-down crucifixion of Peter, & the climactic lion 'picnics' in the Gladiatorial arena of the Colosseum.
I mentioned earlier that Robert Taylor was wooden. And well, he was. That's a disappointment because he certainly cuts a strong, striking figure. But really, he's not very interesting; which hampers his chemistry with Deborah Kerr. Kerr, herself, is wonderful, sensitive, and really captures what it must have been like to be caught btwn. the love of a man & the love of her religion. Leo Genn is quietly effective as Petronius, the intelligent, gentle advisor to Nero. I loved the scene where he delivers an absentee "final insult" to Nero. And I liked the sweet romance btwn. him & his beautiful slave girl (Marina Berti). But it is Peter Ustinov who steals the show with his interpretation of the neurotic, wimpy, prissy, yet simultaneously terrifying (because of his unpredictability) Emperor Nero. He's dynamite.
There are many great moments throughout 'Quo Vadis'. We've got manic Nero throwing opulent parties. We've got racing chariots, marching armies, fire in the sky, secret Christian meetings, captives in shackles, & Christian martyrs bravely facing the unleashed lions in Nero's Colosseum "Circus" show. As I mentioned earlier, it's all a spectacle. The cast is enormous (no CGI there!). The color cinematography is rich. The setting is astounding; with historic locales & gigantic sets. The costumes are vibrant. And Miklos Rozsa's music score is lyrical in spots, thunderous in others. Now, this movie isn't perfect (Robert Taylor, moments where the narrative thrust peters out). But its epic scope, grandness, allegories, action, & attention paid to the beginnings of Christianity ... is pretty amazing.
Taylor stars as General Marcus Vinicius, who returns victorious to Rome in 64 AD from a successful 3 yr. campaign in Britannia. After receiving a hero's welcome from egocentric Emperor Nero (Peter Ustinov) & his snake-like Empress (Patricia Laffan), Marcus meets red-haired beauty Lygia (Deborah Kerr), the adopted daughter of a former Roman general that has secretly converted to Christianity. Marcus falls madly in love with Lygia. And she, despite being turned-off by his military exploits & overconfidence, is physically attracted to him. More importantly, she rejects his advances because he is a pagan who - like most Romans - denounces Christianity. Furious, Marcus makes Lygia his personal slave. How he manages to win her over forms the romantic angle of this very spiritual story.
That central romance is laid against the grander intrigues of debauched Emperor Nero, who firmly believes that he'll gain immortality by destroying Rome by fire & remaking it in his own image. Nero sulks, pouts, stomps about, & seeks constant assurance from his gaggle of political "yes" men about everything from his off-key singing, to his artistic genius, to whether or not he should exterminate every Christian in Rome! Fearing certain execution, everyone praises him to his face. But Nero's most trusted advisor, Petronius (Leo Genn), praises with a thin veil; manipulating nut job Nero at times, flattering him in others. Along with Nero's plan to eliminate the Christians, we're given big set pieces that include said burning of Rome (rivaling the burning of Atlanta in Gone With The Wind), the rescue of Lygia from a rip-snorting bull, the stunning upside-down crucifixion of Peter, & the climactic lion 'picnics' in the Gladiatorial arena of the Colosseum.
I mentioned earlier that Robert Taylor was wooden. And well, he was. That's a disappointment because he certainly cuts a strong, striking figure. But really, he's not very interesting; which hampers his chemistry with Deborah Kerr. Kerr, herself, is wonderful, sensitive, and really captures what it must have been like to be caught btwn. the love of a man & the love of her religion. Leo Genn is quietly effective as Petronius, the intelligent, gentle advisor to Nero. I loved the scene where he delivers an absentee "final insult" to Nero. And I liked the sweet romance btwn. him & his beautiful slave girl (Marina Berti). But it is Peter Ustinov who steals the show with his interpretation of the neurotic, wimpy, prissy, yet simultaneously terrifying (because of his unpredictability) Emperor Nero. He's dynamite.
There are many great moments throughout 'Quo Vadis'. We've got manic Nero throwing opulent parties. We've got racing chariots, marching armies, fire in the sky, secret Christian meetings, captives in shackles, & Christian martyrs bravely facing the unleashed lions in Nero's Colosseum "Circus" show. As I mentioned earlier, it's all a spectacle. The cast is enormous (no CGI there!). The color cinematography is rich. The setting is astounding; with historic locales & gigantic sets. The costumes are vibrant. And Miklos Rozsa's music score is lyrical in spots, thunderous in others. Now, this movie isn't perfect (Robert Taylor, moments where the narrative thrust peters out). But its epic scope, grandness, allegories, action, & attention paid to the beginnings of Christianity ... is pretty amazing.